Georgetown’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission passed a resolution protesting the new Darnall restaurant owner’s application for a liquor license, a procedural move that ultimately should not impede the licensing.
“The protest is just a formal way to go in and discuss the issues, the hours and things like that,” ANC Chair Ed Solomon said. “You don’t have to take it as negative.”
ANC Vice Chair Bill Starrels introduced the resolution protesting the restaurant Epicurean & Co.’s proposal “on the basis of peace, order and quiet.”
Along with the potential for an influx of non-campus community members, he expressed concern over possible noise from the restaurant affecting the University hospital.
“What we’re concerned about is that we have a lot of larger restaurants with liquor licenses,” he said. “We really want to prevent Epicurean & Co. from becoming one of these nightclubs.”
Solomon would not say whether the protest resolution would delay the project.
“The community is for it, from what I hear, and I believe the students are for it,” he said.
The ANC plans to send a letter to the Alcohol Beverage Control Board, which reviews liquor license applications, and will likely withdraw the protest when the ANC reaches a voluntary agreement with Epicurean & Co. over their liquor license proposal, Solomon said.
“Unless they obey the voluntary agreement, they could lose their license,” he said.
Chang Chon, the owner of Epicurean & Co., defended his liquor license proposal by citing his past experience with establishments near college campuses. Chon’s attorney, Andrew Kline, said that Chon has had significant experience operating establishments that serve alcohol around college campuses, including a Sizzling Express near The George Washington University.
“At no time has [Chon] had difficulty with students or inebriated patrons,” despite the presence of alcohol near GW, Kline said
Kline also told the ANC that “the University alcohol policy will be strictly enforced in this [establishment].”
Chon owns another Epicurean & Co. restaurant on Connecticut Avenue. Alcohol represented only 11.8 percent of that restaurant’s total sales in the second quarter of 2007, according to records provided by Chon.
Margie Bryant, Georgetown’s Vice President for Auxiliary Services, who presented with Kline, also defended Epicurean & Co. by pointing out that Georgetown’s current bar, Hoyas, is 200 square feet larger than the bar called for in Chon’s restaurant blueprints, and has not had problems with student alcohol consumption.
“This is not intended to draw people from off-campus … There will not be outside promoters,” Kline said in response to concerns that the new restaurant would attract persons from outside campus to drink at odd hours.
The intent of Epicurean & Co., he said, is to serve students, faculty and other University personnel. If any off-campus residents came and brought a vehicle, Chon would make “valet parking … available on campus” to allay Solomon’s worry of obstructive “parking in the community.”
