I believe the Annapolis location is still open.

I was upset that the BBQ place next door (can't remember the name) closed it's doors. Now this (never been there)? Wonder why restaurants in the area are always struggling. It's not like there isn't enough people/$$ in the area :-(

The BBQ place next door was Damon's. We did try it a few times, always underwhelming.
I feel that the reason why some restaurants in the area are always struggling is that their food and/or service are sub-par in comparison with the busier places. There is a lot of stiff competition around here--- a place really needs to offer quality food at fair prices and have an on-point staff.
Also, rent cost might be an issue, like with Punk's in Annapolis.

I can't put my finger on why, but likely the expenses. It was too large of a place for their client base. I was a fan and we went there often but I never saw the place even 20% full and some nights we were one of a few people eating in.

I had always assumed they did a large carry out business but I guess not. They would likely do better in a place with 75% less square footage.

Another small observance - I do not believe this place was owner-operated. When the owner is: A) Not the chef. B) Not always on location then it's a really tough road in the restaurant biz.

I agree rent cost could have been an issue, plus if the place is poorly managed/run, then it doesn't have a chance. I don't think that Greene Turtle's food is that good, but they do a heck of a bar biz, especially during Football season, so that place will most likely make it. I also think they have to be creative about how to lure people in with so many choices available.

My wife and I dined there once. The service was slow, the food was terrible and too pricey for the amount and quality. Olive Garden entree prices are much lower without taking into account the unlimited salad and breadsticks. We need more quality resturants to compensate for the population growth which is increasing with all the housing developments just on Waugh Chapel alone. Ray

This guy was the biggest crook on the face of the earth. I used to live in an apartment complex close by to there. He would rent an apartment there for all of his Latin American illegal employees....so much for "authentic" Italian. There were literally 20 of them living in a 2 bedroom apartment. They'd all leave at 7 am and come back at 1 am. Was good for the Corona salesman though as they'd always come home with arms full of Corona. I've heard other things about him and his shady dealings...

I love Italian food and I WANTED to like the Italian Market. But I found the food pricey and below average in quality. The manager once was rude to me when I asked if they carried a certain kind of cheese for a recipe I was making. He barked that I didn't know "what the hell I was talking about." Also, I like wine and at first was excited to try the Italian varieties they carried in their "market." But honestly, nearly all of them were horrible. I've never been to an Italian place where all of the wine was terrible. It just didn't compute. Consumers have a lot of choices. Businesses that don't measure up don't stand a chance. I'll take Mama Romas any day.

Hopefully a better choice will move there..maybe a Fogo de chao? @Annie..lol...reminds me when we went to LaFiesta? On rt 3 several yrs ago..my son tried to practice his middle school spanish with the waiter..the waiter had no idea what was said..he said most of the staff are from the middle east...lol also, in Glen Burnie..a ton of illegals live in Glen Ridge apts that take turns working at our fav spanish restaurant...they too have many people in few apts...nice people but not fair when they split the water bill for each apt...my 2 friends that lived there had to pay the same as the dozen illegals in the next apt...had to put up with bedbugs and roaches..mice and partying...

Mama Roma's is hands down the best Italian place around. I see the same folks working in there every time I go, and the owner (I'm assuming) is there every day that I've been there. She greets you with a smile and the food is incredible. I can't say any of that about the Italian Market. Sorry to see yet another empty storefront there, but you have to have a quality product to stay in business.

so happy they closed, I was not impressed with their food or their service it was horrible on both levels it was so overpriced and not even worth the price....mama romas is the best and the woman that takes the orders...I LOVE HER...she is so personable and calls me by my name when I walk in...everytime I drive through waugh chapel I just see so many businesses closing that area is taking a major beating since waugh chapel south opened. it is kinda sad to be honest.

I am not surprised either...place was way too big. Whenever we went there I wanted to enjoy it and left there disappointed. The food always came out at different times within your party so my husband would be done eating and I would still not have my food yet! Ugghhh....With that being said, I am a little sad since my kids had many team parties there when they were little. Oh well....there are many other new restaurants to try in the Crofton/Gambrills area.

My husband and I stopped there for lunch Wednesday and was surprised to find the doors locked up. We didn't see a sign but could have missed it. The only items we regularly purchased there were the Italian cold cut subs, and it was usually empty which could have been attributed to the fact that we are retired and usually visited in the middle of the afternoon. The staff was never overly friendly and I wasn't a great fan--mostly went out of convenience because I was in the area. It is disappointing, however, to see two boarded-up restaurants in that high-traffic area sitting empty.

