A survey by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington says D.C. restaurants are declining at a rate faster than those in the suburbs.
Forty percent of those surveyed expressed concern they might have to close in 2025. Seventy-three restaurants closed in the District last year, according to the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, a record high and nearly double the year before.
“Don't be alarmed by the top lines of this survey,” said Shawn Townsend, the president and CEO of Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
Townsend said the survey of about 200 member restaurants, most of them locally owned and operated, showed there is concern about higher food costs, higher rent and higher labor costs.
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“We want every worker to have a fair and decent living wage in this city and in this region we
think that that is the only way that we can thrive and prosper collectively across the board,” he said. “However, I do think this is an opportunity to take a pause, take a look at the impact of Initiative 82 on the increase in labor to ensure that we are going down the right direction.”
In a statement to News4, a spokesperson for Unite Here Local 25, a union that represents hospitality workers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia said, “Workers are the beating heart of the restaurant industry and the key to its ability to navigate its challenges, present and future. They must have a seat at the table and be part of the solution. That means being treated respectfully and having a voice on the job.”
The union is among those who lobbied for the passage of Initiative 82, which phases out the special minimum wage for tipped employees in the District.
