Business

Nico Dodd • May 3, 2012

In Georgetown, business always tends to be a balancing act. When your neighborhood is a college town, a high-end retail district, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Washington, and home to a vibrant nightlife scene, it can be difficult to move around without stepping on anyone’s figurative foot.

On July 13, the Georgetown Business Association and the Georgetown Business Improvement District hosted Georgetown Business Forum on D.C. Nightlife and Hospitality. The Forum included community and business leaders from all sides of the Georgetown Nightlife industry from business owners and District government, to neighbors and Georgetown University. In addition to being very informative about how all these parties interact in this area, the forum highlighted the many different parties and voices that have a stake in the nighttime hospitality industry in Georgetown.

After the panelists introduced themselves, Georgetown business leader Janine Schoonover led a discussion that highlighted the current state of business and relations between community leaders. Concerns about regulation, competition with new developing neighborhoods, fake IDs, and the future of Georgetown were leading topics of discussion.

To set the tone, Anthony Lanier, president of EastBanc said “All I know is that my grandmother told me never get involved with a business that takes place in the dark.”

Skip Coburn, Executive Director of the D.C. Nightlife Association believes that collaboration is essential to retain the balance between those who live in Georgetown and those who come to Georgetown. “We all have to pitch in to make this successful,” he said.

In a statement made on July 23, Coburn wrote, “There are certain neighborhoods in the city in which the pendulum has perhaps swung way too far toward having too many ABC [Alcoholic Beverage Control Board] establishments at too much expense to the residents, with resulting traffic, parking, noise, and other problems. There is an economic development aspect as well. Do more ABC establishments attract customers and business to a neighborhood? Or, do newer, more-creative, imaginative, higher-quality ABC establishments attract business patrons to a neighborhood?”

In the past decade, other neighborhoods in Washington have developed their own nightlife scenes; U Street, H Street, Gallery Place, and Logan Circle attract a quickly growing group of young professionals living in the city. Reliable standbys can retain a clientele, but it can be hard to compete when new neighborhoods with exciting new restaurants to be explored.

Paul Cohn, President of Capital Restaurant Concepts which includes Neyla, Paolo’s in Georgetown and Georgia Brown’s, thinks that Georgetown needs to loosen up or risk losing business to other neighborhoods. Cohn discussed how the voluntary agreements restrict restaurants, and that it can be easy to break the law without trying. He also said that it is too difficult to physically get people in to Georgetown, and its lack of Metro is a handicap. He also does not want Georgetown to be a tourist trap.

The regulation of licensed bars and restaurants was a large point of discussion. Leading off, Fred Moosally, director of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Association, stated that his main concern is controlling underage drinking and fake and fraudulent ID usage. ABRA also stays on top of businesses so that establishments licensed as restaurants meet the requirements of one. Captain Gresham of the Metropolitan Police Department in Ward 2 echoed Moosally’s concerns, stating that proper education about spotting fakes is essential as fake IDs become more sophisticated. This February, approximately 20 fake IDs were seized at Third Edition.

Business leaders like Britt Swann, owner of Rhino, Modern, Serendipity 3 and Sign of the Whale, brought up concerns that the regulation of fake and fraudulent IDs is too harsh on businesses, and not hard enough on those using them. Swann stated that the costs of dealing with a fake ID charge can reach up to $6,000. “We have to be responsible for other people’s behavior,” he said.

“Restaurants are made to pay a heavy price for something happening on their turf that is not condoned, approved, endorsed or in any way desired by the business,” wrote Greg Casten, operations director for the family-owned Tony & Joe’s, Nick’s Riverside Grille and Cabana’s, in a statement on July 22. It is most important that a spirit of accountability should be taken with the individual. “This would be wonderful to begin seeing – the perception now is the restaurateur gets punished and treated like it was his intention to serve the minor, like he has criminal intent in mind when serving such.”

