Latest news with #Deford
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
Business Journals
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
North Baltimore's Belvedere Square adds 4 new tenants
The new tenants, selling pretzels, Moroccan dishes and more, are joining the market as other food halls across the city are struggling. Story Highlights Belvedere Square Market's food hall will reach full capacity with new tenants. Four new businesses are joining Belvedere Square, including an LGBTQ boutique and a pretzel shop. The market's success contrasts with other local markets facing tenant turnover. A North Baltimore shopping development recently welcomed two tenants and has two more on the way, bringing its food hall to full capacity as markets around the city have struggled with turnover and vacancies. The latest additions to Belvedere Square, including an LGBTQ-themed boutique and a pretzel shop, will take up two retail storefronts and two stalls within the development's food hall, Belvedere Square Market. Henry Deford, a senior vice president and principal at MacKenzie Retail, said the food hall portion of the development is now fully leased with 11 tenants. The shopping complex's newcomers include pretzel stand B'More Twist, Love is Love boutique, Moroccan food and juice bar Kesh & Fresh and Munchies Cafe. Love is Love became the first of the new tenants to open in March, in an approximately 1,800-square-foot storefront near the market. The boutique sells gifts, greeting cards, clothing and pet items geared toward the LGBTQ community, allies and pet lovers. B'More Twist, which sells pretzels, lemonade and tea, debuted inside the food hall at the beginning of April. The pretzel stand also has a new location at Lexington Market. Kesh & Fresh is slated to open in the food hall by early June. Munchies Cafe, which will sell gourmet burgers and wings, will occupy a larger storefront on York Road, with hopes of opening sometime in June or this summer, according to Deford. 'Everybody is excited to have new, attractive options inside the market,' he said. 'There's really no missing category, in our opinion, right now.' The tenants range from businesses that have been in the area for some time — such as Love is Love, which had a previous stint in Hampden — and those that are relocating to Baltimore. Kesh & Fresh previously appeared at farmers markets in Northern Virginia, and the Belvedere Square Market stall will be its first brick-and-mortar, Deford said. The market's latest tenants add to a roster of newcomers from last year. Fusion taco spot Pono Taco, from the team behind Clark Burger across the street, took over the stall formerly home to Ejji Ramen, which closed in early 2024. Bonjour Crepes joined the market in October. The food hall and retail hub is also home to Atwater's, Prigel Family Creamery, Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls, Thai Landing, Koba Korean BBQ and Neopol Savory Smokery. Belvedere Square Market is not the only local market that has seen tenants come and go in waves in recent months. Three vendors left Broadway Market in Fells Point at the beginning of the year, but the Baltimore Public Markets Corp. has plans to fill those spaces soon.
