Storm Brothers Ice Cream Factory

09/02/2026

Thank you DMV Adventures Chris 📸 for choosing to spotlight Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory - especially during our nighttime hours!! And you even picked one of our favorite flavors! We are so glad you enjoyed it!🍦🍦🍦

“Awesome ice cream spot with 50 flavors in downtown Annapolis. This is definitely my new go to for dessert. I feel like there’s a handful of ice cream places all down on the main area, but I think this one’s the best.”

Since we are moving into a new season, we now close at 10 p.m. Hope to see you soon!

08/26/2026

Storm Bros’ owner Sveinn Storm (who just celebrated a birthday on 8/24) has been on the news a couple of times this month. This 2nd video aired yesterday, 8/25, and features Kim Dacey and A***n Fulcher at WBAL 11 News in Baltimore, where he says the Dock Street construction has been detrimental to business. Mayor Jared Littmann said the project was ahead of schedule and urged citizens to keep supporting Annapolis small businesses so they can stay afloat.

Business owner Sveinn Storm, who operates Storm Brothers Ice Cream, said the construction has taken a toll on his business. He estimates he has lost almost $200,000 in revenue since construction began, which he attributes to the blocked view of his shop and the loss of nearby parking.

“I’ll be happy when it’s done, but it’s not very likely that I’ll survive,” Storm said. “I’ll probably go the same way that everybody else has down here. These businesses are closing.”

Next door, a coffee shop is preparing to close permanently as its manager cited declining sales.

Storm said the financial impact of construction can be difficult for small businesses to absorb.
“A business can’t afford to have its sales cut by a quarter of a million dollars,” he said. “You’re not going to survive.”

We are grateful for all at Sveinn Storm does for the Annapolis City Dock small businesses.

08/14/2026

Bitty and Beau’s is closing on Annapolis City Dock.

Near the end of 2017, Starbucks left 124 Dock Street, next door to Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory, and moved to Main Street. My employees and I were really excited when two years later we learned Bitty & Beau’s, a coffee shop chain that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was going to move into the empty spot. Our city government didn’t exactly give them a warm welcome as it wasn’t until February of 2020 they were allowed to open. The city demanded a multitude of expensive and time-consuming changes to the location. None of us could figure out how and why the city could give a coffee business replacing a coffee business such a hard time. But unfortunately, that’s the way it is here in Annapolis.

For us there was no other place in town to buy coffee than right next door. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop, where people with intellectual & developmental disabilities are valued in the workplace. It’s a place where diversity isn’t just appreciated, it’s celebrated.
83% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed in the United States. Bitty and Beau’s employees gained a sense of independence and were enabled to grow in ways they and others may have thought previously out of reach. As well as earning an income, they experienced inclusion and enjoyed a greater connection to the world around them. Their workplace accomplishments built within them a sense of confidence as they received recognition from supervisors, peers and customers.

Bitty and Beau’s employees enriched our City Dock workplace and sent a powerful message to all that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has something valuable to contribute. They confronted outdated notions of what individuals with disabilities could achieve and highlighted the talent and gifts they have. For all they brought to us, we are truly grateful.

This is a horrible loss. Make no mistake, they are closing due to the hardship caused by the construction down on this city dock. This is a bitter pill for everyone to swallow with the exception of our city government. Prior to the City Dock project ever starting, the city met multiple times with those of us with nearby businesses. Assurances and promises were made that have never come to fruition. Politicians say one thing but do another, as they are willing to say anything to win you over and make you believe that they care. We all wanted to believe them but, given their history, we were doubtful. Our suspicions have become truth.

In a recent article about Bitty and Beau’s closing, our mayor was quoted as saying, “There is no sugarcoating it. Major infrastructure work is disruptive and can be tough on adjacent businesses.”

On July 2nd Fox News visited the City Dock to do a live broadcast for Fox and Friends, their nationwide morning talk show. Jared Littman was in attendance. I used this as a quick opportunity to explain the severe flooding and financial difficulties we were experiencing on City Dock. His quick three word reply was, “That’s too bad.”

Mayor Littman, tell that to the former employees of Bitty and Beau’s!

Sveinn C. Storm

The man in the photo we dearly love! Michael Heup is a beloved cashier and greeter at the Bitty & Beau's Coffee shop in Annapolis, Maryland. Known as the "mayor" of the store for his warm welcomes, he gained national attention in April 2020 when he appeared at a White House briefing to advocate for small business relief and share the shop's inspiring "not broken" message. Michael, you will be missed!

08/12/2026

This is our reality. Promises made and ignored. There was never any intention on our city government's part to follow through on them. Storm Bros. sales are continuing to plummet. We dropped by $98,000 in 2025 compared to 2024. At the end of July of this year we had already dropped another $98,000, and that's compared to 2025 sales. My guess is that 2026 will see a total drop in sales of between $160-170,000. That's over a quarter of a million dollar reduction in the first two years of this. It's not going to level off. It's going to get worse. Survival is in question. In one of the meetings the city held with the businesses, I remember a spokesperson for the city telling us all she didn't think our businesses would be impacted adversely at all, especially with all the support the city was going to give us. That sign covered in packing tape that you came up with isn't doing the trick.