Cohn believed that Georgetown is doing well as it is now. “We’ve matured,” he said. “We used to be edgy.”

According to Jennifer Altemus, president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, there were approximately 102 restaurant liquor licenses in Georgetown when ABC put its liquor license moratorium in place in June 1988. For example, Wendy Furin, co-owner of Furin’s Bakery on M St., says that there was concern of so many bars and restaurants being close to the Washington International School, which then occupied the Philips School at 2735 Olive St. The moratorium was “a much needed step to halt the rapid deterioration,” wrote Altemus.

Last June, ABC ruled to continue the liquor license moratorium for five more years, but added seven liquor licenses to raise the total number to 68. According to ABRA’s ruling, ANC2E stressed the importance to preserve the moratorium in order to “preserve peace, order, and quiet in the neighborhood.”

A variety of different businesses applied and received these new licenses. Existing businesses, like Tackle Box and Puro Café, are now able to serve alcohol in their current establishments. The owners of Café Bonaparte will be opening Lapis. Other new licensees include Spin DC and Paul’s Bakery, a café on Wisconsin Avenue that is currently under renovation.

Perhaps the most interesting on the list was Hu’s Wear, a designer clothing store on M and 29th Streets. Eric Eden, co-owner of the shop, says that when they heard about the additional liquor licenses, they sprung at the opportunity to apply for one, which, at the current rate, was nearly once in a blue moon. Eden says that they will be opening a restaurant and bar next door within a year in the location where Bartleby’s Books stood until a few weeks ago.

Other voices from the community understand that doing business in Georgetown is tough, but that such care is needed to protect the neighborhood. “We can be successful while being mature,” said Linda Greenan, associate vice president of external affairs at Georgetown University.

ANC2E SMD 05 Commissioner Bill Starrels says that Georgetown has evolved greatly over the years, and that the community is strong.

Nico Dodd •

When Furin’s closed on July 31, Georgetown lost a landmark eatery. After 27 years, the family owned caterer and deli decided to close due to rising food prices and the economy. Over the years, Furin’s has gained the reputation of having some of the best baked goods in Washington. Chris Furin, son of Owners Bernie and Wendy Furin, is continuing to sell his signature-style cakes under his new business, Cakes by Chris Furin.

When Furin began working at the family business at the age of 13, the cakes were always more traditional, shaped like circles or rectangles. Over the years, shows like “Ace of Cakes” and “Cake Boss” inspired customers to ask for more exciting shapes.

“For example, one woman called and asked for a cake that looked like their dog. I’ve even made cakes that look like beer cans. If people have a favorite wine, I can make a cake that looks like the bottle. People’s requests get more outrageous by the week.”

Furin’s new business is based out of his home, which he has set up as a commercial kitchen in his house. He even has the bakery chef at Furin’s helping part time.

“You can get a cupcake on every block in Georgetown, or you can get a cake at Safeway, says Furin. “My cakes create memories.”

Furin says that closing the restaurant has been difficult, and will miss the neighborhood gathering place. “I’ve seen billionaires walk in the door and I’ve seen homeless people too.” [gallery ids="102539,120036" nav="thumbs"]

Samantha Hungerford •

Samantha Hays Gushner, The Phoenix

The small back office of The Phoenix is a jumble of papers, family photos and brightly colored do-dads. The single overhead light hangs low over the desk, illuminating the dark hair and olive face of Samantha Hays, the representative from the third generation of business men and women in her family. She has just returned to the shop after spending the morning apple picking with the fourth generation.

“I think I always knew I would end up in the business,” Hays says. “There was a time when I was living in Aspen, and I was skiing and I was really having a great time. I was out there for seven years and I thought, ‘You know, I should get back to reality.’ It’s just such a great business, and such an amazing way to live my life.”

The Phoenix was opened in 1955 by Hays’ grandparents, Betty and Bill Hays, who she continues to draw on for inspiration. The two founded the store with nothing but a station wagon full of folk art brought back from Mexico and a bit of business savvy.

