Business in Brief: Burger King back pay settlement, Comet patio, VNMS call for vendors

Back pay and more for BK workers. When the Van Ness Burger King closed abruptly in late December, 2022, many of its workers were just as surprised as the community. NBC4 reported at the time that they had a day’s notice if they had any at all. The sudden layoffs did not necessarily violate DC worker protection laws, but the Office of the Attorney General now says franchise owner Potomac Foods “failed to promptly pay workers their final paychecks after closing and failed to consistently pay an overtime premium to its eligible employees from 2020 to 2022.” Under the OAG settlement, Potomac Foods will pay $24,020.76 to impacted workers and $22,500 to the District.

The Burger King property now has the DC government’s attention. Notices posted at 4422 Connecticut Avenue warn of fines to be paid through liens for the vacant building, which by law must be registered as such in the District, and the awning, which is “not stable.”

The awning supports on the left side are angled, and are no longer bolted to the sidewalk.

Missing from the Department of Buildings notice is the date by which the awning supports must be repaired before the city does the work and charges the owner for the service. A copy of the notice was mailed on May 31st to an address in Rockville that is the headquarters of property management company Alvin L. Aubinoe, Inc.

Comet Ping Pong’s patio is now an all-weather spot.

It's patio season and we have never been more prepared at Comet Ping Pong! Our patio has gotten an all around glow up with a brand new AMAZING awning! Sit outside and enjoy pizzas and brews all season long, rain or shine 🍕☀️☔️ pic.twitter.com/l8x6aDeYie

— Comet Ping Pong (@cometpingpong) May 24, 2024

It’s the kid-friendliest. Families have flocked to Comet since day one, so it’s no surprise (to us, at least) that it’s the first restaurant listed in a recent Washington Post article about the area restaurants that are most welcoming to kids.

Rosemary Bistro Cafe has added a kids’ menu. Besides the beef tips noted below, kids ages 12 and under can order chicken fingers, salmon pasta, spaghetti, steamed vegetables and fries. There’s also ice cream for dessert.

Cart cleanup on Connecticut Avenue. Giant Food grocery carts tend to travel. Van Ness Main Street saw this employee taking a bunch of them home.

Thanks @GiantFood for today’s work in retrieving a multitude of abandoned grocery carts along Connecticut Ave in #VanNess. pic.twitter.com/JI3Tl5GeWA

— Van Ness Main Street (@VanNessMainSt) May 16, 2024

Feed your breakfast taco cravings. Muchas Gracias brunch offerings make Washingtonian’s list of some of the best around.

And a September preview. Van Ness Main Street is hosting Celebrate VNMS! on September 14th, a day-long celebration with activities starting at Forest Hills Playground, continuing along Connecticut Avenue from 2 to 8 p.m., and ending with a 7:30 p.m. screening of Spy Kids during the last Movie Night in the Park of the season at the UDC amphitheater. The festivities will include a pop-up market, and VNMS is accepting applications from vendors until July 31st.

Forest Hills Connection is an editorially independent program of Van Ness Main Street.