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Showing results for tags 'Anacostia'.
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I wanted Big Chair Cafe Bar & Grill to have its own thread, even though it's now closed. -
One operating restaurant recently closed: Big Chair Cafe and Bar in Anacostia at Martin Luther King Avenue: "Big Chair Cafe Bar & Grill Closes in Anacostia" by Jonathan O'Connell on washingtonpost.com The other that is still operating under its name but changed management is Toscana Grill. The management between the operator and lease holder ended and the lease holder took it back. In both cases the operators did not have leases. They had agreements with the existing lease holders (former operators) to operate the restaurants. It appears both agreements ended badly and quickly. I knew of Big Chair through the bartending school as we provided them with a stream of bartenders. They converted from a coffee house to bar/restaurant and had an excellent run. From their Facebook page it appeared there was a lot of satisfaction with the operations. --- In the other case the most recent operator made a business deal with the lease holder (former operator) and ran the restaurant for a little over two years. It became a local favorite of mine. Initially because of the NJ/NY style Italian food, flavors, and pizza and then because the operator till just recently it was easily one of the most outgoing, fun, engaging people I had met in the restaurant business over many years. It was easy to become a regular...as with many others. In the case of Toscana, the outgoing operator made a plan to leave, gave notice, but that quickly broke down and the change in operations occurred abruptly last week. I'll certainly miss the operations. I can't speak to the changes if any in the menu. One little note of interest: If you go to the restaurant website, you'll see a note from the website owner/former operator announcing the close down. Then go to the google reviews and sort by most recent: You'll see a "planted review" responding to the website announcement and how great the place is. In both cases the operators didn't hold the leases. Its a rough way to operate in my experience, and though its rare its also a way to get into the business as an operator with very little capital. -
I love any opportunity to suggest a great person and great business to the general public. We adopted our elderly chihuahua from A Forever Home, a rescue organization based in Chantilly, VA (which deserves its own thread), and being first-time dog owners we knew we needed some general obedience training in order to understand how our new pup worked. Toni Woods-Wilson offers both puppy and adult obedience classes in a group setting, as well as private training for those who need it. The classes were fantastic, Toni is patient and understands dog language and motivation to a degree that I found magical. In seconds she would have stubborn dogs obeying her every word. She's easy to approach for tough questions, plus she's just a lot of fun to spend an hour with each week. Within weeks our dog could sit, stay, walk on a lead and do a few other tricks. Plus at the end of the class you get a hilarious picture of your dog wearing a graduation cap (worth the money alone). She teaches classes at the Wagtime doggy daycare in Shaw as well as the Anytime K-9 space in SE. I cannot recommend her services enough. Arlene Fletcher
