Wanna Open a New Bar/Restaurant in Georgetown? The BID will Help You

Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr.TinDC

From a press release:

“The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) welcomes the announcement earlier today that the D.C. Government’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) will begin accepting applications for four licenses beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 10.

Georgetown is a popular commercial destination with more than 120 restaurants, cafes and bakeries in addition to over 300 stores, salons and galleries. Welcoming new, high-quality restaurants is an important part of sustaining Georgetown’s status as a world-renowned neighborhood.

The ABRA announcement covers one tavern license and three restaurant licenses. The tavern license is only available to an existing restaurant located in the Georgetown Historic District. The three new restaurant licenses stem from a license class change and from cancellations of previous or existing licenses.

In the past year more than a dozen new restaurants opened their doors in Georgetown, including Fiola Mare, El Centro D.F., Rialto and Malmaison. New establishments that combine food and entertainment also launched, including the bowling and bocce emporium, Pinstripes, and Americana music venue, Gypsy Sally’s.

“The BID is excited to assist potential restaurant operators to understand and navigate the Georgetown retail landscape by providing demographic and market statistics, and offering advice on best practices for starting a business in an historic neighborhood,” says Joshua Hermias, the BID’s economic development director. “We welcome interested restaurants to contact us before and after April 10 because there are always opportunities to open high-quality, innovative restaurants in Georgetown.”

Restaurants that opened in Georgetown during 2013 and in the first quarter of 2014, include:

A.G.B. Restaurant and The Observatory Rooftop Bar (both in the Graham Georgetown hotel),

Capitol Prague, El Centro D.F., Eno Wine Bar, Fiola Mare, Gypsy Sally’s, The Grill Room and The Rye Bar (both in the Capella hotel), Good Stuff Eatery, Kintaro Japanese Restaurant, Malmaison, Olivia Macaron, Pho Viet and Grille, Pinstripes, Rialto, Ri-Ra Irish Pub and ShopHouse Asian Kitchen.”