Annapolis Restaurant Closes Year After Sale: 'It's Heartbreaking'

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Italian restaurant closed Monday in the Annapolis Town Center, one year after the eatery was sold.

Tuscan Prime's new owners took over in October 2024 and rebranded the business as Cavalli, but parking issues forced the restaurant to shutter this week.

Cavalli opened in early June at 1905 Towne Centre Blvd., Suite 100. The upscale eatery was a collaboration from the restaurateurs behind Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen, Limoncello St. Michael's, Osteria 177 and Yellowfin.

Jamie Kujawski of Yellowfin said the apartments under construction across from Cavalli took away about 160 parking spaces that previously served his customers.

"Our business was doing extremely well," Kujawski, co-owner of Cavalli, told Patch in a prepared statement. "Then, unexpectedly our parking was taken away and replaced with a senior living facility that is being constructed now. This was devastating for the business and unrecoverable."

Kujawski was most concerned about his employees.

"It just sucks," Kujawski told Patch in an interview. "It's heartbreaking because we had a great place with fantastic people working there."

Kujawski and his partners want to transfer as many staffers as possible to their other restaurants.

"Anything we can do to help these people is well deserved," he said. "They've done a great job for us. This is not management's fault."

Kujawski's team is also opening three restaurants where workers may be able to transfer. Positano Ristorante & Pizzeria is taking over the former Agave space in West Annapolis. High Tide is replacing Harper's Waterfront Restaurant in Edgewater. A third unnamed concept is coming to Chevy Chase.

"It's not fun. I hate delivering bad news to people," Kujawski said, emphasizing the importance of retaining his team. "These are great people that have dedicated themselves to this."

Cavalli focused on housemade pastas and premium steaks, making it a similar concept to its predecessor in Tuscan Prime.

"The food was excellent. The reviews were terrific," Kujawski said.

Parking was the only issue.

Greystar, a South Carolina-based developer, is building a 175-unit complex that sits diagonally from Cavalli. The apartments are marketed as an "active adult" community for residents aged 55 and up.

Greystar has not responded to Patch's request for a comment.

The Annapolis Town Center has seen plenty of change recently. Federal Realty bought the center for $187 million earlier this month. Less than a week later, Patch confirmed that women's boutique Stardust Deluxe and Baltimore Coffee and Tea will depart the center. Both plan to reopen nearby.

Kujawski and Federal Realty said the Cavalli closure is not related to the sale of the town center.

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