(Photo by Joe Loong)
D.C.’s turbulent bar and restaurant boom has another casualty, and this time it’s local favorite Regional Food and Drink—better known as RFD— one of the largest craft beer bars in the city. The Chinatown hangout announced this morning on Twitter that, after 15 years, it had poured its last pint.
Owner Josh Alexander says that while business has remained strong, the bar’s original lease was up for renewal, and a corresponding rent increase of around 10 percent was going to be too big to stomach.
“It was just too expensive from an operations standpoint,” Alexander says.
The lease expires on July 31, but RFD closed this morning to allow time to clean the space before vacating. Alexander says most of the beer is gone and he’s planning a restaurant auction in the coming days. The bar is working its network of industry contacts to find placement for staff.
Alexander’s family opened the now-shuttered Brickskeller way back in 1957 (it was sold in 2010 and became the Bier Baron), and RFD joined the family in 2003 at 810 7th St. NW. He says it’s a blessing to have made it to the end of his lease, given that the number of restaurants in the neighborhood has skyrocketed in the past decade, driving up competition and costs.
“We got in at the right time, and we’re getting out at the right time,” he says.
Over its life, RFD had become an influential member of the D.C. beer community, hosting events and tap takeovers in addition to stocking nearly three dozen beers on draft and an enormous bottle selection. It all came without pretension too, as bartenders were as likely to slide a macro lager across the bar as they were to pour the newest offering from a small local favorite. By their count, RFD served 4.9 million beers, and 30,000 burgers over 15 years.
The proximity to the Verizon Center made it a particularly popular pregame spot for fans, who will now have to find somewhere else to grab a pint (one national brewhouse chain is planning to open next door).
In terms of future plans, Alexander says nothing is in the works at the moment but he plans to reassess “after the dust settles.”
Update 7/14/17: RFD has launched an online auction to liquidate its inventory—everything from beer memorabilia and restaurant equipment to TVs.
