Baltimore loses one of its longest-running Black-owned restaurants

Growing up, Terence Dickson’s father used to treat the family to dinner once a month at a different restaurant, maybe a Chinese place, or an Italian one. But one thing stood out: “We really never went to a Black restaurant,” said Dickson.

So when he opened Terra Cafe at 101 E. 25th St. in 2009, Dickson says it was important to him to offer not just delicious fish sandwiches, but a community outpost and space where he could “show the Black awesome of Baltimore.”

But this week, Dickson announced that Terra Cafe has closed permanently amid mounting debt, including a large electric bill, and vandalism of the Barclay storefront. The shutdown of one of Baltimore’s longest-running Black-owned restaurants struck a chord with friends and peers in the hospitality industry, with some also feeling the pain of rising operating costs coupled with a downturn in business.

“It’s so unfortunate to see a staple and a pillar of the community having to come to this,” said Jasmine Norton, owner of Urban Oyster in Hampden. But the problems Dickson described were familiar to her as a business operator. “It is not a secret that the current climate and the economy is a strain to all of us,” she said. “So many things are working against us right now.”

Land of Kush co-owner Naijha Wright-Brown said she admired Dickson, whom she said frequently advocated for Black-owned businesses in the city like her own. “We definitely looked up to him,” she said. “It really is going to be sad to see him go.”

The walls of Terra Cafe featured work by Black artists, and the restaurant frequently hosted live music in a large patio. The exterior of the building was painted can’t-miss-lime green, a sign above the door saying: “Welcome family.”

Just inside, furniture and equipment was scattered about Thursday; there was a sign from the José Andrés-founded charity World Central Kitchen, from when Terra Cafe partnered with the relief organization to make meals for residents during the pandemic.

The eatery has been closed to customers since last fall, when Dickson said Baltimore Gas and Electric shut off the electricity after he failed to pay his bills. A GoFundMe raised nearly $15,000 for the business, but still fell short of the $30,000 that Dickson needed. “I had to file bankruptcy twice,“ he said.

In attempts to reopen, he set up a propane-powered kitchen in the back patio to earn revenue, but said he was hit by the liquor board with a more than $2,000 fine for not having his paperwork up to date. The cafe was also struck by vandalism. Dickson decided he’d had enough. “It was just too much,” he said.

Dickson owns the property where Terra Cafe is located, which includes neighboring storefronts and a 6-unit apartment building. He’s planning on finding a new tenant to take over the cafe space.

Like Dickson, Norton said she’s had to work out a payment plan with BGE to stay on top of rising utility charges. Meanwhile, many customers are staying home while dealing with their own rising bills. “Our reservations are down because of this economy,” Norton said.

Norton said she’s also concerned about vandalism, which she sees as related to people’s financial struggles. “Desperate people do desperate things,” she said. Such attacks have been a frequent frustration for the city’s business owners lately, with Land of Kush facing broken glass at their storefront this week.

But to Norton, there’s an inspirational story underlying Terra Cafe’s closure: the fact that it was open for as long as it was.