Baltimore chef Ashish Alfred announced Monday that he has temporarily closed his restaurants in Fells Point, which includes Duck Duck Goose, Osteria Pirata and the Anchor Tavern.
The restaurateur’s eateries in Baltimore, Bethesda and Washington, D.C., are all now closed. “We’re doing everything we can to figure out a way to reopen” in Baltimore, Alfred said Monday.
In a statement posted to the Instagram accounts for Osteria Pirata and Duck Duck Goose, Alfred cited “safety concerns” in the Fells Point neighborhood where they operate as the reason for the closure. (As of Friday, both restaurants’ accounts had been deactivated.)
In an interview with Fox45 on June 9, the day after a teenager was shot and injured about a block away from his eateries, Alfred said, “I don’t know how to deal with the fact that my customers don’t feel safe to walk to my restaurant.” The neighborhood has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as young people have amassed in the square, often through the night. “I also know the recipe for disaster is a bunch of children being allowed to drink alcohol, carry guns and not being held accountable,” he told the TV station.
Reached by phone, Alfred said that the poor perception of Baltimore had contributed to a decline in revenue. “I’m not denying the fact that the business is having financial problems. It absolutely is,” he said. But he attributed those issues to poor sales. “The businesses are having issues because people aren’t coming into the city.”
Italian restaurant Osteria Pirata opened in 2023 in the former Points South Latin Kitchen space. French brasserie Duck Duck Goose launched in Bethesda in 2016 and in Baltimore in 2018. A representative for the Admiral Fell Inn, which houses all three of Alfred’s restaurants, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Alfred took over management of the hotel’s longstanding basement bar around 2022. Anchor Tavern bartender Steve Mavronis celebrated 17 years working at the pub last Wednesday — the last night it was open before Alfred closed it.
Mavronis, who is known for his smoked old-fashioned as well as the eggnog he makes over the winter holidays, said he’s confident he’ll be back behind the bar someday. If the Anchor hasn’t reopened by Christmas, Mavronis joked: “I’ll be doing eggnog in the Square, trust me.”
Alfred and his eateries face multiple lawsuits in Maryland. In a suit filed this year in federal court, a former general manager at No Way Rosé, Alfred’s short-lived Federal Hill concept, accused him of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation, saying Alfred and another employee made unwanted comments about her body and that she lost out on a chance to work at another of Alfred’s restaurants after she complained. Alfred was later voluntarily dismissed without prejudice by the complainant. The case is now proceeding against Alfred Restaurant Group and has been referred to settlement conference. An attorney for the restaurant group has denied the remaining allegations.
Specialty food distributor Baldor alleged Alfred Hospitality owed more than $17,000 after failing to pay for meats and produce, according to a Baltimore District Court lawsuit filed on April 25. Asked about the lawsuit, Alfred said that his Baltimore eateries were now under the umbrella of Alfred Restaurant Group, not Alfred Hospitality.
In Montgomery County, where Alfred previously operated a branch of Duck Duck Goose, which later became Good Ducking Burger and closed, he is facing a judgment of $60,000 from Moe Greene, LLC.
Montgomery County has recorded an $8,000 lien against the Alfred Restaurant Group, according to online court records.
Alfred recently hosted an episode of “Bar Rescue” on Paramount TV. He is also working on a forthcoming memoir that will chronicle his struggles with drug addiction.
On Instagram, he promised to continue his work on the small screen, saying “you can still find me on TV helping other hospitality owners navigate the challenges of this ever-changing business, and I will continue to be available to promote all things Baltimore.”
This article has been updated to reflect that Alfred has since been dismissed from the sexual harassment allegations at No Way Rosé.
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