Dupont Bar Partially Closed Due to Bitchings of Only Six
All-around classy establishment and gayboorhood drinking boon Hank’s Oyster Bar was ordered by our fair city last Friday to close half of its patio, via Borderstan:
In a statement released over the weekend, Hank’s Oyster Bar said that its restaurant at 17th and Q NW was informed by Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board investigators on Friday evening, June 8, that the establishment would be required to shut down operation of half of its outdoor dining patio pending review of a prior ABC Board decision approving termination of a Voluntary Agreement (V.A.) with six area residents.
Count ‘em. Six. And it gets better:
While the V.A. was with six signatories, only two of the original signatories filed the appeal, according to a spokesperson for Hank’s — David Mallof and Lex Rieffel; neither live adjacent to Hank’s Oyster Bar.
Yes, the owner, Jamie Leeds, is quite the lesbian about town. And yes, it seems the Sour Six deliberately pulled this shenanigan right before right before DC Pride weekend in order to most impact business.
But let’s not play the homophobia card just yet. Likely to blame is East Dupont’s growing population of rich, rusty old fuckery who simply can’t be bothered with boozey urban types. They kindly remind you whippersnapper kids, with your long hair and your rock and roll music, to pipe down already with your new fangled gay patio drinking, because they’re just trying to enjoy the Wheel on the flatscreen television they got in lieu of a working erection.
The Sour Six are Alexis Rieffel, Ralph N. Johnson, Susan Meehan, Michael Fasano and Patricia E. Steele, who’s respective lawns could not be reached by Outrage’s glorious flaming bags of dog feces in time for press date.
Doug Rogers, president of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, was only slightly nicer about it than us:
“What is even more infuriating is that two toxic people in our neighborhood are allowed to shut down part of a legitimate business and force them to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees,” Rogers said in his statement. “Their ability to do this should be eliminated from D.C. law, and I urge Mayor Gray and the D.C. Council to reform D.C.’s archaic regulatory laws.”
[ Via the Washington Blade ]
[ Cover photo via Hank's Oyster Bar ]