Abbey Burger in downtown Havre de Grace announced that it will close at the end of this month. The locally owned restaurant opened at 226 N. Washington St. five years ago and cited ongoing street closures as one reason for the decision to shut down. 

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s time to close this chapter,” the restaurant posted on social media Monday. “We do so with deep gratitude and sincere appreciation for every one of you who walked through our doors.”

The post said the closure stems from the “challenges of running a restaurant” and said that the city’s “consistent closure” of North Washington Street during the past year to accommodate a revitalization project made it difficult for the business.

Since the project broke ground last year, the sidewalks in front of businesses on North Washington Street and eventually the entire roadway were closed numerous times for construction, gas leaks and other reasons relating to the project.

The post said the closures were a “setback” that was “extremely difficult to overcome.”

The post also noted that the restaurant’s landlord is preparing to sell the building and that Abbey Burger is not in a position to purchase the property to remain in operation.

In late January, the Havre de Grace Abbey Burger location was raided by police. Patrons attending the restaurant’s karaoke night posted on social media that a large number of police abruptly entered the building and ordered patrons to “put their hands up” and leave the business while police detained employees.

Police said undercover officers purchased cocaine inside the business on five occasions and that three of the sales were made by Abbey Burger employees. Six people were charged as part of an ongoing drug investigation.

Abbey Burger apologized on its Facebook page to patrons: “We have great staff who love and care for our customers and this town. We take pride in maintaining a welcoming, safe and enjoyable environment for all of our guests, and we are reviewing our procedures to ensure that this situation does not repeat itself.”

Abbey Burger has two other Baltimore-based locations, in Mount Washington and Fells Point, that will remain open.

“This town — filled with people who supported us from the start and made Havre De Grace feel like home — has been a delightful place to have a restaurant,” the social media post stated. “We have poured our hearts, souls, and every ounce of energy into creating something special here.”

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