Latest news with #MetropolitanWashingtonRestaurantWeek
Eater
a day ago
- Business
- Eater
D.C. Restaurants Try to Keep Calm and Carry On as More Military Troops Roll In
It's only week two of President Donald Trump's so-called crime crackdown in D.C., and the city is already a chaotic spectacle — and the situation is clearly spooking some customers from coming out to dine and drink during what is normally an already sluggish month for businesses. Chef Lincoln Fuge, who runs Present Company Public House in Chinatown, calls the federal response 'overkill.' He continues, 'We don't need National Guard troops from any state to be posted here. We are not perfect, but we are not a lawless dystopia that needs a military presence.' During his Oval Office meeting with the Ukrainian president on Monday, Trump claimed the federal takeover had already made the city feel safer. The administration cites 450 arrests made so far. 'People who haven't gone out to dinner in Washington D.C. in two years are going out to dinner,' said Trump, claiming that restaurants are 'busier than they've been in a long time.' The numbers say otherwise. D.C. restaurant reservations have seen the sharpest fall among 20 large cities in America so far in August, per OpenTable numbers crunched by WUSA9. The study reported that the number of year-over-year diners dipped by 31 percent on Wednesday — two days after Trump ordered the National Guard to patrol Washington — and was also down every day after that. On Monday, August 18, online reservations dipped by 22 percent. The timing could not be worse for D.C.'s biannual Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, which started on August 18 and runs through August 24, with a record 380 participants offering three-course deals to boost slower summer sales. Many opt to extend their deals into the following week. Federal agents walking along a row of Maine Avenue restaurants at the Wharf on Monday, August 18. Leo Lee The industry nonprofit group Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) tells Eater it's 'aware' of the OpenTable statistics that show a drop in reservations following the federal takeover announcement. 'Our members are concerned about the perception this creates, but we are cautiously optimistic that reservations will increase during Restaurant Week,' says RAMW, in a provided statement. The president's takeover is designed to reportedly address what he calls out-of-control crime in D.C., despite data from the Metropolitan Police Department showing violent crime at a historic 30-year low in the city. Over the weekend, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), U.S. Park Police, and members of the National Guard were seen out in full force. Monday night around 10 p.m. at the Wharf, Eater spotted six DEA-marked agents loitering outside of a deserted Hank's Oyster Bar (which is closed on Mondays). Protestors rally at Dupont Circle before marching to the White House on Saturday, August 16. Getty Images 'You know it doesn't make sense,' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters during a Monday press conference. 'The numbers on the ground in the District don't support a thousand people from other states coming to Washington, D.C.' Meaghaan Tolman, the director of operations at Detroit-style pizza bar Red Light, sums up the downtown mood as 'super somber,' especially on her restaurant's 14th Street corridor. The go-to industry hot spot typically slings square slices and shots until 1 a.m. on weekdays. But on Wednesday night, when federal agents set up lit-up checkpoints on the nightlife strip, Red Light's business completely died down after 8 p.m. — leaving her no choice but to cancel its weekly karaoke party. 'We had nothing [Wednesday] night,' she says. 'No one was there. It was a ghost town.' Khalid Pitts, who co-owns Cork Wine Bar down the street, agrees the extra policing is a turn-off. 'They're making their presence felt and not in a way that makes people feel safe,' says Pitts. Bars at the nexus of 14th and U streets — a prime nightlife corridor currently being patrolled by federal officers — are especially feeling the burn. Crush Dance Bar, the LGBTQ+-friendly hangout with a popular back patio, saw a 50-percent drop in Friday sales. 'Washingtonians leaving the city to avoid the chaos on top of a reduction of tourism is crippling small businesses,' co-owner Mark Rutstein told The Advocate. Revolt, a new U Street gay bar with an ironic name for the times, acknowledges its opening weekend (August 22-23) comes during a difficult moment for the industry. 