One More Cup at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee

There are coffee shops you visit for the latte, and then there are places that mean something to the community. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee has been both.

The Dock Street coffee shop is expected to close in September after seven years in Annapolis, with the company saying its lease is coming to an end. The shop’s last day is expected to be Sept. 13.

Bitty & Beau’s is known nationally for creating employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its Annapolis location brought that mission right to the heart of downtown, where customers could stop in for coffee, baked goods, or a quick pick-me-up while walking City Dock. The company says it employs more than 450 people with disabilities across its locations nationwide.

The Annapolis shop has been part of the downtown community since February 2020, when it opened at Dock Street in the former Starbucks location. Hundreds of people turned out for its grand opening, and the store quickly became known for more than coffee. Over the past six years, team members at Bitty & Beau’s have become a familiar part of the City Dock experience, welcoming locals and visitors just steps from the waterfront. For many customers, stopping at Bitty & Beau’s has meant supporting a business built around inclusion, connection, and showing what people of all abilities can contribute to the workplace and their community.

The closing also comes at a difficult time for businesses along Dock Street. The ongoing City Dock Resiliency and Revitalization Project, which began construction in late 2025, is designed to protect downtown Annapolis from flooding and create a new waterfront park. But construction has also meant reduced parking, restricted access, and less pedestrian traffic through parts of the waterfront.

Bitty & Beau’s isn’t the only business feeling the strain. Nearby Annapolis Marine Art Gallery announced plans to close its physical storefront, with its owners citing a steep drop in business during construction, while Blowfish Poké suspended operations after reducing its hours because of slow traffic.

That makes the next week a good time to make an intentional trip downtown.

Stop by Bitty & Beau’s for a latte, matcha, muffin, or sweet treat. Bring the kids. Say hello to the team. Buy a T-shirt if one catches your eye. Most importantly, give the employees who have made this shop special a busy and well-deserved sendoff.

Sometimes supporting local means discovering a new favorite. This time, it means showing up for an old one while we still can.