“That tradition of travel and working directly with the artists that we buy from is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about continuing in the business,” Hays says. “We have seen communities grow and thrive through the success of the art that they produce. It is very exciting to be a part of that.”
Hays, who started working in the shop when she was 13, now works with the third generation of artists that her grandparents first discovered, as well as newer international artists and retailers.

“I think that because we have been here for so long, the store has an image as ‘that Mexican store,’ when that’s really not the case anymore,” Hays says. “Our heart will always be in Mexico and that kind of relationship is something that we don’t ever want to lose. But I think that what we’ve tried to do as we move forward is let people know that we have this incredible jewelry and clothing collection that isn’t just from Mexico anymore.”

Although she is the next rising generation in the family business, Hays still works very much in tandem with her parents, who each take on separate responsibilities at the store.

“I am fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with my parents,” Hays says. “We have great communication and are constantly bouncing ideas off of each other about new lines and the mix that we have at the store.”

Hays largely handles the clothes buying for the store, while her parents buy the jewelry and handle the accounting. Recently, Hays has scaled back her duties at the shop to focus more time on her two children, five-year-old Clara and three-year-old Theo, along with three dogs, two cats and a fish pond to round out her brood.

“There’s a constant feeling of having one foot in both places and feeling like you’re not doing either one particularly well,” she says. “But it seems to work out. It’s nice to have a balance between the two.”
Hays says that one added bonus of working in a family business is knowing that someone is always responsible for the store, whether she’s at home with her family or her parents are gone traveling.
Of course, that’s not to say Hays and her parents always agree on things. During the recent renovations of the store, tension rose around the old peg board on the walls, which her parents thought to be iconic, but Hays thought was no longer functional.

The walls are now painted a clean, fresh white.

Other changes include fresh paint, more functional displays and 30 solar panels that were recently mounted on the roof in keeping with The Phoenix’s message of social consciousness.

The store’s Oct. 15 trunk show and styling event with Eileen Fisher will also be held with a socially conscious theme, as it will support So Others Might Eat, an organization Hays’ grandmother was passionate about.

The Phoenix
1514 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
202-338-4404

Hope Solomon, Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos

Hope Solomon is a fast talker in pearl earrings and a leopard-print blouse.

At 27, she has a thriving career on Capitol Hill in emergency preparedness, is a highly active member of the Georgetown Business Association and makes it clear that she will be taking over the family business sometime soon with no intention of giving up her passion for politics. Most people who know her describe her as a firecracker.

“Anyone that’s been raised in a family business will know that it’s very difficult to sort of kick the parents out so that you can take over,” she says between sips of San Pellegrino. “Like I was talking to Samantha and Karen and we all have the same sort of issues. No matter how much you get your foot in the door, old dad over there, he’ll never retire. I’ve sort of tried to develop my own career while taking over just so I’m keeping busy.”

Five feet away, Ed Solomon, or “old dad over there,” sits working at his desk and doesn’t seem to take offense to this statement.

The Solomon family business, Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos, has been open for 34 or 32 years, depending on whether you ask Hope or her father. The business began with Ed and his wife, Gerri, in 1979 when they opened up a boutique providing bridesmaid dress rentals. Eventually, the store moved on from renting to selling bridesmaid dresses and wedding gowns, finally branching into short-notice tuxedo rentals with more than 400 tuxes in stock.

Solomon grew up with the store playing a leading role in her life. Her crib was in the back of the shop, and she spent her days in the store with her dad.

“I’m an only child, so for me this store is like a fourth family member,” she says. “So, no matter where my passions go, this is my number one priority.”

Solomon says that her current schedule is to work her “day job” on the Hill and spend nights and weekends “moonlighting” at the shop. Although this amounts to a practically 24/7 work schedule, she says that she doesn’t recognize being at the store as work because it’s “just something you do.”