'The heavy police presence has made many in our community feel unsafe,' reads a statement from ownership. 'Amidst the chaos in D.C., our community's safe spaces are hurting. LGBTQ+ venues across the city need our support now more than ever.' Some diners were spotted out and about last night. Weekly event ShowTune Mondays at JR's appeared packed in Dupont, and the Union Market district felt active. The Banksy-styled ode to D.C.'s 'Sandwich Guy' in the Union Market district. Emily Venezky/Eater DC Some restaurants are taking extra steps to protect employees and customers, according to one experience a customer relayed to Eater. At 9:45 p.m. on Sunday night, when Minetta Tavern got word that federal agents were in Union Market, a manager locked the doors and closed the blinds, letting after-dinner guests stay inside to wait for their Ubers. One block away at the corner of 4th and Neal streets, a new mural pays homage to D.C.'s latest celebrity: Sean Charles Dunn, a now-former DOJ employee who went viral after he famously threw a Subway sandwich at a federal officer last week. Banksy-styled graffiti art of a man hurling a sub is now tagged all over the city, and 'Sandwich Guy' sparked a line of T-shirts and Free DC campaign slogans. It remains unclear how the deployment of 1,000 more troops will impact the already tense tone of the town. 'Federal action should build on our progress, not discourage people from going to work or going out to eat,' RAMW tells Eater. 'When seats are empty, the impact is felt by everyone, from servers to cooks, and operators to suppliers.' One of the Restaurant Week participants is British pub Duke's Grocery, which offers $25 lunch and $40 dinner deals to include its famed Proper burger and toffee pudding. 'D.C. thrives when we show up. Now is the time to be present — in our neighborhoods, our local shops, our bars and restaurants, our gyms, dry cleaners, and coffee shops,' owner Daniel Kramer tells Eater. 'We've weathered COVID and government shutdowns, and we'll get through whatever comes next.' —Emily Venezky contributed to this report
Axios
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Your D.C. Weekend: Three restaurant weeks, Lunar New Year
Three DMV winter restaurant weeks are overlapping this weekend in the ultimate foodie Venn diagram. Restaurant hopping all weekend long ... while scoring deals on yummy food? Brb — we're grabbing our stretchy pants ... State of play: Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week is currently underway at over 370 restaurants around the region and will run through Sunday. Nom-nivores can snag multi-course noshes for lunch, brunch ($25 or $35) and dinner ($40, $55, $65). And nearly 100 restaurants are offering drink pairings — and even some complimentary drinks (likely at brunch, a great deal in general). Overwhelmed by all the options? Fear not! Axios D.C.'s resident food guru, Anna Spiegel, shared her top picks with us. 🍔 Alexandria Restaurant Week begins Friday and will run until Feb. 9. The hungry can take their pick from over 90 restaurants offering prix-fixe dinner menus for $30, $40 or $50. You can also snag discounts at fast-casual spots like Capo Italian Deli and Toastique during the week. 🍝 Falls Church Restaurant Week also kicks off Friday and stretches until Feb. 9. Get your hands on a restaurant week passport and stamp off eight places for the chance to win a gift card. Food deals vary by participating restaurant, from acclaimed spots like Ellie Bird and Thompson Italian to casual finds like Turkish hit Borek-G. More fun things to do once you're sufficiently stuffed: 🐍 Celebrate Lunar New Year! There are tons of events this weekend (here's our full guide). A sampling: The Fried Rice Collective celebrates Lunar New Year with a collaborative dinner on Capitol Hill Friday with a bunch of top chef talents (reservations $90), or a Lunar New Year tea service on Sunday (1pm and 3pm, $65 reservations). The National Museum of Asian Art hosts two events on Saturday: a free family festival (1-3pm, register here) and a night market held at the Arts + Industries building (3-7pm) with tons of food vendors and makers. The annual DC Chinese Lunar New Year Parade travels through Chinatown on Sunday at 2pm with costumed dancers and a lively firecracker finale. 🚗 For motor enthusiasts, The Washington, DC Auto Show parks itself at the Convention Center, Friday through Feb.9 (tickets $8-$21). 🌳 Last call: The bonsai " Winter Silhouettes" exhibit at the National Arboretum closes Sunday (10am-4pm, free).
