4 minute read
BUSINESS
Harry Schnipper of Blues Alley. Photo by Robert Devaney.
BUSINESS INS & OUTS
BY ROBERT DEVANEY
BLUES ALLEY OPERATOR BUYS BLUES ALLEY BUILDING
Looks like the famed music venue, Blues Alley, will stay in Georgetown. Blues Alley operator, Harry Schnipper, has purchased the Blues Alley building from Snyder Properties, CEO Karen Snyder confirmed to The Georgetowner.
The purchase price was reportedly $1,540,000.
Georgetown commercial real estate legends Johnny Snyder and Sam Levy bought the Wisconsin Avenue property that included the alley structures in 1960. Schnipper will be the third owner of the alley building. Blues Alley opened in 1965.
Known as “the house that Dizzy built,” Blues Alley has played host to the greatest names in the history of jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Mingus, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Eva Cassidy and Chick Corea. A major D.C tourist destination, the club — situated in a turn-ofthe-century brick carriage house nestled in the alleyway at 1073 Wisconsin Ave., NW — is also renowned for its speakeasy feel, cozy 125-capacity and candlelit intimacy.
IN: GLOSSIER BEAUTY BRAND ON M
On July 29, Glossier Beauty Brand opened its fifth location at 3065 M St. NW in the former Sephora location, which moved two blocks west last year. The new 7,200 square feet store is inspired by the Jet Age and all things aviation — and draws upon “D.C.’s rich history as an international nexus and home to both Union Station and the Air and Space Museum,” the company says.
IN: MAHAL BBQ AT SANDLOT GEORGETOWN
— 2715 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Chef Jerome Grant, a James Beard awardee, brings his new American-Filipino fusion concept to town. Main dishes come as platters or sandwiches and include barbeque sausage, smoked beef cheek, half chicken and smoked oyster mushroom, we’re told. Mahal BBQ will be at the outdoor shipping container bar every weekend through mid-October.
REDUCED RETAIL HOURS: PETITE SOEUR
Pâtissier Ashleigh Pearson’s Petite Soeur opened in October, luring passersby with her handcrafted chocolate displays — painted bonbons in flavors like hazelnut, passionfruit, caramel, plus classic French butter cookies called sables.
For now, however, customers expecting the bon bon shop at 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW to be open will have to wait. It seems Petite Soeur cannot handle all the demand for its sweets.
Pearson posted on social media: “… We are growing so much faster than expected and the commissions and corporate gifting arm of our business needs so much attention. .. Until we can train a new wave of team members we will have to amend our in person hours …. You can still always order online for in store pickup and shipping.”
Along with those growing pains for Pearson, property owner Mark Soleiman taped a letter for her on the door of 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW on July 29 and wrote that he tried to reach her and added, “It appears you have abandoned the Premises …”
IN OTHER BON BON NEWS….
COMING: ARCAY CHOCOLATES ON O
With a retail presence in Union Market, Rockville-based Arcay Chocolates plans to expand to Georgetown at 3211 O St. NW, the former site of the cat cafe, Crumbs & Whiskers. Offering truffles, specialty bars, shots, peels, pretzels and fruits, Arcay Chocolates says it is “the product of Anabella Arcay, a Venezuelan Master Chocolatier. … and is one of the premier collections of bonbons and truffles in the worl ...”
OUT: OFFICINA
Now, this closure definitely has some neighbors upset. In 2020, chef Nicholas Stefanelli had joined forces with Via Umbria owners Bill and Suzy Menard to open the Officina popup in the Via Umbria space at 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW. An update on the status of the property is upcoming.
OUT: TAÏM MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN
Founded in New York City 14 years ago by Einat Admony and Stefan Nafziger, Taïm opened its first location outside the Big Apple in Washington, D.C. — specifically at 1065 Wisconsin Ave. NW — on Aug. 31, 2019. The Georgetown location closed in May. Meaning “tasty” in Hebrew, Taïm — with its falafel, pitas, bowls, salads, mezzo — continues at its Dupont Circle location, 1514 Connecticut Ave. NW.
OUT: FAT MUNCHIEZ
“It’s the candies, snacks and sweet cereals you love, only in bigger boxes and awesome flavors, along with Japanese and other East Asian sweets,” we wrote in November of the brands at the unusual shop at 1432 Wisconsin Ave. NW, now shuttered.
OUT: SCILLA & LUNA GOES ONLINE
There’s a going-out of-business sale for handcrafted goods store Scilla & Luna at Book Hill. The mother-daughter owned business wrote to its customers: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we will be closing our brick and mortar store here at Scilla + Luna. … We are so thankful to all of you who have come and visited us during our time at 1675 Wisconsin Avenue. ….” The business will continue online.
OUT: FINE RUGS NY
And there’s a lost-our-lease sale at 1251 Wisconsin Ave. NW for Fine Rugs NY. Owned by the Mashihi family since 1916, the shop sells fine antique rugs, vintage and rare rugs, tapestries and fine arts from around the world – while also serving as a consultant and appraiser for many estates.
3,990 DOORS
That’s how many Community Forklift diverted from the landfill in 2021. Stacked on end, they’d be 50 times the height of the Washington Monument!
Donating your reusable materials is monumentally better than trashing them.
DC’s nonprofit reuse warehouse
In partnership with
