Next Up For Future 7-11 Locations – Woodley Park?

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by Prince Of Petworth August 16, 2015 at 10:05 pm 29 Comments

2631 Connecticut Ave, NW

I shit you not. I’m hearing the space that was once planned for a Nando’s could become a 7-11. Or maybe an animal hospital. Stay tuned.

Josh

Heads will explode…
jdre

So a slightly less palatable corporate chain from Texas is moving in instead of a more-popular-at-the-moment corporate chain from South Africa. Despair.
- Anonymouse
  
  It’s apples and oranges. A convenience store vs. a chicken restaurant. There are already two convenience stores on the same block, do we really need a third?
  - jdre
    
    A) I understand that, but thanks for assuming I’m a moron. My point is I’d be more sad if 7-11 was the decision in place of something that isn’t also already littering every block in DC. There’s a Nando’s 2.2 miles away as well, and one in every neighborhood, more or less. How much inexplicably trendy chicken-on-plate does DC need? Again, my point: more “crappy v. crappier” than “apples v. oranges.” “Oh no, we are getting an eyesore instead of a different kind of eyesore.”
    B) I wouldn’t think so, but I guess market research says yes. #helpmefreemarket
    - Anon
      
      OMG DUDE CHILLAX!!!
      - jdre
        
        Oh, okay.
    - Anonymouse
      
      You’re welcome!
sproc

Despite all the 7-Eleven hate of late, I’d guess this is a good spot due to the hotels and potential for decent round the clock business.
- plotkin
  
  but there’s one less than a half mile up the road, across from the zoo
  - Anon
    
    Nobody staying at those hotels is going to hike up to the 7-Eleven by the zoo unless they’re going to the zoo.
  - sproc
    
    For people not used to walking beyond the end of their driveways, that might as well be Chevy Chase. Line of sight makes a huge difference.
    - Anonymous
      
      Haha, true
Anon

I can’t say a 7-Eleven won’t be nice to have in the neighborhood, but it’s probably going to hurt the little independently-owned Manhattan Market just up the block. And I’m perplexed as to how this moronic zoning board has a problem with Nando’s opening here, but 7-Eleven is just fine.
- anon
  
  Without checking the zoning of this particular building or the waiver Nando’s was seeking, my guess is someone can open a convenience store with packaged goods as a matter of right. Nando’s was seeking some kind of special exemption (presumably the zoning doesn’t allow sit-down restaurants as a matter of right), and the commission was only willing to grant that exemption for an initial 5 years, which was too much risk for Nando’s.
  .
  So, you’re taking a lot of little (mostly dumb, in my opinion) bureaucratic machinations and anthropomorphizing it into the board saying “yes we like 7-11 and we don’t like Nando’s”, which just isn’t the case.
  - Anonymouse
    
    Actually, sit-down restaurants ARE allowed by matter of right. Fast food establishments (which Nando’s is classified under DC regulations) are not, so that’s what Nando’s was seeking an exemption for.
    .
    According to the BZA decision, three viable tenants emerged when the building’s owner was seeking proposals — a mattress store, a convenience store and Nando’s. My guess is that the convenience store was 7-11, and since the Nando’s failed, the building owner’s broker contacted 7-11 and basically said the site is yours if you want it.
    - textdoc
      
      Interesting about Nando’s being classified as fast food rather than as a sit-down restaurant.
      .
      Does this mean that all “fast casual” places (Cosi, Panera, Chipotle, Chop’t, etc.) are classified as fast food?
      - jdre
        
        I’d be surprised if they aren’t. They are in my book (FWIW).
        
        You can sit down at McDonald’s, too.
      - Anon
        
        You can also take out from Maketto, to name one of many examples. Nando’s is clearly a much more popular sit down option than McDonald’s, so your point makes no sense.
      - Anonymouse
        
        If you pay before you are served then yes.
      - brookland_rez
        
        My understanding is BZA classifies a restaurant as fast food if you pay for your food prior to eating.
  - Anon
    
    If they’re unwilling to make an exception for Nando’s, then yes, fundamentally that is what they are saying.
    - jdre
      
      I’m not seeing how allowing a business that (presumably) doesn’t require an exception to move in over one that does (presumably) need the exception is at all the same as saying “we like 7-11 and we don’t like Nando’s.”
      If anything, making any type of exception would be saying, to 7-11, and all businesses ever denied such an exception, “get stuffed.”
    - Anonymouse
      
      No. That’s not what happened. They DID make an exception for Nando’s, on the condition that Nando’s reapply for another exemption 4 (or was it 5?) years later. Nando’s just decided it wasn’t worth the financial risk to open and then potentially (though not definitely or even likely IMO) have to close later.
Anon

Given the number of chicken wings left behind, 7-11’s should probably have an onsite vet.
Anon

There’s a 7-11 just a few blocks North and an animal hospital going into the Sam’s Park and Shop. Seems a bit redundant. Better options for that block — a decent restaurant, a decent gym, a decent coffee shop…
- jdre
  
  ^Exactly.
  - jdre
    
    And to clarify, I don’t define Nando’s as “a decent restaurant.” I’d define something unique (in ownership if not menu) as “a decent restaurant.”
    - Anonymouse
      
      So, Pasta Italiano?
brookland_rez

That’s what the NIMBY’s up there get for opposing Nando’s. Don’t like Nando’s? Fine. You get a 7-11.

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