This is not the briefest of “Business in Brief” updates, but there’s a lot going on!
Baguettes times deux: On April 11th, we spotted a Bread Furst tweet with this image:
And suddenly, Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party had never looked better. Boating Party With Baguettes is not Mark Furstenberg’s next act, but a way of telling us that the bakery is opening a smaller outpost at the Phillips Collection in Dupont Circle in early May.
Furstenberg had more to say about Bread Furst II in an Eater DC interview published on April 12th. “Although I have never imagined expanding Bread Furst in any way, an overture from the Phillips Collection was more than I could resist,” he said. The cafe will be open to more than museum visitors, and was previously occupied by a Lost Sock Roasters pop-up.
What’s happening at the former American City Diner: In March, Urban Turf reported that a raze application had been filed for “one of DC’s last diner buildings.” For more information about plans for the property, we had to wait until April 4th, when Eater DC revealed the new owner of 5532 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase resident and restaurateur Tim Walsh, wants to create a family-friendly outdoor hangout.
There will be food: “Walsh is in talks with two types of local vendors – one specializing in Mexican street tacos and a sweets-and-candy store – to set up shop on-site year-round.” There will be drinks: “Horse trailers will serve 12 beers on tap, plus wine and liquor. Walsh also plans to operate a whiskey bar in a converted 1976 Airstream – a rare find he’s personally picking up from Miami soon.” And there will be classic carnival games and holiday-themed pop-ups.
We’ll be writing more about the former diner soon, and would like you to invite you to share your own memories and photos for the article. Send them to [email protected].
“Save the Walking Lane”: Owners and managers of businesses that line the Cleveland Park service lane had a lot to say to Fox 5 recently about the construction happening right outside their doors.
Pedestrians and businesses in the Cleveland Park neighborhood are getting tired of the construction on Connecticut Avenue — just blocks away from the National Zoo. https://t.co/Ani2Ged574
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) April 12, 2023
The service lane is being rebuilt as part of the streetscape and stormwater mitigation project on that stretch of Connecticut Avenue, and once complete, the idea is to reopen the lane to parking and to pedestrians, who’ve had to share the space only with sidewalk streateries and the occasional pop-up shop since 2020.
For pedestrians, the project has been a reminder of just how narrow that strip of sidewalk truly is. The redo will raise the car lane to sidewalk level and theoretically give people more room to maneuver, some of the businesses along that stretch are now saying they’d like to keep it a pedestrian- and streatery-only space. Atomic Billiards, Nanny O’Brien’s, Spices, and Sababa are asking customers to stop in to sign petitions that they’ll pass along to the mayor, urging her to “Save the Walking Lane.” The petition can also be signed online.
Shemali’s market + grill: At the Shemali’s location on New Mexico Avenue, customers can order a burger, chicken and cheese sub, or another kind of hot sandwich, and have it made to order on their grill. Elias Chemali told ANC 3F at the March 21st meeting that the family-owned business is working through the permitting process to add a grill at the 4483 Connecticut Avenue Shemali’s, and they hope to begin construction this summer. Shemali’s is also seeking a public space permit for three small tables and seating for ten outside the Van Ness location. ANC 3F commissioners voted unanimously to support its public space application.
Before the vote, Commissioner Teri Huet asked if the store had roof access. From her apartment, Huet said, “I actually have a view that most people don’t have… [and] you’ve got the perfect rooftop for an outdoor patio.”
Unfortunately, “the building is about 100 years old and I don’t think the roof would support having any weight,” Chemali replied.
(If you’re interested, we wrote here about why the store’s name is Shemali’s, and not Chemali’s.)
Van Ness Main Street Celebrates Community: It’s been a tough three years for small and local businesses and institutions due to Covid-19, supply chain issues, inflation, and other challenges. But most in Van Ness and Forest Hills have made it through what we hope are the toughest times, and from 7 to 11 p.m. on April 29th, Van Ness Main Street is hosting a celebration of what our businesses and our community have accomplished together.
The event at UDC’s Theater of the Arts is also the first in-person fundraiser for VNMS since 2019, and 100% of the proceeds will support grants and other VNMS efforts to support small businesses. Purchase tickets to feast on local food, drink and entertainment.
(Disclosure: Forest Hills Connection is a program of Van Ness Main Street, and FHC editor-in-chief Marlene Berlin was recently named the interim president of the VNMS board.)
Celebrate Avalon Theatre’s first century: The nonprofit that reopened the Avalon Theatre twenty years ago is hosting 100th anniversary events all year. In May, those include the Avalon’s annual gala.
On May 6th: “The program begins at 5:30 p.m. with a short film about the Avalon’s history followed by the screening of “Sherlock, Jr”, a classic Buster Keaton silent film that was shown at the Avalon back in 1924. The Andrew Simpson Ensemble will provide live musical accompaniment to the film. At 7 p.m., the celebration continues at the Chevy Chase Village Hall, just a few blocks away, for the Centennial Gala Party, featuring food, drink and merriment.”
Tickets can be purchased for the films, for the gala party, or for both. To learn more, visit theavalon.org/centennial-gala.
Uptown Theater update: Our last Business in Brief mentioned this DCist article about a group of neighbors seeking to “reopen the iconic Uptown Theater as a nonprofit venue that combines arthouse film screenings, dining, and space for events.” On March 23rd, Popville reported that another theater/arts group also has a plan for the shuttered Uptown, and a letter of intent with the building’s owners.
Levine Music + Artivate: Levine Music, the music school with a flagship campus at 2801 Upton Street NW, has acquired Artivate, an arts outreach nonprofit. Artivate does a lot, but this sentence from its “About Us” page sums it up nicely: “We partner with professional artists representing a wide range of artistic disciplines and cultural traditions to provide high quality, interactive programs for schools, libraries, theaters, detention centers, and other community sites across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and northern Virginia.”
It might get get loud: The Washington Post says Comet Ping Pong is one of the 15 best places to see a band play.
La Cheeserie in a hurry:
In a hurry? Run, don’t walk to try our new “grab and go” selection of deli meats and cheeses. Sliced fresh every morning!#LaCheeserie #GrabandGo #DC #VanNess #DeliMeat #Cheese pic.twitter.com/ty1pt1Snu3
— Calvert Woodley (@CalvertWoodley) March 30, 2023
April Fool’s at P&P:
Happy April 1! Our friends Beren and Sookie joined us for the grand opening of Politics and Paws, an in-store shopping experience especially for canines, ft a curated selection of books such as WHAT DOGS WANT and THE FOREVER DOG, plus dog toys, treats, and fashion. pic.twitter.com/YgwWIdSxi9
— Politics and Prose (@PoliticsProse) April 1, 2023
Joan says
A drinking venue seems like such a stupid idea in family friendly Chevy Chase.
RS says
It’s not a beer garden – it sounds more like a low-key parking lot carnival that just happens to have alcohol available should one choose to have a drink while the kids play carnival games.