Cheesecake Factory to Close Inner Harbor Restaurant, City Prepares
The Cheesecake Factory announced on December 5 that it will close its long running Harborplace restaurant on January 24, 2026, after nearly 30 years at the Inner Harbor. The move affects about 115 employees and underlines a steady exodus of national chains from Harborplace as a major redevelopment proposal advances through planning and permitting.
The Cheesecake Factory confirmed on December 5 that it will discontinue its Harborplace location on January 24, 2026, ending nearly three decades of operation at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The company said it conducted an extensive review before deciding to close the restaurant and that it is working to help transition or relocate the roughly 115 employees who work at the site.
The closure is the latest in a string of departures from the Harborplace pavilions that have reshaped the retail landscape around the waterfront. National chains including H&M, Bubba Gump, and Ripley’s have recently left the pavilions, reducing the roster of well known tenants that once drew steady foot traffic from residents and tourists. At the same time a large redevelopment proposal for the Harborplace site is moving through planning and permitting, signaling a possible shift in how the waterfront will be used in coming years.
For Baltimore residents the immediate impact is tangible. A workforce of about 115 faces job transitions in the weeks before the January 24 closure date, and nearby small businesses that rely on Harborplace foot traffic may see lower customer volume as chain anchors exit. The restaurant’s nearly 30 year presence also matters to tourism related revenue, since Inner Harbor offerings have been a visible part of visitor itineraries.
From a market perspective the closure underscores broader trends affecting urban retail. Retail tenants that once anchored mall style developments are increasingly reassessing location footprints as consumer habits change and redevelopment pressures rise. For city planners and policymakers the situation creates trade offs between short term job losses and the potential for long term transformation of prime waterfront land through mixed use projects, offices, housing, and public space under redevelopment plans.
City leaders and workforce agencies will face policy choices about supporting displaced workers, preserving small business vitality, and shaping redevelopment outcomes so they deliver both economic growth and community benefits. As permitting moves forward for the Harborplace proposal the coming year will be decisive for how the Inner Harbor reinvents itself after decades as a retail hub.
