24-04-2025
Belvedere Square adds three new tenants, including a pretzel shop
A new cohort of businesses are settling in at Belvedere Square, filling up the market's last vacant spots, as food halls around the city gear up for the Summer.
The three tenants opening in the market include a pretzel shop, Moroccan eatery and juicery, and a shop doubling as an LGBTQ+ boutique. These businesses are joining Belvedere Square fixtures like Atwater's and Neopol Savory Smokery.
'We think we have all the bases covered in the food category,' said Henry Deford, senior vice president and principal of Mackenzie Retail LLC, which has leased Belvedere Square in North Baltimore for 13 years.
Deford said that the new businesses are opening at an opportune time, heading into the market's busiest months, and will be filling out its last available spaces.
While other area food halls are struggling to maintain their tenants and foot traffic, Deford said Belvedere Square is lucky to be situated in a great location, between affluent communities like Roland Park in North Baltimore and Rodgers Forge in Baltimore County.
He also noted the importance of the market's status in the community, having served as a fixture in the area since its opening in 1986.
B'More Twist is the only one of Belvedere Square's new businesses currently open, offering the smell of freshly-baked pretzels to patrons of the hall.
When owner and operator Lucia Shibeshi moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia in the early 2000s, one of her first jobs in the states was at a pretzel shop in Belvedere Square. She said the experience made her want to open one of her own in the food hall, a path she set upon after establishing her first location of B'More Twist at Lexington Market in February.
Before opening the pretzel shops, Shibeshi built a successful event catering business, Taste Events Catering, working with big-name musical artists like Billy Joel and Beyoncé.
Love is Love Boutique opened its doors at Belvedere Square in March, but has closed briefly, with plans to reopen April 29, according to a sign on its window. The boutique specializes in LGBTQ+ apparel, as well as pet-themed greeting cards.
Meanwhile, Kesh & Fresh, an eatery serving plant-based Moroccan-style fare and fresh juices, is poised to launch its location in the hall by the end of June, after appearing in several farmers markets in Maryland and D.C over the past few years.
Belvedere Square isn't the only food hall in Baltimore to announce new additions this year, as Broadway Market is poised to add three new businesses to its roster in the coming months, and The Mill on North food hall opened its doors in West Baltimore this week.
Have a news tip? Contact Mathew Schumer at mschumer@ 443-890-7423 and on X as @mmmschumer.