The store, which is small and uses “every square inch of space,” according to Ed, gets much of its business from generational customers: families who got their tux or dress there and are now bringing their children in. They refer their friends to the business, and the circle grows. He notes that for as small as their shop is, they rented out 60 tuxedos last weekend.
And the daughter has plans to grow the business further.

“I think the highlight is you have the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want,” she says. “It’s very different from having worked in the corporate world where you’re given a direction and then you only have the ability to do that. I like the creativity and reaching out to other businesses and the teamwork in Georgetown. That’s what I find just great. Being able to walk across the street and say ‘Hey, I need this from you,’ or ‘I’ve got this idea,’ and everyone sort of chips in and helps.”

Solomon has already begun to bring accessories into the store, making it possible for brides and bridesmaids to shop in one stop, and plans to incorporate more event planning into their services once she starts working at Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos more full time. Her idea is to guide brides through Georgetown weddings, highlighting small businesses and the services they offer.
Her goals, however, are not limited to the future of the shop. In her passion for politics she rules nothing out, whether it’s helping others with their platforms or running for a position herself. Her main concerns are for education, as a product of the D.C. school system herself, and the welfare of small businesses. She says that she got her political mind from her father.

“I’m a little Ed,” she says.

Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos
3237 P St. NW
Washington D.C. 20007
202-333-5762

Karen Ohri, Georgetown Floorcoverings

Karen Ohri, a petite, young blonde, kneels down on the showroom floor of Georgetown Floorcoverings to wipe syrup and pancake crumbs from the face and hands of her 2-year-old son, Jayson.

“I’m ‘ticky,” says Jayson, as his mother gives him a final check before sending him off to play with the carpet samples and few toys lining the walls of the store. Half an hour earlier, he had trailed his mom in to work, announcing to all who would hear that he’d gotten mom to buy him fast food from McDonald’s.

“So, this is a lot of what it’s like,” says Ohri. “There’s good, and there’s bad. You’re always multitasking, Blackberry going off, child screaming in the background, the whole nine yards. But the nice thing, too, is that now the businesses [The Phoenix, Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos and Georgetown Floorcoverings] are more established than when our fathers and grandfathers started them.”

Ohri is a wife and mother of three kids, ages two to 13, and is steadily taking on more responsibilities at Georgetown Floorcoverings, the family business which her grandfather first opened their 1417 28th St. location in 1954. Now located at 3233 K St. where they’ve been since 1962, the business specializes in commercial flooring in everything from hardwood to linoleum, although they do some work with residential architects and designers.

Like her father before her, Ohri started to work at the shop regularly as a teenager emptying trash cans, but she helped out around the shop since she was five, answering phones, dusting shelves and labeling samples. In 1998, she began working in the store full time.

As a teenager with two siblings, Ohri never thought she’d be the one to take over the family business. Yet when her brother, the most likely candidate, followed his dream of becoming a firefighter and her sister moved to Minnesota to become a teacher, she found herself next in line.

“I’ve always liked it, but in high school I never thought I was going to run the family business. But as far as my dream job, now it is. I love what I do. And it does allow me some flexibility like bringing this little guy in to work,” she says, patting Jayson who is now slumped against her thigh.

Ohri worked alongside her father, Ronald Swarthout, who is very involved in the business, until last Mother’s Day when Swarthout suffered an aortic aneurism.

“It was the call in the middle of the night you never want to get,” Ohri says. “It was terrifying.”
The family rushed together, her sister flying in from Minnesota that day. Strangely enough, Swarthout had just talked to his doctor about the possibility of an aneurism the day before, prompted by Ohri, whose intuition told her he might be at risk.

“If anything is going to make you get into the ‘what are we going to do in the future’ train of thought, that’ll do it,” Ohri says.

Since then, she has jumped in to take over the payables and many of her father’s other duties. Although Swarthout made a swift and full recovery, Ohri has kept these responsibilities.

