The Greene Turtle in Towson could be closing in the aftermath of Thirsty Thursday chaos, which led to the Baltimore County Liquor Board taking away the bar’s liquor license on Thursdays and issuing a fine for serving a minor.
Greene Turtle CEO Geo Concepcion said at a Monday hearing before the Baltimore County Board of Liquor License Commissioners that he plans to shut down the location, according to our media partner, the Baltimore Banner.
In August, a social media video showed the Greene Turtle hosting a Thirsty Thursday promotion, which appeared to have gotten out of control, with people shutting down York Road.
Baltimore County police said dirt bikes were driving recklessly and struck an officer and a pedestrian.
Baltimore County Council Chairman Mike Ertel says he doesn’t think Greene Turtle has enough security to handle a crowd that size, and he said closing that location may not be a bad thing for Towson.
“They’ve talked about it before, so I don’t know if it’ll actually happen,” Ertel said. “But, they sounded like it was inevitable. It was inevitable that it was going to happen. A lot of the other bars are fine, and they’re doing well. So while we don’t want to see any business close, this might not be the end of the world.”
Losing revenue after ending Thirsty Thursday
Greene Turtle CEO Geo Concepcion said he plans to shut down the bar and restaurant by the end of the year.
The sports bar on York Road opened in 2022 and cost about $4 million to construct and operate.
The Greene Turtle was cited by the Baltimore County Police for serving an underage cadet and disturbing the neighborhood, according to the Banner.
The operators of the business agreed to stop its Thirsty Thursday promotions, with drink specials and an unofficial party night, but their revenues dropped, the Banner reported.
Owners estimated that lost revenue from their Thursday events would cost the business around $600,000 per year, the Banner reports.
“We can’t continue,” Concepcion said. “We’ll continue to do a good job everywhere else we operate.”
Thirsty Thursday reports
The Banner reported that a police report on Aug. 14 said that an estimated 800 customers lined up outside the Greene Turtle, and the crowd became “unruly.” The report stated, according to the Banner, that a fight broke out inside the bar before spilling into the street.
On Aug. 28, eight people were arrested following a disturbance in the area.
Following one Thirsty Thursday, a dirt biker hit a police officer. On Aug. 28, eight people were arrested in the area.
The Greene Turtle’s vice president of franchise development, Thomas Finn, told the Banner that police presence was increased and citations were issued for open containers and other offenses.