As GM mentioned in the morning links yesterday, America Eats Tavern is closing permanently. This adds yet another prominent name to a sadly increasing list of big shops and restaurants that simply aren’t coming back. But if you’ve lost track of which shops that is, Jamie Scott from the BID gave a useful presentation to the ANC Monday night summarizing them.
So far the shops and restaurants that are totally done include (at least):
- America Eats Tavern
- Brooks Brothers (part of a national downsizing)
- Camper (lease expired)
- Cherub Antiques
- Don Lobo’s
- Johnny Rockets (lease expired)
- Le Pain Quotidian (corporate bankruptcy, with this location on the list of those not to be reopened)
- Lucky Brand
- Margaux (lease expired)
- Paul Bakery (national downsizing)
- Pete’s Coffee (national downsizing)
- Roots (bankruptcy)
- Starbucks (national downsizing)
- Uprising Yoga Center
- Washington Sports Club (regional downsizing)
That’s fifteen establishments. Just for reference, on a typical year, GM counts 30-50 closings. So for fifteen places to close over the course of three months, that’s only 50% or so more than the normal rate. So more, but not a crazy amount more. Then again, this is hardly the final list of all shops that aren’t coming back.
On the bright side, Jamie also included a list of shops that are still planning on opening, despite everything:
- Blue Dot (in the former North Face space)
- Bozzelli’s (3000 K St.)
- Dig (corner of N and Wisconsin)
- Donahue (old Smith Point space)
- Foxtrot Market (former Jonathan Adler space)
- Le Labo (former Hu’s Shoes, which frankly GM didn’t realize had closed)
- Levain Bakery (former Johnny Rockets)
- Veronica Beard (Wisconsin below N St.)
GM will end with a funny story about Le Pain Quotidian, just because. It was right after it opened, and he was eating brunch there one weekend. A woman at another table had absolutely no idea that the restaurant was part of a gigantic international chain. She was under the impression that it was a cute mom-and-pop operation. She effusively praised her server, and said how much she hoped they’d “make it”. She even tipped the server 100%.
Sadly lady, GM’s unfortunately has to report that 15 years later, that cute mom-and-pop, PQ Licensing SA, didn’t make it.
