Beloved Bakery Closing, Owners Announce Joyous Reason Why

CATONSVILLE, MD — A beloved bakery is closing this weekend in Catonsville.

The owners of Charlsie's Bakehouse are expecting a child in July. The couple is "excited to start this new journey. However, this doesn't come without a cost."

"There are many reasons to this, but the most important ones are that we need to focus on our family more, and that just isn't possible with the business we built," Charlsie's said in a May 6 Facebook post announcing the news. "Many business owners are not present in their day-to-day operations. That's not me, I'm involved in making and foreseeing everything that goes out of this kitchen. And I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those owners who pays their staff less and cuts corners so that they could be away from the business. That's just the reality of most food businesses right now."

Charlsie's is named after owner Morgaine Brunn's grandmother.

The bakery was known for its southern-inspired pastries and comforting decor that made it feel like the community's living room. Cacti and succulents were perched in the windowsill. The shop even had live music, including an accordion player at times, to serenade its clientele.

The walls are now bare. Charlsie's will sell off its remaining decorations this weekend before it permanently closes after service on Sunday. There will be a ragtime band on Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

"Catonsville is such a cool little gem in this mad world and Charlsie's has been such a perfect fit, drawing so many of us Villens for your amazing one-of-a-kind menu, the friendly staff, the welcoming booths, the sun streaming in the front windows, the comforting music...all of it," customer John Averill commented on Facebook. "You'll be deeply missed. Needless to say, we wish you all the best and hope our paths will cross again and again."

Patrons, dubbed "Pie Pals," thanked Charlsie's for the memories and said they respected the decision.

"I'm proud of you for making the hard decision to do what is right for your family," customer Sherry Reich wrote on Facebook. "I feel like I am losing a friend. You, your shoppe, the staff will be sorely missed. I loved every bite and every interaction I had when at Charlsies."

Brunn knew she wanted to open a brick-and-mortar location in Catonsville when she started selling at the town's farmers market.

"We're going to miss watching the parade go by our shoppe on the fourth of July, and watching all your littles run to our windows to watch the firetrucks go by the shoppe," Charlsie's said. "We were able to support local PTAs, Lurman Woodland Theater, Pride and BLM events, as well as your important fundraisers that y'all reach out to us about."

Charlsie's said the location "needed an insane amount of work (and money -- more money than we realized at the beginning)."

"From tearing down 6 layers of rotted floor, to putting up an unexpected fire ceiling for the whole building, it was a huge accomplishment that we even opened," Charlsie's said. "Almost 3 years in this space feels like a lifetime, working 13-hour days and dealing with all of the building failings, staffing issues, equipment malfunctions, and inflation. Three years might seem like a brief time, but it feels like we've been here decades."

Charlsie's said it "was never just a bakery."

"It was a place where neighbors became friends, where stories were shared over coffee, and where countless memories were made," the eatery said. "We're so proud of the warm, welcoming community space we created together, and the joy, laughter, and comfort that filled these walls each day. We're incredibly grateful for every person who walked through our doors -whether you stopped in for a scone on your morning commute, celebrated a birthday with one of our cakes, or simply found a quiet moment at a corner table."