Three weeks after Baltimore’s liquor board granted approval for The Manor to reopen in Mount Vernon, the business has been sold to a so-far undisclosed buyer or buyers.
On Monday the previous owners, Josh Persing and Robert Gay, posted a farewell message on Facebook:
“We are thrilled to announce that The Manor has been acquired and will be reopening under new management in the coming weeks,” Persing said in the message. “In 2019 we had a vision; A vision to bring something new to Baltimore that was missing in our community. After nearly four wonderful and fruitful years, it is now time for Robert and I to move on to our next chapter.”
The LGBTQ-friendly restaurant and ultralounge, which opened in February 2020 in the building formerly occupied by The Elephant and The Brass Elephant, has been closed since late December after a water pipe burst and caused extensive damage that needed to be repaired.
After receiving a letter in July stating that repairs have been completed, the liquor board granted permission for the business to reopen. Liquor board approval was required because The Manor had been closed for more than six consecutive months. The license is held by a corporate entity, and there was no discussion about any change to The Manor’s ownership during a public hearing on July 27.
Nicholas Blendy, deputy executive secretary of the liquor board, said the agency has not received a transfer of ownership application for The Manor. As of now, “the licensee remains the same and all privileges and liability for the liquor license is held by The Manor Baltimore LLC,” he said in an email message.
The Mount Vernon community has had trouble with businesses in the past when owners obtain a license for a full-service Class B restaurant but operate more as a nightclub and generate complaints about noise, trash, operating hours, security and other issues
Several years ago, leaders of the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association (MVBA) complained about a business called The Museum that operated in the building where The Manor is now, and it closed. In May, the community association challenged the renewal of the liquor license for Sangria at 930 N. Charles St., saying its owners weren’t adhering to the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the community. The liquor board approved the license renewal, after the MOU between the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association and Sangria was modified.
The announcement posted on social media about The Manor did not say who the new owners are or how the business might change, and it did not disclose a sale price. After closings of the Hippo, Grand Central, City Café and Central on Howard Street, The Manor has been one of the last LGBTQ-friendly restaurants in the Mount Vernon area. In 2022, Baltimore Magazine gave it an award for Best Drag Brunch.
The Manor is the second Mount Vernon night spot closed by Persing and Gay. In October 2017, they shuttered a business called G. A. Y. Lounge at 518 N. Charles St. after less than a year of operation.
Persing and Gay could not be reached for more information and the phone number listed on The Manor’s website is not working.
Jack Danna, president of the MVBA, said in an email message on Monday that he did not have any information about a new owner for the restaurant or the property. “Our goal is to execute a new MOU with any new ownership at the Manor,” he said.
In their message posted on Monday, Persing and Gay said they are pleased with what they accomplished with The Manor.
“Know that we are extremely proud of what we accomplished here, and while this marks the end of an era for us, it is also a new beginning for The Manor so that it can continue to flourish as it has for so many years.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a quote from Mount Vernon Belvedere Association President Jack Danna.