“I don’t know if he’s wanting to [retire], but I’ve kind of just continued doing what I’ve started doing because I feel like it allows him to have a life besides thinking ‘every Thursday I’ve got to cut checks and every Friday I’ve got to mail checks,’ ” Ohri says. “It’s been kind of nice for him, I think. And then he’s been travelling. Right now, he’s in Italy, which is huge. He would’ve never been able to go away like this.”

Inevitably, things have changed about Georgetown Floorcoverings since Ohri’s grandfather first opened up shop. The family no longer lives or holds office upstairs in the “Watch Tower,” and her grandfather’s old organ – which he could and did play – is no longer stored in the back room. Yet aside from bringing the business into the 21st century, Ohri is dedicated to keeping as much the same about the business as possible.

“I’m not changing anything besides updating and enhancing,” Ohri says. “I’m not the bratty daughter coming in to change everything and knock down walls. I don’t really want to go and reinvent the wheel too much because dad’s always been a great businessman.”

Most of the changes Ohri has prompted have been aesthetic.

“This is what it looked like before,” she says, whipping out a picture of a dated showroom which, upon second glance, is an older version of the room she’s sitting in now. “We had a tiki-style roof for the samples.”

The warm, muted tones that now decorate the space are aimed at making their residential clients feel more at home in the shop and can use the showroom as a functional space. Yet even without making any major changes, Ohri’s family and business keep her constantly busy.

“The first day of my vacation we went to the beach and my phone rang at seven o’clock in the morning, and my husband said, ‘Why do you even leave it on?’ Well, because you have to! It’s a big responsibility, and I take it very seriously because it is my dad’s reputation and the reputation of the business,” Ohri says. “If something goes wrong with a job, I take it very personally because I just have such respect for my grandfather’s legacy and my father’s legacy. I just want to make sure I keep things going the same way they did,” she says as the youngest member of the next generation plays with stacks of carpet samples, just like his mother remembers doing as a child.

Georgetown Floorcoverins, Inc.
3233 K St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20007
202-965-3200 [gallery ids="99241,104054,104059,104064,104069,104074,104079,104084,104089,104049,104044,104039,104019,104110,104106,104024,104102,104029,104098,104034,104094" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

IN

P Street Pictures is now on O Street on the west side of town. After losing her lease on the P Street shop, owner Judy Schlosser opened next to Emi and Harry’s Georgetown Dinette. Schlosser is grateful for the community’s support and is a welcome addition to the block. Check out her new space: P Street Pictures on O, 3204 O St., N.W. 202 337 0066, PStreetPix@Gmail.com.

Barre3, a yoga and dance fitness studio, opened last week at 1000 Wisconsin Ave, N.W., Suite G-100 (on the ground floor of Old Dodge Warehouse at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and K Street; its front door is next door to Chadwick’s Restaurant). It offers classes seven days a week in two studios with a locker room and a shower, lounge with fireplace and a childcare area. 202 450 3905. Georgetown@Barre3.com.

Pie Sisters of Georgetown has opened at 3423 M St., N.W. With ovens, coolers and counters ready for action, Allison, Cat and Erin Blakely will feed Georgetown’s ever-expanding palette for all things sweet, creamy and fruity—with a few savory options, to boot. Flavors include apple caramel crunch, pecan, key lime and banana, coconut and chocolate cream. The shop sells pies in three sizes: the four-dollar “cuppie,” and seven- and nine-inch pies ($14 – $16 and $35, respectively). But if you return the glass plate that the pie comes in, you receive $5 off your next purchase. There are chairs and tables in front of the shop with a coffee counter as well. Pie Sisters is next door to Dixie Liquors, one of the shops along Regency Row: 202 338 PIES (7437). PieSisters.com.

