Eno Wine Bar at Four Seasons Due First Week of October
• January 16, 2015

Eno Wine Bar, next to the Four Seasons Hotel, at 2810 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, anticipates an early October opening, according to a company representative.

The Eno family includes two in Chicago and three in California — San Francisco, San Diego and Half Moon Bay — with its sixth in Georgetown, the first Eno Wine Bar on the East Coast.

The company touts itself as having “exceptional wines in an approachable setting” and “offering guests a curated selection of wines by the glass, bottle and flight, as well as handcrafted cheeses, charcuterie and chocolates from artisanal producers.”
“Approximately half of the bottles will be priced under $50. The wine bar will also feature 50 wines by the glass, eight on tap, with prices starting at $9.”

The wine bar will showcase “several Virginia wineries…The bar will feature eight to 12 wine trios at any time, as well as flights assembled from the selection of cheeses and chocolates available. Eno’s commitment to supporting local producers on the food front will include charcuterie selections from Stachowski’s Market in [Georgetown], chocolate truffles from [Charlottesville] confectioner Gearharts and cheeses from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania and Cherry Glenn Goat Cheese Co. in Maryland.”

Advice for Christmas Shopping in G’town
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Street lamps hold lighted evergreens. Store fronts show off their seasonal gifts. Shoppers walk along in earnest. Skaters are enjoying the Washington Harbour ice rink. The surprising light show, Glow, has come and gone. Already lighted are the National Christmas Tree and National Chanukah Menorah and our neighbors’ outdoor lights and some of whose Christmas trees we can see shining through the window. Mom and dad have those popular gifts for their children. Choirs and places of worship are ready for the big day, and, of course, Santa Claus is coming to town.

Many families will be here for Christmas, but others depart to see in-laws, grandparents or friends on the ski slope or on the beach. For those of us in town, the village becomes quieter and easier to traverse — all the better to see all you have anew and at ease. It is indeed a special time of year.

It’s always fun shopping in Georgetown. The historic streets, the beautiful holiday décor and the large shop windows—all outdoors to keep you in the Christmas spirit. Here is a quick shopping list for Georgetowners and visitors alike.

Begin with a great cup of coffee at Peacock Cafe, Saturday and Sunday; open at 9 a.m., or at Dean & Deluca, open daily. Or, on the east side, at Baked & Wired, grab a latte and some “Hippy Crack” granola.

Another suggestion is to go all in — to the Four Seasons: valet your car and proceed to either the Seasons power breakfast scene or go to Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ) for a cappuccino and a snack to warm up before you shop — locally, we prefer, but it is all good.

Shopping for Her:

Amina Rubinacci – a new boutique by an Italian designer with top-notch quality clothing. This is truly a special spot.

M29 – ranging from Bohemian chic to preppy cool with plenty of stocking stuffers, too.

Ella Rue – vintage and contemporary one of a kind shop. Owners Krista and Alexa are especially helpful and super fun.

The Phoenix – this third-generation shop has been selling women’s fashion and unique items for the home since 1955.

Other local stores include Ann Hand, Hu’s and Hu’s Shoes, Charmed, Wink, Urban Chic and Relish.

National stores include Intermix, CoOp, Cusp, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Calypso St. Barth, Alice & Olivia, Zara and Alex & Ani.

Shopping for Him:

Georgetown Tobacco – a Georgetown classic with the expected great selection of cigars and pipe tobacco; it offers beautiful men’s accessories, such as cufflinks.

Sterling & Burke – a British and American amazement for classy guys with a sense of style and history; exquisite leather goods, colognes, artwork and men’s accessories.

Everard’s Clothing – another classic with men’s suits and women’s outfits, etc.; the personal service is unrivaled.

Other local stores include American Holiday, Hugh & Crye, Hill & Dale.

National stores include Nike, Jack Spade, Jack Wills, Ralph Lauren, Patagonia, Gant, Brooks Brothers, North Face and Ike Behar.

Glover Park Hardware Closes
• January 14, 2015

The popular Glover Park Hardware Store, at 2251 Wisconsin Ave. NW for almost 10 years, will close its doors Jan. 15.

Owner Gina Schaefer told customers that the business could not reach an agreement with property owner Chesapeake Realty Partners. She also indicated that she hopes to reopen Glover Park Hardware somewhere else in the neighborhood.

Other small hardware stores nearby include Bredice Brothers Hardware and Shoe Repair at 1305 35th St. NW, District Hardware and Bike Shop at 1108 24th St. NW and Schaefer’s other Ace Hardware store in Tenleytown.

Could Clairvoyant Healing Center Become a Cat Cafe?
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Closed? We did not see this one coming.

The Georgetown Clairvoyant Healing Center, formerly at 3211 O St. NW, left town last month. But, wait . . . word on the street is that a cat cafe could locate there. (More details to come.)

