Pitango Gelato Eyes Annapolis Dock Street Spot
The gelato chain plans its 10th location at 124 Dock St., the former home of Bitty & Beau's Coffee.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Pitango Gelato announced it will open its 10th location at 124 Dock St. in Annapolis, a space previously occupied by Bitty & Beau's Coffee, which closed in September. The shop will be owned and operated by Sam and Semy Lee, the brand's first franchisees in Virginia's Old Town Alexandria.
Why it matters
The move fills a vacancy left after Bitty & Beau's Coffee closed as its seven-year lease ended, adding a new dining option to the downtown waterfront. Local businesses have cited growing frustrations with the ongoing City Dock project, which aims to reduce chronic flooding.
Pitango Gelato, founded in 2006, now operates locations across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, including a bakery in Baltimore, and its menu is half dairy-free sorbet. The Annapolis opening is slated for spring 2027, with the official date still to be announced.
The players
Pitango Gelato
A gelato chain founded in 2006 that operates locations across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, including a bakery in Baltimore.
Sam and Semy Lee
Franchisees who will own and operate the new Annapolis shop and who are the brand's first franchisees in Virginia's Old Town Alexandria.
Bitty & Beau's Coffee
A coffee shop that employed individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and closed its Dock Street location in September.
The details
The Annapolis shop will be set up through a franchise arrangement with Sam and Semy Lee in the former Bitty & Beau's Coffee space at 124 Dock St. Bitty & Beau's Coffee previously provided employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities before closing in September.
Timeline
September: Bitty & Beau's Coffee closes at 124 Dock St.
Tuesday (before November 10, 2026): Pitango announces the Annapolis location.
Spring 2027: Planned opening of the Pitango Annapolis shop.
2028: City Dock construction project expected to continue.
Market Landscape
The Dock Street reopening reflects continued retail turnover along Annapolis's downtown waterfront, where the City Dock project has been reshaping foot traffic and storefront viability. Pitango's expansion extends its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic corridor against other specialty dessert brands seeking waterfront visibility.
Annapolis diners will gain a new gelato option at the downtown waterfront location once it opens. Shoppers in the area may see a shift in local dessert choices as the former coffee shop space changes hands.
The takeaway
Retail turnover on Annapolis's downtown waterfront is closely tied to the progress of infrastructure work, so businesses and residents should watch the City Dock timeline as openings and closings unfold.
What happens next
The official opening date for the Annapolis Pitango shop will be announced at a later time, with a spring 2027 opening currently planned.
Further reading
For more local changes, browse recent Openings & Closings coverage across the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
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