Temporary Liquor License for New Dupont Custom Fuel Pizza

At its regular monthly meeting on June 11, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle approved a stipulated liquor license for a new branch of Custom Fuel Pizza. Custom Fuel Pizza advertises that it makes individual pizzas to order in a few minutes.

The store will be located at 1635 Connecticut Avenue NW, near the corner of R Street, the former site of a Potbelly Sandwich Shop. The owners could not tell the ANC when they expected the new store to be open.

Not quite ready to open as of last week

Granting a stipulated liquor license is one of the few actions an ANC can take that is not only advisory in nature. If an ANC votes to grant a stipulated license and there are no other protesting parties, a liquor licensee can start to serve alcohol while the permanent liquor license application is processed through the DC bureaucracy.

DC shadow senator Paul Strauss, in his paying job as an attorney, represented Custom Fuel Pizza before the ANC.

"They are seeking a full [liquor] license although they probably won't use it," Strauss said.

Strauss told the ANC Custom Fuel was seeking a restaurant liquor license, but they planned to serve "mostly beer and wine". They also planned to serve frozen margaritas and a drink that sounded something like an iced rum punch, but no other forms of hard liquor.

The license will allow Custom Fuel to stay open until 2am weekdays and 3am weekends. It will have no outdoor space.

Commissioner Leo Dwyer (district 07) asked about trash pickup. It will be daily. Dwyer noted the restaurant has several neighbors that are also restaurants. He urged Custom Fuel to join together with its neighbors to obtain a trash compactor, which might help with vermin control.

Another commissioner said, "A close neighbor of yours is the dirtiest restaurant and never shovels their sidewalks when it snows."

"I hope you will set a good example," he said.

The commissioner received some prodding, but refused to name the restaurant outright. He said, however, that it was "to the left of yours" and "on the corner".

Custom Fuel will have to appear again before the ANC with its permanent liquor license application.

"See you again in July or August," ANC2B Chair Will Stephens (Commissioner for district 08) said.

The motion to approve was unanimous except for Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06). Silverstein recuses himself from all liquor license matters because of potential conflict of interest with his day job. His day job is as a member of DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.

Custom Fuel has four other DC locations as well as seven locations in or near Charlotte, NC, and one in New York City.

See the letter ANC2B wrote in support of Custom Fuel's stipulated liquor license here.

ANC2B Endorses Two Marijuana Dispensaries But May Only Get One

At its regular monthly meeting last night (May 14), Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle voted unanimously to endorse the establishment of two marijuana dispensaries. But they heard that the D.C. Department of Health (DOH) is planning to give only one of the two permission to open.

(Image courtesy Wikimedia)

ANC2B voted nearly-identical letters of support for Herbal Alternatives LLC (1710 Rhode Island Avenue NW) and National Holistic Healing Center (1718 Connecticut Avenue).

Herbal Alternatives LLC received endorsement from ANC2B last year, but had to return because their original approval was at another address (1147 20th Street).

Jen Brunenkant of Herbal Alternatives LLC briefed ANC2B on its proposed location at 17th Street and Rhode Island Avenue. It will be on the third floor of an office building. There will be a larger dispensary room and three smaller consulting rooms. Counseling will be given on nutrition and alternative forms of intake, such as by vapor.

Brunenkant told ANC2B medicial marijuana can only be consumed legally at the dispensary or in the patient's home. Under current DOH regulations, she said, medical marijuana can only be prescribed for patients with HIV, cancer, glaucoma, and certain motor diseases like multiple sclerosis. There will be a vote this month about whether to include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on the list of conditions treatable by medical marijuana.

Brunenkart said she had notified her future neighbors, including a YMCA and a church, and she had not heard any objections.

Brunenkart also explained only one of the two dispensaries would be given permission to open by the DOH. The DOH is using a system of points to decide which dispensary will be given permission to open. ANC approval will garner each side some points. The dispensaries will also be evaluated on security, site suitability, educational brouchures, packaging, labeling, marketing, and other criteria.

