The Controversy Over Fast Food

The hottest topic recently on the listservs has been the Economic Development & Zoning Committee's proposal to alter the definition of fast food. The regulation of fast food restaurants is always a touchy subject around here for a number of reasons:
1. Fast food places produce lots of trash that often winds up on H Street.
2. This topic tends to evoke associations with race & class for many people.
3. Poor sanitation & unenclosed dumpsters can bring rats.
4. Many people are frustrated that H Street has a large number of carry-outs & few sit down restaurants. They feel that this makes the area seem too down market to potential investors.
5. The crowds (such as the line that often stretches well out the door of Horace & Dickie's) can be a problem. I know that I have seen plenty of public urination go on in the alley about 10 feet away from Horace & Dickie's front door.

This next bit (bolded) is from an email that Richard Layman sent out on the listserv (useful because you can actually see the numbers for what is present on H Street). Non-bolded portions in with the bolded portions are my changes/comments.

I am into data, and there has been a paucity of such in this discussion.

Using industry categories of:

Quick Service (fast food, independent, coffee shops, places like Panera)

-- carryout only

-- with seats

Casual Dining (chains like TGI Fridays, independents like Banana Cafe)

Upscale dining (Sonoma, Montmartre)

Fine Dining

Tavern/Nightclub

H Street has:

-- 16 quick service/carryouts; (I count 17)

-- 6 quick service establishments with seats, although four would be thought of as "fast food" with little appeal to traditional sit-down segments;

-- 2 casual dining establishments that appeal to narrow segments; (I count 3)

-- 1 upscale dining establishment with a defective offer; (he means the bad service at Phish Tea)

-- zero fine dining establishments;

-- 3 tavern/nightclubs with food service. (I count 2)

1. Quick Service no seats --

- Citipizza

- Taste of Jamaica (which has a seat-based license)

- Danny's 600 block This place is actually called Good Danny's

- Platinum Cafe

- Grace Deli

- Major Carryout

- Crown Fried Chicken

- Alex Seafood Carryout

- McDonalds

- Horace & Dickies

- Philly Water Ice (sells hotdogs)

- Danny's 1200 block

{H Street Cafe, 1200 block, sign coming soon, was previously a carryout]

[New York Pizza/Redskin Cafe, 802 13th, does not appear to be open]

- Rainbow Cafe

- Caribbean Best

- Tony's Carryout

- Checkers
-Northeast Carry-Out

2. Quick Service with seats and restroom

[Blimpies would go here, not counted]

- Subway

- Freddies Subs

- Cluck U

- Birdland

[Rib Tip has sign that will be opening, not counted]

- Popeyes

- R&B Cafe R&B Coffee

3. Casual Dining

- Majestic-Gwen Reese

- Daavi's
-The Ohio

4. Upscale Dining

- Phish Tea (where they perceive that they are, plus the pricing)

5. Fine Dining

6. Tavern/Nightclub (limited food)

- H Street Martini Lounge

- Rose's Dream (this place doesn't serve food, but you can bring food from the carry-out Caribbean Best upstairs to eat at the bar because the 2 businesses have the same owner).

- Argonaut

[3-5 more places are in the process of opening]