A Greene Turtle restaurant in Towson is set to close after Thirsty Thursday events prompted the Baltimore County Liquor Board to fine the bar and suspend its Thursday liquor license. 

During a hearing before the Board of Liquor License Commissioners on Monday, Greene Turtle CEO Geo Concepcion said 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 an officer and a pedestrian were struck as dirt bikes were driving recklessly in the area.

Baltimore County Council Chairman Mike Ertel said 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."

On what is usually a college night out, Ertel said this promoted event drew people from outside Towson who then stayed outside the bar.   

"People that are coming aren't necessarily going and patronizing somewhere else," Ertel said. "They're just all hanging out by the bar that they wanted to go to."

Losing revenue after ending Thirsty Thursday

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."

Patrons plead for bar to stay open

When told the sun may be setting on their local hangout, some were upset.

"I feel like if the Greene Turtle closes down, I genuinely think that might hurt the entire Towson," Noah Kindred said after slamming his hat on the sidewalk in frustration.  

Joe Foster-Williams was at one of the Thirsty Thursday events when there was a large crowd.

"It was wild. It was a good energy. But I think that's sort of when I left, when it was at the good part," Foster-Williams said.

Foster-Williams said he will be sad if the Greene Turtle closes, which he says he frequents regularly during the week, not only to hang out with friends, but also to get work done.

"[It's] a place where me and my friends are able to just sit down and have a good time," Foster-Williams said. "Keep the Greene Turtle open."

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.

It's not just the Greene Turtle that could be in jeopardy. WJZ has learned that two other Towson businesses could also lose their licenses for selling alcohol to minors.

A hearing before the liquor board for those businesses is scheduled in October.