A&D Bar closing on 9th Street in April “we hope to stay in the neighborhood”

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by Prince Of Petworth February 6, 2017 at 9:45 am 22 Comments

A&D
1314 9th Street, NW

A&D opened up back in December 2012.

Ed. Note: Next door neighbor Season Pantry closed last year. Later than expected but Sushi from the owner of Sushi Capitol and Sushi Ogawa will be taking over that space.

Updates when we learn who eventually takes over the space and if a new location is found for A&D:

7thStTechGuy

Great bar, no schtick.
ShawThroughtheHeart

Good bar, hope to see them reopen soonest. Always enjoy a nice glass of bourbon with a side of chocolate pretzels.
tom

I hope they have a replacement lined up and don’t just hold this spot vacent for years in hopes of landing the next Rose’s Luxury who can pay through the nose in rent.
Anonynon

This place was always packed on weekends, but the setup of the bar left a lot to be desired. It was such a pain to get from the front of the bar to the bathrooms. Last time I went, was overflowing with ‘basic’ wasn’t really that fun but the bar tender gave us a free shot since we had to deal with people breathing down our neck the entire night..that being said I pretty much determined that would be my last time there, with so many other options its like why would you want to deal with being packed in like a sardine just for a PBR?
- ST21
  
  I agree. I enjoyed the place but it felt like sort of a missed opportunity to me. The build-out of the 2 rooms was kind of odd and the flow of the place just never clicked. I always thought it needed to be re-designed to really unlock it’s potential. Easier said than done I guess.
  - Anonynon
    
    I hope they find a new location, maybe somewhere on North Capitol or Rhode Island Ave area
Anon

Popville commenter “Lisa” owns the place next door – perhaps she may chime-in with some further details.
Adam on Hanover

Come over to North Capitol Street!
AdMo Resident

I believe the term is “high-rent blight” maybe coined by Jane Jacobs or someone of her ilk. It’s sad to see this happening in many neighborhoods across town. These properties will sit empty until the landlord is able to lock down a national chain. Detracts from a neighborhood’s character in my opinion.
- anonymous
  
  I don’t think this is necessarily about waiting for a “national chain” as opposed to any tenant (national or local) willing to pay a multiple of the current rent. It’s unfortunate but not at all unusual for the businesses (or residents) that served as pioneers for an area when it was “up and coming” to get priced out once the area arrives.
Seasonal Pantry Space?

Somewhat related. I walked past this weekend to see that it looks like the new tenant in the former Seasonal Pantry space is going to be another realty/development group. I thought this was supposed to be sushi? Can anyone confirm?
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  Ach I thought sushi was still a go! What indicated a realty/development group?
  - Seasonal Pantry Space?
    
    I thought I saw such a generic “xyz group” sign on the window that indicated it was such a space. Admittedly, I happen to catch it quickly while trying to meet someone, so I was not able to stop to take a closer look. Maybe that group is somehow involved in the build out. I hope I’m wrong and that someone else can confirm.
    - Anon
      
      Assuming the sushi plans are still on track, you likely saw an ad for whoever is financing the buildout.
    - Neighbor on N
      
      I believe you saw the door that leads to the upstairs office space, which is indeed occupied by an “XYZ Group” type company.
Tom Jones

I spoke with someone close to the group that owns Sushi Capitol/Ogawa and they told me that the sushi restaurant in the old Seasonal Pantry space should be opened by the end of the month
Lisa

Hi again PoPville. I’m Lisa the owner/landlord. Our family has owned these buildings since the early 1990’s. We love to support local, first-time business owners and have done so consistently with generous terms and low rents. We advertise the retail at most with a sign in the window so that we will catch people who know, and are in, the neighborhood. We are already in negotiations with a tenant for the A&D space just from world of mouth. The sushi place in the old SP found us through PoP and intends to open soon; they’ve been delayed hence the papered windows. There is no business signage on the window or door of 1314 1/2; it’s 1314 where the “XYZ Company” (aka Citylights Realty) is. We’re happy to say nobody has been ‘priced out’, not Ali or Dan or Lamont Bishop Gallery for that matter; we gave Sundevich a new lease with no increase and offered a sweetheart deal to Dan which he declined. I’ve lived and worked in all our spaces in these buildings over the years, have a great love for Shaw and the Blagden Alley-Naylor Court Historic District, and as an owner/landlord try to make the neighborhood the best it can be.
- Patrick McGill
  
  Lisa,
  
  You seem like a stand up woman.
  
  Thank for you everything you’ve done to help this neighborhood.
- 9thStreetNW
  
  Kudos to you, Lisa. Thanks for chiming in.
- kapitolhill
  
  Lisa, you probably won’t see this comment, but I just wanted to say thanks for chiming in. This bar means more to me than most in the city. When they first opened, it was a spot I could go, grab a drink, and relax – with or without my friends when I needed some drinking time. Bartenders were friendly, I could always get a seat (until lately on Fri/Sat nights), and their Shaw Sling was killer. Shame to see them moving on from this location – but – I hope you find a suitable replacement.
  - Lisa
    
    Thanks for the nice comments and input. I’ve been debating doing a follow-up “I’m sorry, but..” post because I know this bar is a popular one Kapitolhill and I imagine many folks are mad or sad. By way of background when we were talking to Ali and Dan about leasing the space we were told it was going to be a ‘kitchen lab’ sort of place “experimenting with different concepts” and chefs, “barbeque, noodle shop, and tapas/mezze…” We liked that idea very much. We didn’t want a bar. And though Ali is a great tenant and a nice man we won’t offer him a new lease for A&D (there’s no renewal- the lease is expiring). Have faith I know the neighborhood well and will do my best to ensure the new tenant will be a great addition to our little stretch of 9th.
Paul H

As a neighbor who appreciates Lisa (as well as Dan & Ali), I can share that a friend was interested in the former Seasonal Pantry space but Lisa declined to consider the use because it was alcohol oriented. So her “we prefer to have a restaurant rather than a bar” statement rings true.

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