Fells Point's Black Olive files Chapter 13 to stop foreclosure sale

The Black Olive, the Greek restaurant on Bond Street in Fells Point, filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in mid-February 2026 to halt an imminent foreclosure sale of the building listed as 814–816 S. Bond Street. The filing was made public on February 17, 2026, and owners say the business remains open and “operating at full strength.”

Attorney Adam Freiman, who represents the restaurant owners, framed the filing as a property dispute rather than a business failure. “This filing has nothing to do with the viability of the restaurant,” Freiman said. He added, “This is a real estate dispute involving loans that the owners contend have been fully satisfied, and which the bank disputes.” Freiman also emphasized the restaurant’s local roots: “As a small, family-owned business that has served Baltimore for nearly three decades, The Black Olive reflects the importance of allowing longstanding local institutions the opportunity to resolve good-faith disputes without being displaced by inflexible systems.”

Chapter 13, described by the restaurant’s counsel as a wage earner’s plan, allows the filer to seek a court-approved repayment plan for debts; the owners are using that mechanism to seek a court-supervised resolution and to stop the scheduled sale. A business property listing published the week of February 17 indicated the property was set to head to auction that week, and an auction image credit attached to that listing names Alex Cooper Auctioneers.

The Black Olive continues regular service at its Bond Street address in Fells Point, where promotional listings give the address as 814 South Bond Street, Baltimore MD 21231, and list a phone number of (410) 276-7141 and website theblackolive.com. Public-facing reservation information shows seating Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:00, a dinner-menu price point shown as $55 with another dinner option listed at $45 (gratuity and taxes not included), and attributes including Reservation Only, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Nut Free Options, Kid Friendly, and Small Plates.

Sources differ slightly on the restaurant’s age in public descriptions. The business’s promotional copy ties its current space to a 1997 renovation of the Fells Point General Store; that founding year anchors the restaurant at roughly 29 years in operation in 2026, though some descriptions in recent coverage and listings have variously said “nearly three decades,” “more than 30 years,” or, in outdated promotional copy, “twenty years old.”

The filing arrives amid a string of neighborhood closures and sales in recent years: Morton’s Steakhouse and its host Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel closed in early January, Banditos Tacos & Tequila closed its Federal Hill location in March 2025 after 14 years, and Fells Point Tavern shut suddenly in February 2024 with workers reporting unpaid wages. The Black Olive’s attorney has described the restaurant as “thriving” even as the ownership contests the lender’s move toward sale.

Public reaction to news of the filing showed modest engagement on the restaurant’s local station’s social post: the station’s Facebook share recorded eight reactions, three comments and one share; commenters included Randy Brown, who wrote “Why don't you show the actual Black Olive location instead of the Rec Pier?” (that comment drew three reactions), Jennifer Lynn, who wrote “Wonder why PLACES ARE CLOSING,” and Mikey Casas, who wrote “Black history month.”

With the Chapter 13 petition now on file, the foreclosure sale has been paused while the dispute moves into bankruptcy court, and the bank contesting the owners’ claim that loans were satisfied has not been publicly identified in available materials. The owners continue to operate the restaurant at the Bond Street address while the legal process proceeds.