So Close Yet So Far for All Souls Patio

by Prince Of Petworth April 27, 2016 at 10:22 pm 36 Comments

725 T Street, NW

All Souls new patio looks good to go:

Sadly my sources on the street tell me they have to add a door that was bricked over during the initial renovations. There’s a tear in my beer. Stay tuned.

Tsar of Truxton

Looks like concrete. It would have been nice if they used something permeable. Does anyone know if water can seep through the cracks on concrete patios like this?
- Sean
  
  The lines you see are just control joints to ensure the concrete cracks in an aesthetically pleasing way as it cures and shrinks. As far as permeability, concrete absorbs/sheds water (if you have a basement slab, its basically a sponge), but this patio is undoubtedly sloped to water will run off into the mulched area around the perimeter.
- U neighbor
  
  Actually they are concrete pavers, with pea stone underneath (I watched the progress). So yes water can seep through the cracks between pavers, and most of the remaining runoff probably won’t make it past the mulched garden that completely surrounds the patio.
  .
  They started it (on paper) 14 months ago. Excited for it to open.
  - Sean
    
    Thanks! I’m impressed they went the paver route given it is so much more work than pouring a slab, but that’s just like the All Soul’s crew…going above and beyond!
    .
    On a more important note….so excited for late spring/summer drinks here!
  - Tsar Of Truxton
    
    That’s good to hear!
Shaw_Resident

My excitement for the patio is slightly subdued after the owner told me dogs will not be allowed on the patio. Perplexed as to why considering they do not serve food…
- palisades
  
  Because not everyone wants dogs on a patio lol
  - justinbc
    
    +1
  - W
    
    yep!
- Matt
  
  If the patio gets crowded I could see why they’d want to restrict it. That bar gets packed some nights, maybe they just would rather not deal with dogs.
  - justinbc
    
    Yep. People buy drinks, not dogs. If you were already an All Souls customer, not being able to bring your dog probably won’t keep you from coming, and if you weren’t a customer anyway and would only come if you could bring your dog then it’s not like they’ve lost any money. It’s a pretty straightforward business decision.
    - textdoc
      
      +1.
    - Shaw_Resident
      
      You theory is slightly flawed sir – I am already an All Souls customer, but I would spend more time (and money) there if I could bring my pup. I typically visit All Souls on the weekend, which is also when I try to spend the most time with my dog. Further, when the weather is warm I try to take my dog with me as much as possible so I tend to visit establishments that allow dogs more often than ones that do not. I am sure I am not the only dog owner who chooses where to drink based on that criteria. I am not going to stop visiting All Souls because I cannot bring my dog, and I respect the businesses decision to not allow them, but I was hoping I would be able to.
      - justinbc
        
        Of course there are exceptions, but I think you state it pretty clearly yourself that this won’t lower your consumption there. Assuming that the majority of people patronizing this bar would not be bringing a dog regardless I think it’s clearly a net-positive decision. And as a former dog owner myself I totally get the appreciation for places that allow them (although I rarely ever would subject my dog to being around a bar / restaurant like this, she’s not a fan of unsolicited petting / attention).
- Anon Spock
  
  Because while I’m sure your little fluffy is a perfect dog, many aren’t, and it’s a headache. The few people they’ll lose because of the no dog policy is of no consequence.
  I will never understand the obsession with taking dogs to bars. I’ve never done it in the 10 years I’ve been a dog owner.
  - Tsar Of Truxton
    
    Congratulations?
    - Anon Spock
      
      Because I can enjoy outings without my dog in tow?
      - Tsar of Truxton
        
        Believe it or not, some people actually enjoy spending time with their dog(s) and feel guilty leaving them home alone all day why they go out eating or drinking. If you don’t, good for you, but don’t criticize others for making the opposite decision.
      - textdoc
        
        All possible angles of this debate were covered (and pretty exhaustively so) in the threads I referenced from January and March 2015.
        .
        On the other hand, I don’t think Tsar of Truxton was around then (or at least under that name). Maybe it’s not a bad thing if PoPville has an annual thread on the topic, just to get it out of everyone’s system.
    - ShawNeighbor
      