OUT
Barnes & Noble closed in M Street store Dec. 31. A favorite of residents, the large store at M and Thomas Jefferson Streets had lost its lease. Except for Philip Levy’s Bridge Street Books on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Latern Bryn Mawr Bookshop on P Street and Georgetown University’s book store, almost no book stores remain in Georgetown. There is speculation that Nike will take over the space.

The Pinball Museum moved out of the Shops at Georgetown Park and has re-located in Baltimore.

Michelle Kingston •

Honorees, distinguished guests, journalists and friends crowded inside the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department on March 21 to congratulate the members of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council on the 10th anniversary of supporting the women of Afghanistan.

Founded in 2002 by President George W. Bush and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, the council connects both U.S. and Afghan governments with the private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations to identify needs and to develop and implement initiatives to support Afghan women and girls. The council is based at Georgetown University.

“There is an Afghan proverb: A good year is determined by its spring. I think that is a worthy proverb to keep in mind, and indeed it is a call to action for us to be sure that the spring sets the pace for the kind of good year we hope to see in Afghanistan,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. “Let there be no doubt that even as the U.S. role in Afghanistan changes during the next few years of transition, we will continue to stand with and work closely with Afghan women.”

“Some may wonder if these efforts and partnerships truly make a difference,” said Zala Ahmad, a student from rural Afghanistan who now studies at Brandeis University in Massachusetts thanks to the council. “I can tell you firsthand that they do.”

While toasting the council with red glasses of hibiscus tea, dining on endive salads and Atlantic cod, and treating tastebuds to the sweet dessert served, a passion fruit clafouti, guests listened to Clinton, former First Lady Laura Bush, John DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and several other speakers from Afghanistan involved with the council share stories and the astronomical differences in percentages of Afghan females now attending schools and even holding prominent positions.

“Girls make up about 40 percent of the nearly 8 million children going to school in Afghanistan today,” Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Zalmai Rassoul said. “In 2000, there were no girls at that time.” He also noted that 30 percent of school teachers and 15 percent of university teachers are women. Today, 24 percent of doctors and medical workers across Afghanistan are women.

Even with these positive numbers, he said Afghan women continue to be innocent victims, but the council has helped give them their opportunity back.

“God created a couple,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. “He did not create men first, women second. He created a couple at the same time. So, there is no way half of the couple can be inferior to the other half of the couple.”

After several rounds of applause credited to the amount of effort and success that has gone in to the council, both Clinton and Bush were presented awards for their dedication by Georgetown University. Clinton was given the Caring for Children Lifetime Achievement Award from the Center for Child and Human Development by DeGioia, who teased that Clinton has been fighting for the rights of women and children since she wrote her scholarly article in 1973 for the Harvard Educational Review. Bush received the Champion for Afghan Women Award from Verveer, who said Bush “led by example, mobilizing resources to ensure that Afghan women and girls gain skills, opportunities, and particularly the education that they were denied under the years of Taliban repression.”

When the luncheon was finished, Verveer said the program was over but the journey to continue fighting for the rights of Afghan women is not. “We hope that we will all continue to work together,” she said.

Robert Devaney •

M&T Bank, which has a branch on Thomas Jefferson Street, will be adding another Georgetown location at 1420 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., where the clothing store, Commander Salamander, once sold its funky wares.

Never mind: Crave, a sandwich and salad eatery on Potomac Street that opened a couple of weeks ago, was abruptly closed. A dispute between business partners led to the decision. Manager and co-owner Garrett Bauman, also of Annie Creamcheese vintage clothing, told the Georgetowner he hoped to find another location nearby.

The men’s clothier, Gant, is coming to Georgetown in August and moving into 3239 M Street. It could not be more different than its previous tenant, the free-wheeling, live-music bar, the Saloun. The 2,000-square-foot space will sell Gant, Gant Rugger and Gant by Michael Bastian, according to Women’s Wear Daily. Georgetown just got more preppy, as if it needed more help, Gentlemen’s Quarterly opined: “The whole collection is still grounded in the archival, American sportswear Bastin and co. have perfected in the past few seasons but amped up in the flair department, complete with special details like the floral lining on an insanely perfect M-65 jacket or the bold flecks of bright yellow and orange on a Donegal tweed blazer.” As if . . .