Brunenkart also spoke about the medical marijuana situation generally in response to questions from Commissioners. She said D.C. doctors are reluctant deal with dispensaries.

"The problem D.C. is running into right now is the physicians," she said.

Commissioner Kishan Putta (district 04) asked why.

"They're concerned about the legality," Brunenkart replied. Many doctors are connected to university hospitals as well, which are worried about endangering federal funding by finding themselves on the wrong side of this issue.

When it was time to question representatives of the National Holistic Healing Center, it was agreed that most questions had been answered already. This establishment was represented by a doctor from Howard University who specialized in infectious diseases. The dispensary will be located in the basement of 1718 Connecticut Avenue. It will cover about 1500 square feet and provide one-on-one consulting with patients.

Both establishments comply with legal requirements as far as distance from certain types of establishments, like day care centers and half-way houses for former drug addicts.

After hearing both of the petitions, ANC2B added to its endorsements some language saying that there is no overconcentration of medical marijuana dispensaries in Ward Two (in fact, there are none). Commissioners indicated they would welcome both establishments. ANC2B Chair Will Stephens (Commissioner for district 08) suggested saying in a cover letter to the DOH about the endorsement that the ANC had no problem with having two medical marijuana dispensaries.

The vote was unanimous, with one Commissioner temporarily out of the room.

According to the web site of the Marijuana Policy Project, there are three medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in D.C.: Metropolitan Wellness Center at Eastern Market, Capital City Care on North Capitol Street, and Takoma Wellness Center in Takoma Park. 

ANC2B Public Space Protest against Sette Osteria

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle voted unanimously to protest a new public space application by Sette Osteria (1666 Connecticut Avenue), a pizza restaurant located at the corner of R Street. The vote took place at ANC2B's regular monthly meeting on October 9.

Sette Osteria's sidewalk cafe

Sette Osteria made a request for ANC endorse of their request to increase the size of their sidewalk planters, but then did not show up at the ANC meeting to explain why.

"We have a history of this establishment saying one thing and doing another," said Commissioner Kevin O'Connor (district 02). Sette Osteria is located in district 02.

The ensuing discussion mentioned previous dealings the ANC had had with Sette Osteria. The story is summed up nicely in a February 2009 post from the blog Greater Greater Washington, which reads in part:

In November [2008], Sette Osteria, the pizza restaurant at Connecticut and R in Dupont Circle, proposed putting a retractable awning over their outdoor seating. The awning would enable service in a wider range of weather. The restaurant's manager initially told the community that they planned only to request the awning, not a complete enclosure. However, only a few months after receiving approval for the awning, they have requested permission to install removable panels that would completely enclose the space during the winter.

Members of the ANC at the October 9 meeting said they would try to get Sette Osteria to move their sidewalk cafe back.

The motion passed 7-0. Commissioners Mike Feldstein (district 01) and Kishan Putta (district 04) were out of the room at the time of the vote.

"Female-Friendly Steakhouse" Gets Liquor License Endorsement

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont put its approval on a request for a liquor license for STK restaurant at 1250 Connecticut Avenue. The vote occurred at ANC2B's regular monthly meeting on September 11.

The Connecticut Avenue location will be the DC outpost of a high-end chain of steakhouses with branches in Atlanta, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. STK steakhouses advertise themselves as "female-friendly". 

"Not your daddy's steakhouse," states a poster on the future site of the restaurant.

STK CEO testifies

Jonathan Segal (second from right) testifies

CEO Jonathan Segal of The ONE Group, operator of the STK chain as well as hotels and other restaurants, appeared before the ANC to ask for a restaurant-category liquor license with an entertainment endorsement. The restaurant will have a DJ to pay recorded background music (from the 70s and 80s, Segal said) while people dine. There will be no dancing and no cover. The full restaurant menu will be on offer until closing time, which will be 2am Sunday-Thursday, and 3am Friday-Saturday.

"We are a full-on restaurant," Segal said.

The capacity of the restaurant will be higher than that of the previous occupant due to the addition of four private dining rooms.

