TOWSON, Md. — The Greene Turtle restaurant on York Road in Towson has permanently closed following a promotional event earlier this year that sparked increased enforcement and scrutiny from Baltimore County officials.
WATCH: Greene Turtle in Towson closes permanently
Company signs were removed from the building on December 1, replaced by an eviction notice stating the restaurant owed more than $47,000 in unpaid rent.
The closure comes months after a bar promotion in late August led to problems that resulted in extra enforcement and a crackdown on underage drinking in the downtown Towson area.
Estrella Rivera, who just finished semester finals for paramedic school, discovered the closure Monday when she tried to take her classmates there to celebrate.
"I like Greene Turtle and they were saying it's one of the nicer ones, so we're just kinda upset about that," Rivera said.
The closure has raised concerns among parents about the safety of the area. Rivera, who has an 18-year-old daughter, expressed hesitation about the downtown district.
"She likes to frequent the area with her high school friends and go shopping and to the mall. It gives me pause dropping her off over here," Rivera said.
Despite the challenges, local business owners remain committed to keeping the district vibrant and family-friendly. Jill Packo, who owns Barley's Backyard Uptown just a block away, has a personal connection to the closed location. Her family operated the Greene Turtle franchise at the same spot for a decade before rebranding in 2020.
"It was sort of sad for me personally to see that the Greene Turtle couldn't make it because I had spent most of my adult life helping to build the brand," Packo said.
Packo emphasized that business owners in the area are working together toward a common goal despite the recent setbacks.
"We want everyone to succeed here in Towson. We all make mistakes, but we're all working towards the main goal of being a great neighborhood," Packo said.
She noted that the key to surviving in the area is being responsive to customers' needs and flexible in a changing environment.
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