BALTIMORE — There's a lot of work happening now behind the scenes to revitalize Harborplace, once the centerpiece of downtown.
One of the new tenants is going to be Matriarch Coffee, which is taking over part of the former M&S Grill, right at the corner of Pratt and Light.
The cafe features coffee from Rwanda and honors the matriarchs in the lives of cofounders Jean Christophe Rusatira, Michael Saunders, Dulani Christian, and Ernest Aseidu.
Thank you all for your continued support! Very much appreciate feedback and complements about our beans and single serve pods! For those who asked we have decaf available as well! https://t.co/qUUmEGSMyd
— Jean Christophe Rusatira (@jcrusatira) July 10, 2023
Saunders, cofounder and director, showed off the space on Wednesday, directly facing the Harbor promenade.
"This is a pretty nice view to have coffee in the morning, don't you think?" he said. "We're very fortunate to be on the ground level... I was a little skeptical at first, because I spent a lot of time downtown, but the promenade is actually very busy early in the morning with walkers. There's a lot of walkers."
The cafe will offer food like muffins, cookies, and sandwiches, as well as coffee, he said. The company began manufacturing early last year; the coffee is stored in White Marsh and roasted in Halethorpe, and now will be sold at the Harbor. Matriarch Coffee is currently sold in Graul's Market, The Wine Source, and at Towson University.
The coffee "is coming from the motherland, from Rwanda." Ten percent of profits go back to Rwanda and benefit community programs there.
Saunders said he had a limo service for a long time across the street at the Renaissance Hotel, so "this part of the city specifically means a little more for us."
He noted the development energy seemed to shift from Harborplace to Harbor East and other parts of the city's waterfront.
"I didn't like it," Saunders said. "I'm glad that David Bramble and MCB Real Estate are doing something about that. It's an opportunity for us."
Harborplace has just taken a backseat to other parts of the city, he said.
It's just overlooked right now. We're going to be part of what draws the eyes back to this end.
Earlier this year, MCB Real Estate sought public input on the future of Harborplace. Information on that revitalization project is available here.
