Photo Courtesy Inner West Street Association
Outdoor Dining in Annapolis, MD
Outdoor Dining at Market Space | Posted by The City of Annapolis at www.annapolis.gov
Annapolis, MD - Outdoor dining has become an important part of the downtown Annapolis experience. It brings energy, supports our local businesses, and creates the kind of environment residents and visitors value. We want to state clearly: Outdoor dining is here to stay.
As of July 1, the Market Space outdoor dining leases will transition from a single temporary lease arrangement across all five businesses to more sustainable individual street cafe leases.
Some confusion about the issue has arisen in recent days because the five businesses that currently operate outdoor dining in Market Space are up for lease renewal. On Friday (5/1/26), the City’s Office of Law alerted the businesses, as required under current terms, that the lease would expire on June 30.
To be as transparent as possible, here are the issues that need to be addressed to ensure that Market Space can continue to function safely and with adequate planning for all parties:
One Lease: The leases, as currently structured, tie all five businesses into one “one-size-fits-all” arrangement. Some have approached the City to alter the terms. We want to acknowledge that each business has different needs. Working individually on new lease agreements may allow both the City and individual businesses more flexibility.
Boat Show: The Annapolis Boat Show has a contract with the City for the space this October, due in part to the Annapolis City Dock Resiliency Project. This is a temporary need. A short-term pause for a major international event allows our downtown to serve as a shared, multi-use space.
City Dock: As construction on the above-mentioned project progresses, the City needs the agility to adjust footprint layouts to keep the area accessible and safe for both diners and pedestrians. Our conversations with the five restaurants would continue to allow for their need to plan and staff for outdoor dining as much of this work will happen over winter when the space is not utilized for outdoor dining purposes.
Seasonal Needs: During the winter months, the permanent outdoor setup presented significant challenges for snow removal and public safety. It is the City’s hope to not only create a “right-sized” model for maximizing the use during peak outdoor dining months, but to also keep the streets clear and safe during the off-season.
All of this will be negotiated with the businesses (as outlined in the letter that was sent last Friday). We apologize for the confusion and hope to work out the details with all five restaurants in the coming weeks.
Final Note: The current outdoor dining leases remain in effect through the end of June. It is our hope to continue the outdoor dining setup for all of July, August, and September, and as weather permits, later into the fall.
