A prominent steakhouse shut down its Washington, D.C., location after more than 22 years of hosting politicians and decision-makers to meet and eat in the nation's capital.
Charlie Palmer Steak said its D.C. location would cease operations at 101 Constitution Ave. NW on Nov. 29 after it was unable to reach an agreement on the terms of a new lease, according to a statement sent to CoStar News.
“At this time, we look forward to focusing on our existing properties in New York and the west coast, as well as our new restaurant openings and hotel openings under our Appellation Hotels brand,” chef Charlie Palmer said in the statement.
The restaurant becomes the latest dining institution to close its doors in the District this year. Fine dining restaurant Marcel's, which opened in 1999 in the city's West End, announced in May its plans to close after it too was unable to reach agreeable lease terms with its building owner. District ChopHouse and Brewery, reportedly the oldest continually operating brewery in D.C. proper, permanently closed its Penn Quarter location this year after more than 25 years in business, according to local reports.
BLT Steak in D.C. likewise shut its doors this year after 18 years of operations, according to Eater.
In April, nearly two-thirds of operators ranked economic conditions for restaurants in and around the city as poor, and more than two-thirds said they expected circumstances to stay the same or get worse in the coming year, according to a survey of more than 200 eateries conducted by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and shared with CoStar News.
Moreover, 53% of survey respondents said they paid more for rent than a year before.
“Challenges of the past are slowly fading, but the costs of running a restaurant and dining in the District are still more expensive than ever,” Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the association, said in a statement at the time.
Hub for lawmakers
Charlie Palmer Steak occupied 14,400 square feet at the Constitution Avenue location, according to CoStar data. Its menu featured cuts from filet mignon and ribeye to a porterhouse that could be had for nearly $170.
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America trade union owns the roughly 511,000-square-foot office building where Charlie Palmer operated, according to CoStar data. The union did not immediately respond to email or phone requests for comment routed through its Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters office.
Charlie Palmer Steak's location near Capitol Hill helped the restaurant become a popular hub for lawmakers and lobbyists. Political spending at the restaurant reached nearly $700,000 this recent election cycle, Washingtonian reported, citing campaign finance data from OpenSecrets.
“Charlie Palmer is a Capitol Hill institution that is irreplaceable,” David Winston, a pollster with an office in the building, told the Washington Post. “This is a blow to the building, its tenants and the Capitol Hill community."