08/09/2026

I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore. I guess my only option is to sue the city. At 4:30 this afternoon my sidewalk was once again flooded due to the city’s refusal to solve the problem. Two days ago, a public works employee arrived at 7:19 am to start the process of replacing the failed pumps in the storm drain across from my store as promised. He had a conversation with two Whiting Turner employees which ended at 7:31. A second public works employee arrived at the site at 7:46 and the actual work began. At 8:42 a city pump truck was called in to pump out the catch basin so the work could be completed. The pump truck left the site at 8:57. At 10:06 the public works employees concluded their work and they left the site. If anyone is wondering how I can be so sure of the times, I have an excellent camera attached to my front sign and the video is stored on my computer.
Here is the problem. They only installed one pump when before there were two. In this application, the Zoeller model 276 ½ hp ejector pumps are capable of discharging well over 100 gallons per minute each. So, if the original design required two pumps, and that is what was there originally, why would the city only install one? (These pumps are in stock at Thomas Summerville, a local plumbing supply house, for around $450 and I have offered to pay for them.) I was very worried when I witnessed this and knew there was a good chance we would flood again. When asked why the work was done, city officials explained "the pump was replaced as part of the ongoing City Dock project — not because it had failed." Do they really think we are that stupid? If it's part of the ongoing project, why didn't Whiting Turner install the pump instead of the city. They know damn well the pumps had failed and I watched their removal and the installation of ONLY ONE pump.
This is from an August 3rd post on Harry Huntley’s Web Site:
“The City of Annapolis released a detailed update on the City Dock flood mitigation project one day after Storm Brothers Ice Cream Factory publicly criticized the city over flooding outside its Dock Street business.
The city did not directly identify the Storm Brothers Facebook post as the reason for its response. However, the timing and the update’s focus on drainage, sediment controls, construction impacts and downtown merchants suggest it was issued, at least in part, to address concerns raised by the longtime City Dock business.
Storm Brothers said its entrance flooded during Tuesday’s heavy rain and blamed sediment controls placed over a storm drain near the City Dock construction site. The city disputed that explanation, saying the flooding was caused by intense rainfall overwhelming the capacity of the existing pumps.
The city said Tuesday’s flooding was not caused by tidal water rising through the storm drains, which has historically been the most common source of flooding at City Dock.
Instead, officials said unusually heavy rain fell too quickly for the current drainage system to manage. “Too much rain fell too quickly for the current infrastructure to handle,” the city said. Existing pumps can move approximately 100 gallons per minute.”
Notice the word “pumps”, an acknowledgement there were more than one. Also notice they didn’t explain that EACH pump can move over 100 gallons per minute.
Shortly after today’s flooding started, a city public works employee arrived with a 60 gallon per minute pump which eventually solved the problem. I wonder what inspired that.
PLEASE SHARE THIS POST. We need everyone to call AND email the mayor, Jared Littman, and our ward one alderman, Harry Huntley and demand they deal with us honestly, own up to the effects of their mistakes and take corrective action immediately. There’s nothing wrong with us letting them know we’re mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
[email protected] Phone: 410-263-7997
[email protected] Phone: 410-528-3109

08/08/2026

It was nice to have accurate coverage from a local news source. Please take the time to read this and while you're at it, sign up for Eye On Annapolis.

UPDATE: Since we spoke with Storm, Whiting-Turner has modified the drainage system that should alleviate much of the flooding. To better understand the challenges facing Storm Brothers and other bu…

