Papi Cuisine, whose viral crab cake egg rolls and other Afro-Latin fusion fare drew diners to South Baltimore from across the city and beyond, has closed its doors.

Co-owner Alex Perez, who is stepping away from the restaurant industry, said in a video posted to Instagram Monday evening that problems with “maintenance, plumbing, electrical, refrigeration and so on” had made Papi Cuisine’s operations in South Baltimore unsustainable. Business partner Berry Clark said the eatery was forced to close for “weeks at a time” when the grease trap backed up. Additionally, the restaurant’s lease on its space at 2 E. Wells St. was set to expire in November.

A few weeks ago, Perez said, the two decided to forward reservations from Papi Cuisine to Proper Cuisine, a sister restaurant owned by Clark. Clark said Proper Cuisine offers “essentially the same menu” as Papi Cuisine but in a more elevated setting. Customers “love it,” he said.

Perez said he is not affiliated with Proper Cuisine in any way, but Clark said the two are still on good terms.

Perez started Papi Cuisine 12 years ago as a ghost kitchen and catering company before moving into his first brick-and-mortar location with Clark in Fells Point in 2019. They relocated to South Baltimore two years later.

Business operations did not always run smoothly. In 2024, neighbors protested the renewal of Papi Cuisine’s liquor license, alleging that customers to the restaurant caused a ruckus in the residential area. Weeks later, a fire outside the building caused around $7,000 worth of property damage to the restaurant. A 47-year-old Baltimore woman was charged with second-degree arson in the case. But Clark said those issues didn’t contribute to the decision to close.

Moving forward, Perez intends to focus on different business ventures, including a line of Papi Cuisine-branded seasonings that he said will soon be sold at Kroger stores. “There are so many other things in motion and so much more great announcements to be had,” Perez said in his Instagram video.

Perez said in an interview Tuesday that creating a food brand was always his goal with Papi Cuisine, and that the catering company and restaurant were in service to that end. Now, without having to worry about the day-to-day operations of his eatery, Perez, who has young children, is hoping for a better work-life balance.

“It’s not easy running a successful restaurant,” he said.

This article has been updated to correct the neighborhood where Papi Cuisine is located.