The Face of The Finest Local Tastes & Talents
James King’s journey to award-winning restaurateur began at the age of 14, working as a dishwasher and busboy for a family friend who owned several popular restaurants in Washington, DC. King worked his way through the ranks over the following ten years performing virtually every job in the industry, eventually ascending to general manager at Georgetown’s popular waterfront. Thriving in the daily challenges of the fast-paced industry, King followed his pursuit to Anne Arundel County where he is now the CEO and co-owner a restaurant management group with eight restaurants: the original concept establishments of Blackwall Barn & Lodge (Gambrills) and Blackwall Hitch (Annapolis; Baltimore; Alexandria, VA; and Rehoboth Beach, DE), as well as the franchises for Greene Turtle (Annapolis and Gambrills) and Roy Rogers (Gambrills).
King’s work in building and opening restaurants led him to run for Maryland House of Delegates in 2006, where he served one term with a clear platform: to be a voice for small business. Today, as an economy driver with over 800 employees, King continues his work in the community through his restaurants- contributing to a myriad of charitable causes from homelessness prevention to local little league- and through his participation as a board member for the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Anne Arundel County Business Roundtable.
“I want to make sure I can give 100 percent. You have to give back to the community that keeps you in business. It goes back to that bigger picture of making Anne Arundel County the best place to live.” – James King
Blackwall Hitch 400 Sixth St., Annapolis, MD 410-263-3454 theblackwallhitch.com Blackwall Barn & Lodge 329 Gambrills Rd., Gambrills, MD, 410-317-2276 barnandlodge.com
