The historic Werner’s Diner and Pub is changing hands yet again amid ongoing efforts to revitalize the blocks surrounding East Redwood Street in downtown Baltimore.

The diner, which first opened in 1950 and has been featured on popular shows like “The Wire” and “House of Cards,” is now run by William Sterling, the owner of another popular breakfast spot, Saturday Morning Cafe.

The diner atmosphere hasn’t changed, but Sterling has brought some of the menu items over from his Little Italy eatery, including the seafood omelet, which features shrimp, crab, cheese and Old Bay.

Brad Byrnes, the owner of the diner’s 231 E. Redwood St. building, said he conducted five tours for local restaurateurs over the 40 days Werner’s sat on the market before selecting Sterling, who has brought crowds to other restaurants.

“They had lines out the door in an alley in downtown Baltimore,” Byrnes said of a visit to a restaurant Sterling worked at years ago. “To me that means you’re going to do a great job.”

Byrnes credited Sterling, who did not respond to requests for comment, for bringing a more personal, family-friendly ambiance to Werner’s. The new offerings include all-day breakfast, with options like steak benedict, banana chocolate chip pancakes and waffle tacos. Milkshake drink specials and a kids’ menu of French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches are also available.

The switch marks the second shift in management for Werner’s in less than two years. Berry Clark, whose Clark Hospitality owns Proper Cuisine across the street, led the diner for a little over a year before telling Byrnes in May to search for new management.

Sterling takes the reins of Werner’s as the block is seeing a surge in new investment. Clark’s predecessor Ray Crum, who oversaw Werner’s as it was being put up for sale two years ago, said in a 2023 interview, “Downtown is going to hell in a handbasket.” Public concerns over safety, outdated infrastructure, parking and the rise of remote work following the pandemic starved the area for foot traffic, which the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore has spent recent years working to rectify. The nonprofit organization has installed LED lights and boosted security to make people feel more comfortable there, Byrnes said.

“Downtown Partnership is proud to have been part of that process working with the city, Byrnes & Associates, and local entrepreneurs to complement their investments through programs like BOOST, Operation Storefront, and the Facade Improvement Program,” Downtown Partnership President Shelonda Stokes said in a statement. She noted the organization has seen “incredible momentum” along Redwood Street.

“By supporting neighborhood restaurants and amenities, we’re helping ensure this corridor continues to grow as a vibrant destination for dining and activity.”

Byrnes, a local developer who also serves as an executive board member for the nonprofit, sunk millions into reviving the block around Werner’s. He plans to spend more to attract businesses and pedestrians to the three blocks between South and Charles streets in a project he calls the “Historic Redwood Walk.” In the next two or three years, he said he hopes to make East Redwood Street a major connector for the city with the walkability of admired blocks in Annapolis or Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Byrnes said he spent $500,000 upgrading and building out Werner’s in November 2020 to renew attention on the diner. Last year, he opened The Redwood Apartments, a 130-unit complex next to Werner’s now up for sale that has Kechy Pizza Co. as a commercial tenant on the ground floor. And on Oct. 15, the city’s Board of Estimates approved his purchase of 7 E. Redwood St.; Byrnes said he signed a 20-year lease with the city to occupy several floors of the building, bringing the developer’s total investment in the few blocks to $50 million.

Byrnes said the blocks are a “historic gold mine” — home to Thurgood Marshall’s former law offices and a headquarters of the women’s suffrage movement — with architecture to match.

“It’s a really beautiful block,” Clark said. “It’s not as bad as what people portray it to be.”

Clark, who said he noticed more young people at Werner’s in his year of ownership, is excited for the diner’s new guardian to bring even more interest to the area. Clark said managing the restaurant didn’t work alongside his other eateries due to a separate business issue: “I wish I could have kept it, but how things went at that time, it didn’t work.”

But he said concerts at CFG Bank Arena and Comic-Con events have driven crowds to Werner’s and Proper Cuisine. Proper has even expanded from a Wednesday through Sunday operation to daily service to take advantage.

Werner’s staff said Wednesday that the diner has been busy since opening.

“Foot-traffic-wise, Werner’s is in the perfect predicament,” Clark said.