Underway: West End Library and Fire Station Projects
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Two long-awaited EastBanc projects got underway after a Dec. 15 groundbreaking: the redevelopment of the West End Public Library at 24th and L Streets NW and the D.C. firehouse at 23rd and M Streets NW.

Here are details from EastBanc: “Plans for EastBanc’s West End Library and Fire Station development project call for a new 21,000-square-foot library and 7,300 square feet of retail topped by 164 market-rate units – 71 condos and 93 rentals – and a new fire station topped by 55 affordable units and Squash on Fire — a state-of-art squash facility with eight courts and full-service restaurant. … The company is committed to bringing more residents to the West End neighborhood, expanding retail offerings … EastBanc has engaged world-renowned architect Enrique Norten of T.E.N. Arquitectos of Mexico City to design both buildings.”

The projects involve a public-private partnership between the District of Columbia, EastBanc, the JBG Companies and Clark Enterprises.

New Officers Take Over at Georgetown Business Association
• December 17, 2014

The GBA will be taken over by fresh blood when a slate of new officers take charge in 2015. Charles Camp of Charles Camp Law Offices is the incoming President, while Sonya Bernhardt, the publisher of The Georgetowner, will assume the role of Vice President. Also from the Law Offices of Charles Camp, Theresa Bowman comes to the GBA as Secretary. As for a new Treasurer, Alan Helfer of Gingsberg & Helfer, PLC, will take on the role in the coming year. All of the incoming leaders are new to officer positions in the association, which is “committed to maintaining and improving the climate for conducting business in Georgetown.” We wish them luck in the new year.

Gentlemen’s Night Out at RiRa
• December 8, 2014

Gentlemen’s Night Out made its debut at RiRa Irish Restaurant and Whiskey Bar Nov. 12. Roosters Barbershop, Goorins hat store, Stubble and Stache, Bull & Moose, the Trunk Club and Urban Stems exhibited and sold their wares. Roosters gave neck trims and hot towel shaves. Macallan showcasing its 10-year-old and 12-year-old whiskey. Look for more nights out in 2015.

Could Banking’s Past Become Its Future?
• December 5, 2014

Whenever I pass the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, I am reminded of my father, a banker in my hometown for 35 years. Anyone who visits Georgetown knows the beautiful, gold-domed building with a marble facade that, once upon a time, was home to a local institution, Farmers and Mechanics National Bank, later a branch of Riggs Bank, and today a branch of PNC, as evidenced by the sign bolted over the door.

If (and when) PNC is taken over by an even larger bank, this will make it easier for the next owner to unscrew the old sign and attach a new one. It’s an apt metaphor for what we’ve learned during the past five or so years: you can’t bank on financial institutions that are too-big-to-fail and too-big-to-care. At first look, it would appear the local banks my father worked for are now a relic of the past, where bankers understood both banking and their customers—and where you went to the same church, supported the same charities, shopped at the same local stores, and your kids were on the same sports team.

My father’s experience—before the revolving door mergers began in the 1990s—was that the core profit for his bank depended on the community’s trust.

During the 1960s, like many cities across the country, our community was devastated by riots. But what I remember the most was how my father walked down the street to all his local customers, whose businesses had been damaged, and offered them on-the-spot loans to rebuild. He likes to say that every loan was repaid and those customers remained loyal—until the bank was taken over by a bigger bank and my father was forced into retirement.

Today in developing economies micro financing is thriving not because the customers are tycoons but because they know their customers. I’m not condemning growth and change, but for far too many global public banks it has become a faceless game of risk-reward, where underwriting is simply a FICO score.

While the bank my father worked for is history, I see signs of hope for the type of banking he practiced. Looking in our own neighborhood, you can see local institutions that operate on principles like those of one of the District’s most notable bankers, Robert P. Pincus, vice chairman of EagleBank. His success is rooted in his passion for giving back to the community and his personal policy includes buying suits from a local tailor and dining at locally-owned restaurants, instead of chains.

Other community banks include Bank of Georgetown and Cardinal Bank, which provide services to small businesses including construction loans and contribute to local charities. They are known in the community, and they know us, too.

Today, buying produce from a local farm, meat from a local butcher and carrying it home in an eco-friendly reusable bag is considered “trendy.” So, why don’t we consider banking local?

It might be worth examining the institutions we give our business to, and whether our bank is supporting our community. The definition of capitalism is increasing cooperation between strangers. Maybe it’s how we define “stranger” that is really the threat of “too-big-to-fail.”

*John E. Girouard, CFP, ChFC, CLU, CFS, is the author of “Take Back Your Money” and “The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation.” He is a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research and an Investment Advisor Representative of Capital Investment Advisors, in Bethesda, Md.*

Vincent Orange to Host Small Business Summit, Dec. 12
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At-large District Councilmember Vincent Orange was one of the leaders of a recent rally cry of “Where’s the $1 Billion?,” referencing the amount that he and others say was not spent on small businesses in the District as required by law.