My husband and I loved the Italian Market from its beginnings. I believe their demise was when they moved from their original location (where the Four Seasons Grill is located) after their full service restaurant failed. They were always busy in the smaller location and served quality food. But this is a perfect example of getting too big too fast and losing the quality along the way.

Like Monica, I enjoyed it since their start at the 4 seasons location. They had great pizza and pasta dishes... I'm sure the new shopping center had an impact on their business. Having 2 empty facilities is not ideal. Hopefully, the older center will not become an eye sore with mass vacancies...I believe that is three on that side...Damons and Remax

Dont forget Atlanta Bread and the Japanese steak house our gone too.

Fugi (Japanese steak house) has moved to new Waugh chapel and extremely busy and great food

The Fuji Japanese Steakhouse is not gone. They are renovating the old building into a fine dining Japanese restaurant.

Mama Roma's, a location 3X's as large as they needed and the retail aspect of it all combined killed them. I never really saw anyone shopping in their "grocery" area and to me, their deli area was never properly laid out, maintained or staffed.

There's a psychology that goes with it. When customers don't see an employee in the deli area then it looks like a place not to buy anything. Of course, it's a Catch-22 since they never put anyone in the deli area because there were no customers there - then begins the downhill spiral.

Went there only once, was not impressed - just another bland chain restaurant and had nothing Italian about it at all! Good riddance to those big chain places, I say! We need more small, family-run eateries (and a few non-chain pubs would be nice, too!!)

PS: I've always wondered why they would build two malls so close to each other?? Talk about direct competition!!

Yeah...they weren't doing well buisness wise, the service was slow, sometimes the waiters gave us burnt garlic bread...once one even spilled something on my father. But I really liked their food and that was my favorite Italian place to go :( also it was right by my grandmas house

We went there all the time with the kids. We liked their greek salad and pasta dishes. The problem was rude staff. Never looked happy and if you had a coupon they would act as if you were taking money from them (don't print them!). The sign on the doors says "CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS", so are they coming back?????

My husband and I went there or ordered take-out about every other week. We never had any problem with rude employees, we encountered only polite or helpful employees. We will go to the Annapolis location on occasion, but that is too far for take-out. We will miss one of our favorite restaurants in Crofton.

Where is Mama Romas? I have heard good things about it.

Don't forget about Mamma Lucia, another really good Italian restaurant, in Hanover.

http://www.mammaluciarestaurants.com/

I wil miss them. We loved their pizza and subs. We always got take-out so didn't deal with the employees much. Mamma Roma's is a bit too far for take-out - food would be cold by the time I get back to Crofton. Guess I will be going to Squisitos more often. Great pizza there too. Ledos has good subs.

There is also a Mamma Lucia in Annapolis - I've also heard good things about Squisitos. I've also heard that Coal Fire is nothing to write home about.

None of the food in those places tastes ANYTHING like it does in Italy! It's all totally americanized....the pizza is pretty good at Coalfire, I think

So, you feel like you can give your opinion on the food but I can't, just because I've been there?? Interesting reasoning...

I wouldn't say it's about having an "unsophisticated palate", it's about not knowing any better - which obviously isn't their fault. I was just trying to point out that what most people here think of as "typically Italian food" really isn't that at all! Best example: MEATBALLS!!! Americans think that is the ubiquitous Italian food. I've been to Italy dozens of times and have eaten hundreds of meals - never once did I see meatballs on the menu!!
In my opinion, the loss of this restaurant isn't a big one. That's what this article was about and that is my opinion. You can have a different one.

Thanks, Brian - that's exactly what I meant (and said)

In response to the people who are going to Squisitos, I would stay far away. I went there a year and a half ago to get a steak and cheese sub, took it home, bit into it and bit into a dime! I almost broke my tooth. I went back and told whoever was in charge about it and he told me I would receive a call. I never heard from the owner, nor received an apology from anyone. I will never go back and tell everyone to stay away.

OLIVE GARDEN PLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSEEEEE COME TO WAUGH CHAPEL!!!!!

Are Italian Market gift cards sold by the Gambrills restaurant good for purchases at the Annapolis Italian Market?

Our family traveled from Virginia to eat at the Italian Market. The food was good and the staff was always friendly. So sorry to hear that it is closing!

I never liked Italian Market. It was only useful twice for big WCES Destination Imagination events and management was still not helpful!