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Joe Englert's H Street NE bar The Argonaut was closed last night, thanks to a dispute with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, as Frozen Tropics reported earlier this morning. Englert tried to explain his side of what happened in a statement to the neighborhood blog, outlining a process that started with being notified that three of his businesses owed tens of thousands of in back sales and use taxes. He said two of those accounts were quickly resolved, but The Argonaut's was more complicated, and "even though we kept in daily contact with the Department and even though we were told repeatedly that we were working in compliance, they came any way and shut us down," Englert wrote.
Rather than continue to duke out the details with OTR, Englert said he planned to go ahead and pay up in full today, and it appears that's already done, as Shaaren Pine of The Argonaut confirmed that the bar has been cleared to reopen tonight at its regular time, 5 p.m. Not without senses of humor about the ordeal, Pine told DCist the bar will be hosting an "Argonaut Tea Party" to celebrate tonight. Specials will include "Booty" pitchers for $8, while all other draft pitchers will be $15.
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if they weren't good with the tax office, then it's their own fault, but the fact that they were actively trying to rectify things probably means that the city could have been a little more forgiving.
at least they weren't actively trying to avoid their obligations.
Unlike, say, a certain junkpunching coffee peddler?
did he have a payment plan worked out with the city? i don't think so.
The Argonaut is a full-out restaurant, not merely a bar. Gotta show some respect.
Hmmmm... good bit of trouble for H St. bars from the city lately. Someone's palms not getting greased??
hipsters are annoying. hipsters with little hipster kids are particularly annoying. And bars that cater to hipsters with kids are excrutiating.
Fin, I agreee. That's what makes the Argonaut so nice. There's nary a hipster in site. For some reason it's not a hipster hangout.
That's a fair point. I should probably have stayed away from using the term "hipster," as it is a subjective slur at best. Speaking more plainly, the place is always chock-full of schmucks with bratty kids.
some people would call that catering to the nice people who live in the neighborhood, but you can call it what you want, it's a free country.
Fin, where do you hang out? I just want to make sure I don't accidentally label you with the wrong intellectually lazy stereotype.
Oh, come on, you can do better than that. I already acknowledged being inartful in my original post. At least lambaste me for mispelling excruciating. The simple fact remains that the Argonaut, like all of the other ridiculous theme bars along H street, has no original character whatsoever. Next thing you know there will be an Italian restaurant opening up with some tired, kitschy play on a mafia theme. Oh, wait....
Ha! The day I hit someone up for spelling is the day I quit show business. Glass houses and all that.
Got it. You don't like H St bars. What, to you, is a good bar in DC?
No shit. It's like 2 Amys East. I liked it better when it was more of a greasy dive with simpler food.
Joe always has this or that complaint about DC.
It's a conspiracy, I tell ya.
Good thing none of the rest of us have complaints about DC.
my only complaint is in regards to DC businesses / council members that seem to think they're above paying taxes.