Results tagged “retail”

After a few months where we wondered if any business could maintain an open storefront in Cleveland Park, it looks like two of the most quizzically empty spaces in the neighborhood have plans to be filled. Posters to the neighborhood's ubiquitous listserv have passed on the information that the space at Connecticut Avenue and Porter Street which formerly held a 7-11 could house an urgent care office. (Urgent care next to the new Walgreens? Convenient!). Meanwhile, the former McDonalds at 3407 Connecticut -- which has literally been empty for years -- could potentially become a diner. A fun place to get some awesome breakfast before or after a weekend matinee at the Uptown sounds utterly delightful.

Dupont Circle's Blockbuster Video store, located at the corner of 17th and P Streets NW, will rent its last DVD on Sunday afternoon, as advertised on the dry erase board of the adjacent photo. Another one bites the dust for the chain of video rental stores that in its heyday put many mom and pop shops out of business, but is now falling victim to the competition of Netflix, cable and on demand programming, and of course, the Internet. The Adams Morgan and Eastern Market Blockbuster stores will remain open, however.

And another local business bites the dust. Big Monkey Comics on 14th Street announced Monday that it will close its doors for good at the end of the month, blaming the recession.

It wasn't Galactus, Lex Luthor, or Dr. Doom that defeated us, but simple dollars and cents. The economy has adversely affected so many people, and we are the latest casualty. Last year alone Virginia last [sic] 45% of its comic book shops due to the economic downturn and we are sad to say that we now join their number.

U Street boutique moojoo ken is shutting its doors for good on July 12, and the store has been liquidating its stock since late May. DCist stopped by the other week and was able to score some designer duds for about 80 percent off the original retail price. The store is heavy on shoes and handbags that bear the logo of the in-house label, but they also have an array of scarves and jewelry and a small selection of women's clothing. Stop by before July 12 for clearance deals before the store disappears forever. 1512 U Street NW.

After last week's news that the Old Georgetown Board rejected a design proposal for an Apple store along Wisconsin Avenue for the fourth time, rumors are floating around that the computer manufacturer's iconic store might end up elsewhere in the District.

The Washington Post's Paul Schwartzman reports from the Old Georgetown Board meeting today, and says that the board has indeed rejected Apple's storefront design for a fourth time. While insisting they are eager for the store to open on Wisconsin Ave., the board expressed frustration with Apple for again submitting a design that included a wide, all-glass entryway. Deputy mayor for planning and economic development Neil Albert didn't mince words: "We're extremely disappointed with today's decision." For it's part, Apple says it is still committed to making the Georgetown location work and will once again go back to the drawing board.

The Post's Paul Schwartzman schools us on what really needs to happen for anything to be approved in Georgetown. After gaining approval from the ANC, the Apple Store facade design is now headed back to the Old Georgetown Board, the body with the apparent real power to dictate what the historic shopping district will look like. Be afraid!

The encounter is so fraught with uncertainty that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's office has offered to give Apple advice on how to handle the board and asked to see its latest rendering before the meeting.

Vox Populi reports that ANC 2E voted last night to approve a redesigned facade for the long-discussed Georgetown Apple store. The Northwest Current reported in December [PDF] that the Georgetown advisory neighborhood commission had rejected three consecutive design proposals for a facade for the Apple-owned property at 1229 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The approved design reportedly has a more Georgetown-friendly brick emphasis and the “Apple logo greatly diminished in size.” Apple retail news web site ifoAppleStore says the store could be open as early as late 2009.

City Desk reported yesterday on the latest developments for what will go into what used to be the Church of the Reformer at 14th and T NW. For months, many in the neighborhood have been debating the merits of local diner magnate Constantine Stavropoulos purchasing the building and create another take on his well-liked group of eateries like Tryst and Open City. But Stavropoulos was unable to take over the building's lease; now, he's combined with mega-comedian Dave Chappelle and shifted the focus of the project to a comedy club.

Despite warnings from both city officials and your trusted bloggers at DCist, it looks like District residents were visiting gun shops over the weekend in Virginia and Maryland to try to take advantage of their freshly interpreted Second Amendment rights. Fortunately, as the Post reports, gun store owners are holding off on taking advantage of the new business -- they're waiting to see what regulations the city eventually chooses to impose on the purchase and ownership of handguns for District residents.

It was just a couple weeks ago that we told you about Olsson's plans to shutter its Penn Quarter location -- which it finally did, on Friday. In an email to customers, owner John Olsson had said that "The landlord has other plans for the space," and we confirmed that those plans were to bring in UK noodle shop Wagamama. But the Post reported on Saturday that it looks like there's a lot more to that story than Olsson originally admitted: Olsson's is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Last week, two of its biggest publishers, Random House and Penguin Group, as well as Hachette Book Group petitioned the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Greenbelt to place Olsson's in involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which would force the company to liquidate.

Continue reading "Olsson's Filing for Bankruptcy"

Sad news for lovers of locally-owned bookstores: the Olsson's location in the Lansburgh building in Penn Quarter is shutting down. We had heard rumors this was in the works for a couple of weeks, especially after so many author events appeared to be moving to the Dupont Circle location. The email below was sent out to the Olsson's list on Monday.

Dear Friends,

Continue reading "Olsson's Penn Quarter Closing Down"

Wendy Kaufman over at The Happy Booker (via City Desk) alerts us to the sad news that Candida's World of Books, the 14th Street independent bookstore that focused primarily on travel and international titles, will soon be shutting its doors after only four years in business.

Written by new DCist contributor Thomas Richards

So this is an odd question. And perhaps not really worthy of your time. But why oh why don't Maryland Trader Joe's sell beer and wine? You can buy beer and wine at other grocery stores. I'm thinking it must be some regulation against discount beer and wine. But I'd love to know, without actually going to a TJ's in Maryland. I mean, hey, one of the main reasons to go to Trader Joe's is for the cheap but good beer. Why waste a trip just to ask a question?

There is no more beer pong at Dr Dremo's by order of the Arlington county police and the VA Alcoholic Beverage Control. We have come to find out that drinking games are not permitted in bars in the state of VA. Whodathunk?