Crime Concerns or Business Blues? Restaurant Closures Spark Debate at Columbia Mall

The food scene at The Mall in Columbia just took a big hit. Chicken + Whiskey, Bennie’s Pizza, and The Walrus Oyster & Ale House — all run by Desmond Reilly’s SRG Concepts — have shut their doors. Reilly says the decision wasn’t just business. He claims a rise in crime and poor response from mall management and county leaders forced him to walk away.

Reilly, a Howard County resident, said things started to shift in March 2023, when fights outside Bennie’s became more common. He says customers became afraid, and cover counts at The Walrus Oyster & Ale House plummeted — down 25% in 2023, 20% in 2024, and ultimately falling 60% by 2025.

A July 2024 homicide inside the mall food court bathroom and a February 2025 double shooting in the bus loop area only deepened customer concerns, Reilly said. “It became clear that people in Howard County don’t feel safe at the mall,” he told The Baltimore Banner. Mall landlord Brookfield Properties disputes the claims, saying they’ve always maintained strong, visible security. They also note several months of negotiations were spent trying to keep the restaurants open.

County officials say a permanent police unit has been stationed near the mall, the Merriweather District, and the Columbia Lakefront. No gun crimes have been reported since. “We’re working with businesses to address concerns, but we have no record of Reilly lodging a complaint,” said Safa Hira, spokesperson for the County. Other business owners had mixed takes. Some echoed Reilly’s fears anonymously, saying safety concerns hurt business. Others, like The Food Market owner Chad Gauss, cited new competition in the Merriweather District as the bigger challenge. “We find the area extremely safe and family-friendly,” Gauss said.

Reilly remains convinced crime pushed his independent concepts out, even as his D.C. locations thrive despite similar safety issues. “There’s an acceptable tolerance in a city of 700,000,” he said. “In Howard County, tolerance for this crime is zero.”He’s now focused on finding jobs for 81 displaced employees. “My wife and kids ate where someone was murdered,” he said. “Does someone need more understanding than that?”

Whether it’s crime, competition, or a mix of both, one thing’s certain: this stirs a big conversation about safety, small business survival, and the future of The Mall in Columbia.