Much of the discussion at the meeting focused on noise from the restaurant. Segal said that there would be no speakers onto the planned sidewalk cafe, no windows opening onto the street, and a single revolving door. Under further questioning, Segal gave further details about the plans for controlling sound in the restaurant. He said the restaurant ensures that speakers are not near columns or on floors, and that they face away from windows.

Segal also said he was concerned about the effects of prolonged exposure to loud music on the hearing of his employees.

"We are focused on these types of issues," he said.

Reason to protest?

Commissioner Stephanie Maltz (district 03) pointed out that ANC2B's policy guidelines required that it protest any new request for a liquor license in this area (called "Club Central") on the grounds of neighborhood peace, order, and quiet. However, STK's application was not, technically, new, since there was a liquor license holder previously in operation on the same spot. Therefore, the ANC was not obligated to protest.

Detail from STK web site

Maltz then told Commissioner Kevin O'Connor (district 02) she perceived some reluctance on O'Connor's part about this application. After some coaxing, O'Connor said he found the concept of a "female-friendly" establishment sexist. It was explained that "female-friendly" referred to solely to certain accommodations the restaurant made to well-established preferences of female diners, especially toward that of smaller portion size.

Commissioner Leo Dwyer (district 07) said this was not relevant to STK's liquor license request.

The motion passed 7-0. One Commissioner was absent on a business trip, and another recused himself.

The liquor license application moves to DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board. A hearing is scheduled for October 21. 

New Dupont Pickup for Washington Deluxe Bus Advances

Washington Deluxe Bus may have a new pickup point in Dupont Circle soon. But the pickup point for the DC2NY bus will stay where it is.

Site of the proposed new pickup point

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont sent forward a request by Washington Deluxe Bus to move its pickup point. The proposed new pickup point will be on the Connecticut Avenue side of the triangular park just across from the north exit of Dupont Circle metro. The other two sides of the triangular park are bordered by Q and 20th Streets NW.

Current location unsatisfactory

The pickup point for Washington Deluxe Bus is currently 1320 19th Street, in front of Levante's, a Mediterranean restaurant. The waiting passengers and fumes from idling buses were not raising the popularity of the restaurant's sidewalk seating. Another pickup point was sought.

Lyle Blanchard, presenting for Washington Deluxe Bus, said that the pickup point will be at the north end of the block, near the corner of Connecticut and 20th Streets. Blanchard is a former ANC2B Commissioner.

Effect on Farmers' Market

The Commission Vice-chair Mike Feldstein (district 01) asked about the effect on the nearby Sunday morning farmers' market in Dupont Circle.

There are normally only 4-5 vendors north of Q Street, Blanchard said. (Most of the vendors set up below Q Street.). There will be three buses on Sunday mornings, he explained: one before the market opened, and two while the market is open -- at 10:30 and 11. The buses will stop, pickup, and go. They will not linger at the pickup point. 

Blanchard said he had talked with market coordinator Maddy Beckwith of FRESHFARM Markets.

"She was not wild about it," Blanchard said.

Commissioner Vice-chair Mike Feldstein urged Blanchard to contact the market again about the proposal.

Funds to Maintain Park

Assuming the application goes through, Washington Deluxe Bus has pledged funds to Historic Dupont Main Streets to renovate and maintain the small triangular park.

Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06) remarked that it sometimes snows in Washington. When that happens, the sidewalks around triangular parks often remain icy for weeks. However, if this money is in place, the sidewalks around the triangular park will be shovelled regularly.

The public space application of Washington Deluxe Bus now moves to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for approval. DDOT has informally indicated that they find this arrangement acceptable.

The vote was unanimous, 8-0. Commissioner Noah Smith (district 09) was absent from the entire meeting due to work obligations.

DC2NY stays put

The ANC voted to support the renewal application for a DDOT public space permit for DC2NY bus company. For several years, the company has been picking up passengers along Massachusetts Avenue next to 9 Dupont Circle, and seeks to continue this arrangement. There seemed to be no problems or complaints about DC2NY.

The vote was unanimous, 6-0. Two Commissioners were out of the room at the time of the vote.