08/07/2026

I want to share with everyone some exciting news. On Wednesday, August 5, I met with representatives from Whiting Turner and a Maryland Department of the Environment official. We stood around the storm drain that has been causing the flooding in front of Storm Bros. and discussed solutions. They patiently listened to me as I explained our Dock Street dilemma and how I felt the problem could be solved. They had already come up with similar solutions and gave me assurances that our predicament would be dealt with promptly. These people were sympathetic and very professional and expressed concern not only for my flooding issue, but also the hardship the project causes all the Dock Street businesses. They let me know that their door is always open to me. This morning was a great example of them honoring their word. I spoke with one of the Whiting Turner staff to get an update and he quickly brought me up to speed.
As I already knew, the pumps in the storm drain did not function (they haven’t since our former mayor, Gavin Buckley shut the system down four years ago.) and the city removed and replaced them. Whiting Turner is going to ensure they will be connected to their generator system so they will have a constant source of power. This is the simple solution I have been pleading for since Jared Littman became mayor. Instead of saying he would follow up on it, his reply was, ”That’s too bad.” That comment is the reason I started my posts on Facebook, in hopes it would bring this unnecessary flooding to public scrutiny.
My firm belief is that without the outpouring of both concern and outrage, the flooding would still have continued. I am truly grateful for the support, prayers, encouragement, input, suggestions and comments I have received. This is what can happen when a community has the opportunity to know the truth, with photos and facts, rather than being provided with errant information and outright lies by their local government.
At this point I believe I have the right to express a little righteous indignation. First, I would like to address our local government. For quite a while now I have explained how simple the solutions to the flooding are. I have gone to many city council meetings requesting them to act on not just the flooding issue but many other issues that are important to our community. With the exception of Keanuú Smith-Brown, from the third ward, has any City Council member reached out to me. Now when I go into a City Council meeting, I realize that with the exception of Keanuú, I am dealing with politicians, not public servants. And that includes the mayor, Jared Littman.
I am also hugely disappointed with the Capital Gazette newspaper. Jacob Baumgart, the editor, recently let me know that he is not pleased with my comments on my Facebook posts related to their unwillingness to cover the issue. I let him know that not once in the last four years has his paper covered the fact that Gavin Buckley, our former mayor, discontinued the operation of our once very successful flood remediation pump system. His reporters saw my repeated pleas before the city council and each time I presented those reporters with photos and written explanations. It was their choice to shelve the story. His reply was that my claims were always difficult to prove, which is complete BS. I told him that I repeatedly informed his reporters they could come down to the city dock with me, Gavin Buckley and Burr Vogel, his public works director, to witness the truth and explain why it had been done. I did the exact same thing with this latest issue of the storm drain being plugged up and the pump's not functioning. Covering major flood events apparently is much more newsworthy than the city’s intentional flooding of Dock Street more than 120 times.
I do want to thank Whiting Turner for their recent response. Once they and MDE stepped forward, the issue was dealt with promptly. I suspect they would have done so much sooner had they not needed to worry about placating the City.

08/05/2026

Our first news coverage:

An Annapolis business owner says Dock Street construction has made flooding worse and the city's response has been inadequate.

08/05/2026

This morning, once again, Dock Street was flooded. I don’t know why but our local paper, the Capital Gazette will not cover the story. My recent posts on this issue have had 546,757 views, 253,405 viewers, 83,525 engagements, 3,465 reactions, 974 comments and 606 shares. Obviously, the community cares about the environment and local businesses. If you have the time, please call 410-332-6100 or email [email protected] to let them know that this issue in newsworthy. WMAR channel 2 news covered it last night and the Baltimore Banner will publish a story soon.
Below is the email I just sent to Annapolis Sediment and Erosion Control Enforcement and the Maryland Department of the Environment:
Please take a look at the attached photos. The runoff and flooding have been happening regularly on the city dock in Annapolis. If it's more than a drizzle, the front of my ice cream store is flooded. In the past fifty years, I have never flooded from normal or even heavy rainfall. Now it’s a common occurrence. Whiting Turner, the city's contractor for the "flood remediation" project on the City Dock has put sediment control liners in the storm drains outside of their job site perimeter to contain their runoff. There is no reason to use these liners offsite as the contractor is responsible for implementing proper sediment control devices onsite. Keep in mind, the huge devices taking up all our parking are specifically for this purpose. Whiting Turner and the former mayor, Gavin Buckley, promised us we would no longer have to worry about being flooded once the work started. They also guaranteed everyone the project would be done in an environmentally responsible manner. These were empty pledges. Whiting Turner, our mayor, Jared Littman, and the head of Annapolis Public Works, Burr Vogel, are aware of this issue and refuse to correct it. If their goal is to pollute the environment and put us all out of business, their methods are working. They are keenly aware that Storm Bros suffers the most harm from their plugging the storm drain across the street from my store. They know my sidewalk and front entrance are significantly lower than my neighbors. They could solve it easily but have chosen not to.

Please understand, I have repeatedly taken this issue before the mayor and city council and nothing yet has been done to correct it. I expected that from our former mayor, Gavin Buckley, but was hoping this administration would be different.

My hope is that you will act on this issue right away as the problem is getting worse.

Respectfully,

Sveinn C. Storm

08/02/2026

If you ever needed proof that our city government does not care if Dock Street businesses survive, this is it. Once again, this is happening right now (August 2nd 4:00 pm). The mayor will tell you the pumps in the manhole across from my ice cream store are working fine. Couldn't prove it by me. Whiting Turner, the contractor for the City Dock Project, has plugged up the storm drain OUTSIDE the perimeter of their jobsite. Obviously, it still remains plugged.
My ward one alderman, Harry Huntley, says it’s the mayor’s call, not his.
Feel free to email the mayor, Jared Littman, and the city council members and demand that they correct this. This has been going on continuously since the project started and I have brought it to their attention repeatedly. You would have thought they would have corrected it after seeing my July 28 post.