Beloved D.C. Restaurant Forced to Close Popular Location
Rising costs and the end of leasing agreements have wreaked havoc on restaurants around the country, and the U Street location of Alero in Washington D.C. appears to be the latest victim.
According to Prince of Petworth, the Mexican restaurant has a sign outdoors that thanks patrons for their support while announcing the location's closure.
"Thank you for supporting Alero for over 20 wonderful years," the statement reads. "We are truly grateful for you and every one of our employees. Unfortunately, the building has not chosen to renew our lease, so we will be closing our doors at this location."
Customers reacted to the closing, and reflected on the conditions that have caused so many restaurants to close.
"whoever owns the commercial space in this building has faced increasing vacancies for months; leading one to wonder why the lease of a paying tenant was not renewed," one patron said.
"I'm guessing that the landlord is (apparently like most commercial landlords in DC) a moron, and decided that the correct response to increasing vacancies is to raise the rent on the remaining tenants to make up the shortfall," another patron said.
"This makes me feel old because I can remember when this location opened," one diner said.
"Very soon we're going to start seeing a lot of vacancies on U Street due to landlords thinking that their commercial properties are worth more than anyone can actually pay," another patron predicted.
The closure of the U Street location will not spell the end for Alero. The restaurant also has locations on H Street and Dupont Circle, and there are plans to establish a new location north of Massachusetts Avenue.
Alero is known for Mexican dishes like quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and more. A brunch menu is on offer on weekends, and the full bar is a popular hangout at all of its locations around the city.
We'll see what the future holds for Alero as one door closes and another is set to open in another part of the city.
Beloved D.C. Restaurant Forced to Close Popular Location first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
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