Saturday, August 27, 2011

Shaw's Tavern closing tonight: "‘We could not survive without a liquor license."

Washington City Paper reports that Shaw`s Tavern is closing tonight.

Shaw`s Tavern, R.I.P. `We Could Not Survive Without A Liquor License.`
Posted by Chris Shott on Aug. 27, 2011 at 8:00 am
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2011/08/27/shaws-tavern-r-i-p-we-could-not-survive-without-a-liquor-license/

From the restaurant's the restaurant`s Facebook`s page late Friday night:


Shaw`s Tavern is closing its doors from Saturday 27th of August.

We could not survive without a liquor license. We will re-open when we are allowed to serve alcohol.

To all of our 936 plus loyal fans and 30 dedicated employees, we thank you for your amazing support and understanding.

8 comments:

BCC said...

What is being done to Shaw's Tavern is Kafkaesque. Is the District better served by keeping the Florida Ave. corridor an unattractive slum, and scaring away the residents and tax dollars?

Unknown said...

Is this how we treat a million dollar investment into our community--a 30 person employer, a conscientious renovator. UGH DC!!!! Sooo frustrating.

Unknown2 said...

I disagree. There seems to be a plea being made to the neighborhood to accept an establishment that has been reported to have violated the law. Changing legal papers is not a good thing and does not make for a good neighbor.

I look at the great opportunity that we now have for a responsible restaurant to come into the community.

I am glad that the community did not support this place as they tried to get sympathy for what has been reported as violating the law.

dc said...

Rules are rules, but... this is a situation where you fine the violator and move on rather than force the institution to close. No one really cares if a private event was held where some alcohol may have been served for free.

Mike said...

Dean: I think falsifying documents and presenting them to distributors as abra certified is where the real problem started. Serving liquor w/o the forging part would have probably gotten a slap on the wrist (I hope).

The AMT said...

Nobody has *forced* them to close. Shaw's Tavern will reopen once ABRA has another meeting (assuming their license is eventually approved). Shaw's could have stayed open as a dry tavern, but they were losing money, so they're closed until they get their license. That's it.

I want a decent spot to grab a bite and a drink as much as the next guy, but do we really want to bend the rules for an organization that forges documents? A group that blames the community for its delay in applying for a liquor license (as they did with the firehouse on N. Capitol)? They've burned all the goodwill I had for them - this mess is 100% their own making, and nobody else's.

Ed said...

what was it studio 54 in NYC that let you bring in your own liquor and they would hold it behind the bar with your name on it. Then when you wanted a drink they would pour from your bottle [or your friends/ with your permission] and charge you for the mixer. They did this for a while till they got a licence. Some clubs down in Norfolk are did the same back when I was in the navy.

Q said...

This is so frustrating to watch from all sides--the corrupt DC liquor permitting process --and the Shaw Tavern folk doing a big no-no, yes it was wrong--but really THAT wrong? As others have pointed out, the overall benefit they give by being open to Florida Ave development and our surrounding neighborhoods is tremendous. Can someone in the city not take some leadership in helping work this out--and not torture us by walking by an empty Shaw Tavern while we face the possibility that Full Yum gets a license??? The debate should be at this level. We sell too much package booze in these hoods, and how would Full Yum sell it anyway? By the can? Great.