Ligne Roset and Natuzzi are setting up shop in Glover Park. The furniture retailers have jointly leased the storefront at 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, said property manager Cynthia Cumbo, who added, “The space should be ready in March.” The space was vacant after Mobili furniture departed more than three years ago.

The clothing store, Riccardi & Sports, have left the Shops at Georgetown Park along with so many others. It can now be found at the main Riccardi at 3213 M Street — 202-625-6687.

Mega and green, too: Swedish fashion giant Hennes and Mauritz — which has its H&M store on M Street at Georgetown Park — plans a separate luxury line for 2013. “We have many different projects in progress and already next year we will be launching a completely new store chain. Like COS, which today is very successful with good profitability, the new chain of stores will be independent and complement the other offerings from the group,” CEO Karl-Johan Persson confirmed.

On April 12, H&M will launch its Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection, promoted by Amanda Seyfried and Michelle Williams and is made using sustainable materials including organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyester.

Hair stylist Luigi Parasmo is set to open his first namesake salon with fellow stylist Javier Calvo in Georgetown. Luigi Parasmo Salon will be equipped with a staff of 14 hair, make-up and nail stylists and opens its doors to the public on Tuesday, April 10. It will be located on 1510 Wisconsin Avenue.

The Chipotle-spinoff restaurant Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen plans to open in the old location of Furin’s Bakery at 2805 M Street. The first Shophouse restaurant in Washington opened in Dupont Circle in September last year. Shophouse aims to serve fast Asian food with high quality. The Georgetown Shophouse will open “later this year,” according to the company.

Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place at Washington Harbour and the Potomac will finally reopen its inside restaurant for business in early May with some changes in both interior and on the menu. Since the April 2011 flood only the outside patio and bar have been open, and a limited menu has served from an outdoor kitchen.

Lisa Gillespie •

D.C. is fraught with pools on top of apartment buildings, D.C.-run community pools and the occasional roof deck restaurant, but no where is there a members-only pool social club.

Until now.

The Penthouse Pool Club on U St. opened last weekend with a large turnout despite less-than-stellar weather, drawing their 1,000 members to a 60-foot pool, private sun deck, resort cabanas, communal fire pits and a membership lounge offering full food and beverage service.    
 
The planning for the pool club started almost three years ago with an idea by David von Storch, president of Urban Adventures Companies, the parent company of VIDA Fitness, which has five locations throughout the city. A resident of D.C. for 25 years, he said there was a niche that hadn’t previously been filled, largely in part because ten years ago, there wasn’t the same demand there is now.

“It’s now a true urban center; it’s grown up a lot,” he said in a phone interview. He pointed to the neighborhood of Logan Circle, where he resides. “I can walk to the grocery store, to the gym, the hardware store and to 15 restaurants; that wasn’t possible ten years ago in virtually any neighborhood. People are looking to live in the city, it’s not just convenient for work, it actually fits with how they see themselves living.”

The 12,000 square foot rooftop was previously just that, a rooftop with an unattractive air conditioning system. But in the three years of planning, they modified the space for the pool, and moved the A.C. system underneath it. With plans to stay open until late October, the pool is heated by the rejection energy put out by the FIDA fitness gym. The A.C. system already takes this heat out to put in cool air, so they’re simply re-routing where it goes, which in the end, von Storch says, will be a huge cost saver and an environmentally friendly decision.

With a lounge and pool capacity of 299 and 25 staffers, members and guests will be able to see panoramic capital views. The membership roster to the Penthouse Pool Club is now filled, however Urban Adventures Companies has established a waiting list for those wishing to become future members. Membership to the pool club also includes full access to all five D.C.-area VIDA Fitness locations.

