Growth will increase number of locations for Timonium-based coffee, tea and food retailer to ten in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Frederick Counties plus Baltimore City

BALTIMORE, MD (November 20, 2017) – Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company has revealed plans to expand its bricks-and-mortar presence in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan region with the selection of three sites developed and owned by St. John Properties, Inc., with each expected to open early next year. The Timonium-headquartered group, recognized for its 120 varieties of coffees and Eastern Shore Tea Company brand, currently operates seven retail locations throughout Baltimore City, as well as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Frederick Counties. In addition to serving specialty coffee and tea drinks, each new restaurant will serve an assortment of breakfast and lunch items.

The first location is expected to open in January within 6210 Guardian Gateway, a three-story, 75,000 square foot commercial office building contained at The Government and Technology Enterprise (The GATE), a 416-acre office park located within Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Harford County. The business community, which provides the only 24/7 unrestricted entrance to APG, has the capacity to support nearly three million square feet of multi-story, single-story and flex/R&D space.

Opening in first quarter 2018 is a first-floor restaurant within 231 Najoles Road at the I-97 Business Park in Anne Arundel County. Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company will join Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland, which recently took occupancy within the five-story, 126,500 square foot Class “A” office building. I-97 Business Park is located on Benfield Boulevard in Anne Arundel County and presently consists of eleven office and flex/R&D buildings comprising approximately 500,000 square feet of space.

Also opening in first quarter 2018 is a location within the retail component of Annapolis Junction Town Center, a mixed-use Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) situated adjacent to the Savage MARC Train Station in Howard County. The project currently consists of a four-story, 100,000 square foot office building, The Residences at Annapolis Junction, a 416-unit luxury apartment project and a 5,400 square foot retail building with an addition retail building in the future.  Annapolis Junction Town Center features roadside visibility from MD Route 32.

“When presented with these three one-of-a-kind locations, we found them impossible to turn down based on existing demographics and expected growth, which is fueling our current expansion program,” explained Norm Loverde, Vice President of Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company. “Aberdeen Proving Ground is a fully-contained environment where employees depend upon on-site restaurant amenities and we believe will fill a daily requirement. We recognize 231 Najoles Road as a landmark office project in a rapidly-expanding section of Anne Arundel County, with an in-place anchor tenant that contains more than 400 associates. And, in Annapolis Junction Town Center, we were attracted by the diverse, pedestrian-friendly TOD environment with a strong traffic generator in the MARC Station. This project also features a built-in audience with the residents of the apartment building.”

In addition to the five existing restaurant sites, Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company operates two express locations in Baltimore City within the headquarters campus of Under Armour as well as Port Covington. The restaurant offers an assortment of hot and cold drink selections including hot chocolate, Café au Lait, Chai tea offerings, Lattes, Espresso-style coffee, Cappuccino and Café Latte. Breakfast items range from bagels and muffins, to egg sandwiches and hot oatmeal. The lunch menu includes sandwiches such as the Eastern Shore Chicken Salad, Deep Creek Tuna Melt and the Calvert Club, featuring turkey, bacon and pepper jack cheese. Grilled Panini sandwiches featuring roast turkey, chicken artichoke and grilled cheese, as well as homemade-style soups and salads are also available.

“We choose not to compete head-to-head with the recognized national coffee franchises,” Loverde continued, “but, instead, promote our local, family-owned corporate values with a heavy emphasis on personally knowing the particular tastes in food and drinks of our customers. We roast our coffee locally in small batches using equipment custom made for us in Paris, France, creating a taste that is extremely distinct and a product as fresh as consumers can buy. We pride ourselves on the consistent high-quality of our food and drink, combined with a smiling face behind the counter.”

“As an entrepreneurial-driven, hard-working local company ourselves, we value these same traits in Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company and believe this ethic translates to long-term success,” explained Richard Williamson, Senior Vice President of Leasing and Marketing for St. John Properties. “Equally important, this group offers outstanding food and drink selections and we are confident they will add value to each project and build customer loyalty. When configuring a tenant mix, we are attracted to locally or regionally-based retailers that offer differentiation and a compelling reason to visit.”

According to statistics from the National Coffee Association, 62% of all Americans consume coffee on a daily basis, a figure that rose from 57% last year, with espresso-based beverage consumption rising from 18 to 24%. In addition, 59% of all cups of coffee consumed on a daily basis are of the gourmet variety. Statistics from the Tea Association of America show that tea is the most consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in nearly 80% of all households. On a daily basis, more than half of the United States population drinks tea.

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed more than 18.5 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail and warehouse space in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah and Wisconsin. For more information about the company visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com