Greene Turtle Towson To Close After “Thirsty Thursday” Crackdown
Thursdays were once the busiest night of the week at the Greene Turtle in Towson. The York Road sports bar, which opened in 2022, quickly became the go-to spot for “Thirsty Thursday” — an unofficial college night that drew massive crowds and went viral on TikTok for its block-long lines and packed sidewalks.
That run ended in mid-August, when Baltimore County Police cited the bar for serving alcohol to an underage cadet and disturbing the neighborhood. Soon after, the Greene Turtle halted its Thursday promotions and DJ nights with $5 drink specials. The impact was immediate — and devastating. Sales plummeted, and within weeks the bar’s operators decided to shut down the location by the end of the year.
At a Monday liquor board hearing, Greene Turtle CEO Geo Concepcion confirmed the closure, calling the $4 million Towson location “the most expensive and shortest-lived project in the Greene Turtle’s 50-year history.”
Police reports describe the scale of the problem. On Aug. 14, officers estimated about 800 people crowded outside the bar, spilling into the street and ignoring orders to clear the roadway. A fight inside the bar spread onto York Road, prompting requests for aviation, K-9, and extra precinct units. Later incidents included a dirt bike striking a police officer and multiple arrests in the area. By September, increased enforcement led to a steep drop in sales — down to just a quarter of normal revenue.
Executives estimated the loss of “Thirsty Thursday” events alone would cost about $600,000 annually. “We can’t continue,” Concepcion said.
Community pushback played a role, too. At the hearing, local bar owner Aaron Brave accused the Greene Turtle of “ruining Towson” by attracting out-of-town partygoers. “These aren’t people who are part of the society of Towson,” he said. “Parents are afraid of their children leaving the house.”
The Greene Turtle’s attorney, David F. Mister, pushed back, arguing the business shouldn’t be blamed for rowdy behavior on public streets. He urged the board not to fine or suspend the liquor license, given that the location is already preparing to close. “We’re effectively suspending ourselves,” he said.
The board imposed a $1,000 fine and suspended the bar’s license on Thursdays through October. Chairwoman Susan Green delivered a sharp rebuke, saying the operators had “elevated business needs at the expense of the community” and “created an absolute disaster in Towson.”
Founded in Ocean City in 1976, the Greene Turtle remains a Maryland institution with more than 30 locations statewide. But in Towson, its presence will be short-lived — and its exit, for some, can’t come soon enough.