Designed by Stoneking von Storch Architects of other clubs like the Soho House in New York City and Miami, he noted that the Poolhouse Club is unique in that it’ll not only have the fitness component downstairs, but Aura Spa on the first floor, due to open later this summer.

With an exclusive and an above-18 membership, the club is sure to draw crowds as the weather gets warmer.

“The fact that you have to be 18, be a member of VIDA, creates an environment where it will be more relaxing, whereas other pools there are lots of kids jumping around. This is an alternative to that on the weekends, and not have to go out of town.” [gallery ids="100715,120504,120497" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner • May 2, 2012

**STACHOWSKI MARKET AND DELI OPENS AT 28TH & P**

Stachowski Market and Deli has opened in the former Griffin Market space at 1425 28th Street (at the corner of P Street). Jamie Stachowski has been selling his sausages and other meats at nearby Rose Park and elsewhere. The shop is sparsely decorated for now but offers sandwiches, including Italian sausage, pastrami and kielbasa. Its cases displays various cuts of beef, duck and pork. Chairs, coffee and other sundries are on their way. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

**BETSEY JOHNSON DECLARES BANKRUPTCY; M STREET STORE LOOKS TO CLOSE**

News reports and Facebook updates flashed: fashion designer Betsey Johnson?s chain of stores went bankrupt April 26. Most of the 63 freestanding boutiques will close. The fate of the M Street store is uncertain, according to a store employee, but it does not look good. ?Johnson won?t be losing her job ? but as many as 350 store workers will after the May 8 liquidation,? reported the New York Daily News. Women?s Wear Daily reported the designer will retain control of the Betsey Johnson clothing label. The flashy, pink and fun scene near the Old Stone House may soon close. Stop by this week to say good-bye.

**TASTE OF GEORGETOWN MOVED TO JUNE 2**

The popular Taste of Georgetown, usually held in October, will next set up its serving tables along Wisconsin Avenue on June 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants include many of the best and most liked So, be sure to tag the date in your calendar. Visit (http://GeorgetownDC.com)[www.GeorgetownDC.com] or (http://TasteofGeorgetown.com)[TasteofGeorgetown.com] for details.

**NEW RESTAURANT COMING TO GLOVER PARK:** The empty space at 2317 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., which once held Margarita?s, is slated to become a District Noodles. The Vietnamese restaurant is owned by Jennifer Hoang and her fianc?, Marc Farmer. Next to the Tennis Zone store and Whole Foods, the eatery will serve sandwiches along with rice bowl dishes and should open in four or six months.

**MOVED: MERIDIAN HEALTH & RELAXATION** moved from The Shops at Georgetown Park to Book Hill on 1673 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.

**URBAN DADDY D.C. PICKS ALL GEORGETOWN SHOPS FOR DERBY DAYS**

The hip, up-to-date website, Urban Daddy, listed shops for Derby Day clothes last week. All the shops it cited are in Georgetown: ?The Right Clothes for Derby Day . . . you might be headed to the Gold Cup. Or you might ensconce yourself at a downtown hotel bar to take in the Derby. Either way, horses will be involved. (Also: bourbon.) And you?ll want to look the part. No, not like a jockey. With this stuff.? The UD list: Rag & Bone at 3067 M St., N.W.; Vineyard Vines, 1225 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.; Jack Wills, 1097 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.; Lost Boys, 1033 31st St., N.W.; Brooks Brothers, 3077 M St., N.W.

Robert Devaney • April 18, 2012

Television personality and celebrity stylist Brad Goreski stopped by Brooks Brothers on M Street April 13 during his seven-city book tour, signing copies of “Born to Be Brad: My Life and Style, So Far.” Patient fans lined up to meet Goreski, get his new book and pose with him. Fashionable Brooks Brothers employees helped with the reception that included champagne, finger food and tunes from DJ Ben Chang.