The city approved the sale of the property from Brian Brown to Abbas Fathi.
The name of the restaurant is: "The Washington Firehouse Restaurant".
A new Facebook page has been set up for the new restaurant.
An operator was signed last week and should be on course for a early summer opening, late June early July.
New glass roll down doors are being installed May 1.
The operator will be submitting an ABRA application via his attorney Makan Shirafkan.
Artist renderings are live on the Facebook site as well.
love it, love it, love it. first to slide down the pole!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, you will only be able to * look * at the pole -- not slide down it. But it * would * be fun to slide down the pole!!
ReplyDeleteoh im sliding down it.
DeleteHow is this any real change. Fathi has been partnered w/ Brown for a while on the firehouse and there has been no movement. Also, Abbas Fathi was the same person involved in the forged liquor licenses at Shaws and was declared "unfit for licensure" by DCRA in the incident.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2012/02/03/echoes-of-shaws-tavern-fiasco-at-engine-company-12/
Also, fwiw DC's taxpayerservicecenter.com still lists the firehouse as owned by Brown's Nextgen.
Is Steve May, the writer of the infamous 2011 letter blaming the neighborhood for not opening, still involved?
ReplyDeleteI'll believe they're opening when I see the ABRA signs and a few help wanted ads for bus boys and wait staff pops up.
I laughed when I saw the late June, early July opening - that letter came after a promise of opening for the Fourth of July (2011?) Wonder if they will be open for Fourth of July 2013?
DeleteI see work every time I go by there. Couple of weeks ago, there was a van that had "granite" signage on the side.
This is a complete farce. Complete Joke. Brown and Fathi have been selling this unit back and forth to each other for many years, only to raise gossip about any type of opening, to spur either a loan or tax issue. you can easily see Fathi's other failed attempts around the area, including the fraudulent liquor license issue with shaw tavern, etc. When the finally re-opened Shaw Tavern, it was only if these original guys had NOTHING to do with the business.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks this fire house will be open for legal business as a restaurant by June or July of 2013 must be spending too much time at the new dispensary up the street. Hmm, there is a business model for the old firehouse...it will happen long before brown or Fathi or Steve May ever open a legitimate, legal-approved restaurant/bar in this building. Watch for the whoa of delays they will start rolling out once again, very soon. Oooh, even an open house with candles maybe soon. Oh, then lots of blame on the city and codes. Oh, then another sell back to Brown or May. Then another grand opening date in early June/July 2015.
Exciting times for the firehouse, yeahs!