      +1. Sounds like a great dog owner.
      - Anon
        
        +1000
      - anon
        
        god you fools are obsessed with your dogs. get over yourselves and go have a beer. it’s All Souls, not the GD dog park
- Bloomy
  
  maybe we can tie to the fence…? the sidewalks are pretty wide there.
  - Anon Spock
    
    Would seem to increase the liability for all souls if someone was bit or tripped.
- textdoc
  
  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Department of Health’s (apparently inconsistently enforced) policy applies to beverages as well as food.
  - textdoc
    
    Recent-ish related threads:
    .
    https://www.popville.com/2015/01/three-fifty-bakery-no-pets-sign-patio-dc/
    https://www.popville.com/2015/01/bummer-or-blessing-depending-on-your-perspective/
    https://www.popville.com/2015/03/from-the-forum-dog-friendly-places-in-dc/
  - justinbc
    
    IIRC, when looking into the regulations during the breast milk debate, liquids / beverages are classified AS food.
- NeighborofAllSouls
  
  +1…Couldn’t agree more why they aren’t allowing dogs. I am a very regular customer but when I have the option to go outside somewhere with my dog or without I clearly will choose with.
- CHGal
  
  Some people like to bring their dogs with them to patios/beer gardens. Some people like to drink without dogs around. There are places that cater to both groups, and All Souls decided to cater to the latter. Seems pretty simple.
- JS
  
  Fun Aside. I was once in All Souls on a busy weekend evening and after sitting at my table for a few minutes, something nudged me. I looked down and there was a medium sized dog half-concealed by a coat laying on the booth next to me. I looked around kind of perplexed as the owners noticed and laughed it off, I figured they must be friends with the staff or something.
  
  A round or two later, the bar thins out a bit and the bartenders are able to scan the room instead of directing traffic at the bar. The face that one of them made the second they realized there was a dog in the bar was classic. A surreal sense of “are you shitting me?” just washed over him as he waited for the guy in the couple to look up and make eye contact. He gestured bewilderedly at the dog and pointed to the door, very clearly asking them to leave with his motions and the dog owner nodded in acknowledgement just before another round of customers poured in.
  
  When he looked up a few minutes later, they were still there — casually finishing up their drinks. At which point he finally came around the bar and ordered them out. The couple seemed just as perplexed about why this was an issue as he was about why they would assume that was okay.
  - justinbc
    
    Reminds me of the lady who came into ChurchKey with a duck in her bag and couldn’t understand why that was not allowed. Some people persist in a bubble.
All Paws

Actual reason (and I spoke to David recently) is because the entrance to the patio area will be from inside. It will be seated only and Health Department doesn’t allow dogs to go through. There was no major business decisions made. Just the reality of the agreement with the neighborhood and following the rules. That’s also the delay in opening is them opening the interior wall to put in the door.
JohnH

I’m sure this won’t be popular, but other than there being limited outdoor options – I don’t get the allure of this. This place isn’t that busy during the week, and they’ll have a big concrete patio outside that’s bigger than the inside? There’s a good amount of “nice days” in DC, but there’s a lot of days that aren’t patio weather too (although appreciate adding the trees).
.
While I know there could be limits on things with permits and add-ons, it would make a lot more sense to focus on getting a flipping kitchen. I know you can bring food in, but the notion of a big bar that you can’t have food doesn’t really add up that much to me personally. Feel like there should be a concerted effort to change that before anything. I know it’s different for others….
- Anon
  
  John, I hear you on food, but I don’t think they have any physical space for a kitchen, and no room to expand the building itself. So it’s not like they had much of a choice between one or the other.
Anonymous Shaw Dweller

And where is the orange window canopy that they promised when sharing their concept with the neighbors? I HOPE IT IS FORTHCOMING.
dcred

That wall looks ripe for a mural

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