Orange contends that, of the $1.4 billion that D.C. agencies were supposed to spend on programs for Small Business Enterprises (or SBEs) by the end of fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013, only $400 million was actually spent. Orange wants to know why the agencies can’t comply with the law, and he is determined to make them more accountable.

The council member is a man who knows the numbers and can effortlessly quote budgets and expenditures. His bottom line is that the money needs to circulate within the 1,200-strong SBE community so that the community can thrive and contribute to the overall economy. To that end, Orange has chaired three recent hearings which led to the passage of emergency legislation demanding the agencies must be in compliance, held a rally with 300 people, asking, “Where’s the $1 Billion?,” which garnered lots of attention from six media outlets, including the Washington Post, and has been instrumental in seeking a special “SBE Expendable Budget” audit by the District’s CFO for fiscal 2014.

Orange says that local business owners are outraged to hear about the shortage but are glad someone is looking into it.
The lack of small business support in the District is only one part of the picture, though. Orange lights up as he lists the reasons D.C. is the hottest market in the country, including a thousand new residents a month and 63 active projects, as well as some recently completed or in the works. He highlighted projects like the $7 billion Union Station development, the 11th Street Bridge project, a $2 billion Southwest Waterfront Project, the redevelopment of Walter Reed Hospital, the building of a new professional soccer stadium, and more.

But Orange brings everything back to the SBE shortfall issue by saying that – although the city provides a basis for tremendous economic success – small businesses must be brought along as well. When the money flows to small businesses, they contribute back to the economy by hiring D.C. residents and adding to D.C.’s tax coffers.

As the chair of the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Orange has spearheaded a series of annual small business conferences. This year’s conference is being called the Small Business and Economic Development Summit III and will take place, 7:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 12.

The day will begin with breakfast at the Hamilton Restaurant, followed by morning and afternoon workshops at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, with a break for lunch at the Hamilton with keynote speaker Andrew Altman, CEO of Olympic Park Legacy Company, who was responsible for the master development of the 600-acre Olympic Park in London, England. Altman was also D.C.’s City Planner under Mayor Anthony Williams. He will discuss business opportunities, tourism and enhanced branding of District of Columbia and the Washington Metropolitan Region. The event will also include workshops on D.C.’s Olympic 2024 bid, bringing “Hollywood” to the District, procuring local and federal government contracts and economic development in the District more broadly.

The cost of attending the Summit is $75, and you can register with the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at www.gwhcc.org.

Marilyn Thompson is the marketing/events director of the Georgetown Business Association.

December 3 Business Ins and Outs
• December 4, 2014

Neam’s Property Under Contract to Roadside Development
Known for its mindful remaking of historic properties, Roadside Development has the old Neam’s Market property at 3215-3217 P St. NW, also known as the Marvelous Market property, under contract.
Roadside has listed the property on its website as part of its portfolio: “Prime Georgetown Retail space available. Ideally situated at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue, NW and P Street, NW, this marquee corner location has 13 dedicated retail parking spaces. The site offers tremendous branding, visibility and unparalleled accessibility.” According to Roadside, the building space is 5,873 square feet.

IN: CrossFit Balance

CrossFit Balance Georgetown is now open at 1251 Wisconsin Ave. NW., at the Reebok FitHub Georgetown store. The fitness trend has expanded across D.C., with new studios popping up in almost all of the District’s neighborhoods.
IN: Ledbury Pop-up Shop
Ledbury Clothing Store, headquartered in Richmond, Va., popped up again for Christmas shopping in Georgetown this season in the same location – 1254 Wisconsin Ave. – as last season. The store opened on Nov. 22 and closes Dec. 22.
Francesca’s Coming to M Street
Mid-level women’s clothier Francesca’s has signed a lease to open a store at 3128 M Street NW. The new store will mark Francesca’s second in the District, and will act as a flagship for the retailer in the mid-Atlantic, according to Geoff Mackler of H& R Retail. Francesca’s also operates stores in Bethesda and Pentagon City. Francesca’s is known for selling affordable fashion, with dresses ranging from $50 to $150 and handbags starting around $30.

COMING: Mashburn at G’town Court
Mashburn, a clothing store out of Atlanta, will be coming in 2015 to 3206 N St., NW, which is part of the Georgetown Court complex and in the former space of Neyla Restaurant and the long-closed
The store will stretch from Prospect to N Street with a women’s and men’s side. There will also be a coffee shop on the west side of the store, facing the courtyard. “Think L.L. Bean meets Starsbuck’s,” said the architect, who showed plans at the Dec. 1 meeting for the Georgetown-Burleith advisory neighborhood commission (ANC2E).