Brown Mustache Coffee, the tucked-away cafe that has shared a roof with Old Fox Books on Maryland Avenue for nearly a decade, is packing up for a bigger home across the street. The shop plans to move into the historic Opera House at 44 Maryland Avenue in early 2027, trading its bookstore nook for its own storefront in downtown Annapolis.
According to Eye On Annapolis, the new space will sit next to Annebeth's and is being designed with its own entrance, additional seating, and dedicated areas for meetings and remote work — a step up from the shop's current quarters inside the bookstore. The outlet reports the new location is near State Circle and within walking distance of the U.S. Naval Academy, putting it in the thick of downtown foot traffic.
Brown Mustache has spent years as something of a hidden gem, with Naptown Scoop once describing it as tucked into the corner of Old Fox Books. A separate coffee guide, My Coffee Explorer, similarly places the shop in the back of the bookstore and notes it was founded in 2016 by Joel and Colleen Bunker.
Same Coffee, New Pastries
Despite the move, the business plans to keep things familiar for regulars. The Eye On Annapolis report states that Brown Mustache will retain the same staff and coffee offerings at the new address, so loyal customers shouldn't expect a different crew behind the counter or a different cup in hand.
What will be new is the food case. The shop plans to add fresh pastries and baked goods from its sister business, Curate, a scratch bakery and cafe at 141 West Street in Annapolis, per the same report. Naptown Scoop has separately praised Curate as a favorite downtown work spot, writing that the coffee is delicious and the pastries are to die for.
No Firm Opening Date Yet
Brown Mustache intends to keep operating inside Old Fox Books through the 2026 holiday season, with the relocation planned for the new year, the outlet reports. An exact opening date for the Opera House location has not yet been announced.
Ryan Brassel of Rosso Commercial brokered the deal for the new location, according to the report. The move comes as the shop approaches its tenth anniversary and not long after it ranked third on Yelp's Top 25 Places to Drink in the Baltimore area, making it the highest-ranked coffee shop on that list, per Eye On Annapolis.
