The restaurant industry can be brutal for business owners, particularly amid rising inflation and high interest rates. But that hasn’t stopped people from announcing plans for new spots, with several set to launch in early 2025. From a new restaurant in the old Dizz in Remington to a whopping seven (!) concepts from Atlas Restaurant Group, here are the big ones to keep an eye out for this year.

Bar Vegan

Opening Jan. 7 in Baltimore Peninsula, the sit-down restaurant is a sister concept of Slutty Vegan, a viral chain from Baltimore native Aisha “Pinky” Cole, which has a branch next door. Cole calls Bar Vegan “Slutty Vegan 2.0″ and a “place where people can have a safe space to relax, have really good food, really good music and just let their hair down.”

The Wren

The local food world was aflutter when news broke that Will Mester and Rosemary Liss, founders of Station North’s Le Comptoir du Vin, planned to take over quirky Fells Point whiskey bar Birds of a Feather. Look for a January opening for this new concept.

Pink Flamingo

The Dizz shut down in 2019, but Baltimoreans never stopped missing it. (The space later became home to Let’s Brunch Cafe, which did not last long.) It’s hard to think of anyone better to take over such a landmark spot than the owners of Dutch Courage, the Old Goucher gin bar and restaurant that has been winning over hearts and mouths since it opened in 2019. Renamed Pink Flamingo, the restaurant should open in early 2025.

The Fishmonger’s Daughter

A project nearly five years in the making, the Frederick Road eatery from Faidley’s Seafood promises to be a game changer for dining out in Catonsville. It follows a massive and ongoing renovation of the building, formerly a longtime wallpaper store. “Every time you turn around, it’s something else,” said co-owner Damye Hahn of the many setbacks. “But it should be beautiful when it’s done.” She’s hoping for an opening in July 2025.

Candela

Arepas are no longer on the dinner menu at Alma Cocina Latina, but you can get your fill of Venezuelan arepas when Candela, a sister concept in Station North serving the traditional street fare staple, arrives in winter of 2025.

TBD in the former Five and Dime

The owners of La Cuchara purchased the former Five and Dime space on Hampden’s Avenue in 2024. Demo is mostly complete, according to chef and co-owner Ben Lefenfeld, though the elevator needs to be replaced before additional construction can begin. They’re still working out details, including the name of the eatery and the type of cuisine they’ll serve, but fingers are crossed for an opening in September or October.

Ben & Jerry’s

It might not be a restaurant, but the new branch of Ben & Jerry’s coming to Baltimore Peninsula will be the city’s first in decades, so excuse us for being excited.

Sand & Cedar Taverna

Peter Elias, whose Spain Wine Bar has become a newer foodie hotspot in Ocean City, plans to open Mediterranean restaurant Sand & Cedar Taverna in January in nearby Ocean Pines. Look for a menu featuring Lebanese, Greek, Turkish and Moroccan foods.

The Bistro and Lounge

Sand & Cedar isn’t Elias’ only new concept planned for 2025. This summer he’ll bring The Bistro and Lounge into Ocean City’s former Cowboy Coast. The 750-seat restaurant will feature a meat-aging room and a piano and cigar bar.

New Atlas Restaurant Group concepts

The hegemony of Baltimore’s Atlas Restaurant Group continues as the company brings more than half a dozen new businesses to Maryland in 2025, including a few as-yet-unnamed restaurants: two in the Fells Point-area building that was formerly home to Pazo and Bar Vasquez, and another at 142 Dock St. in Annapolis.

The Undefeated, a Hemingway-inspired cocktail bar, is also set to open in Fells Point early this year.

Their 200-seat Chinese restaurant Nine Tailed Fox launches in Cross Keys in April.

And the group is beefing up its presence in Maryland’s capital with two waterfront concepts set to take over the former Pusser’s Caribbean Grille. An opening date for both Italian chophouse Marmo and tequila bar Armada is set for late summer 2025.