If I'm in the area, I take a look but I have a feeling that an independant bookstore is a hard business to be in anywhere and H street is not the best market for that anyway.
Its a pity, because the owner was real friendly when I went in and she had a good selection of books. I think with a coffee shop they had a fighting chance, but not otherwise.
The problem with selling used books is that people have to buy what you have, and hopefully there is an intersection with what they have and what you want. Usually that isn't the case...
So you need to sell new books too. That's what Powell's and Tattered Cover Do. They started small, and with used, but now they are huge.
Knowing what David was charging for rent, probably about $2,000/month ideally, you have to sell a lot of books just to pay the rent, and that doesn't include other costs (personnel, utilities, cost of goods sold).
That's why increasingly, bookstores sell a lot of gift type stuff (calendars, etc.) as well as coffee and other foodstuffs.
Well, sounds like it's gone -- and, that's too bad. I'm just curious why that spot seem to have such frequent tenant turnover. I'm starting to think that it may be the landlord rather than the likelihood of a business prospering at that location. However, I heard that the owner of that space is the same owner of the space where Bikram Yoga is located -- and he appears to be a pretty good guy.
I think Mr. Marshall did a splendid job on the H street festival. Great feedback. Lots of new faces. (Next year we will have more places open--because of opening hours of our licenses, we couldn't serve booze saturday at all venues.)
Also, clean up was magnificent.
Raphael, if you are reading the blog--please call for an after assessment.
H street is still very transitional. We have been doing significant numbers at all our H street locations but won't be in the black or even pulling salaries for months, perhaps years to come. The only reason that Argonaut is still open is thanks to all the sacrifices of Scott, Shannon and other workers who have really sucked it up to make the place happen. (Thanks for holding all those paychecks over the year, guys.) For those who are anti-alcohol and restaurants, these are essential primary businesses for transitional neighborhoods. For the most part, only a restaurant can afford rent in d.c. right now, even on H. We will bring people to the neighborhood as patrons. Then, the new renters and new buyers will start coming in greater numbers. More upscale restaurants, drug stores, dry cleaners, coffee shops, pet stores and furniture/antique stores are next. In a few years, national restaurant chains, garden centers, gift shops and boutiques will follow. This is just how national urban retail happens these days. Patience and good planning (a liquor moratorium in a couple of years would be ideal to cap the number of licenses on the 300-1500 blocks.) will combine to make for a great neighborhood-friendly strip. It isn't too late to think of capping the number of liquor establishments at a reasonable number. That would create opportunities for diverse retail and a more reasonable rental climate down the line. Keep the faith, more and more good businesses are headed to H.
It's definitely too bad about Reader's Lounge. Independent bookstores are a very hard sale these days & I'm not sure the corridor is ready for one quite yet. David Bernhardt (the landlord for Reader's Lounge, Sidamo & Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill) is a good guy & lives right off H Street (as he has for many years). He's very invested in the success of the Corridor. Let me assure people that this is just a temporary thing at R&B Coffee (it is not closing down, or moving elsewhere). As for the festival, I thought it was hugely successful & it far exceeded my expectations. Kudos to the organizers. There are always improvements that could be made (e.g. I felt that promotion was down from last year, but I also know that HSMS had a difficult summer). I'm confident that next year's festival will be even bigger & better. To echo the theme of Joe Englert's comment, this is all a process & I feel that we are headed in the right direction. That said, it is essential that we all keep ourselves up to date & involved in what goes on on H Street, in Trinidad, in Near Northeast, & in the other neighborhoods (like Rosedale & Carver-Langston) that surround us.
A further comment on the Reader's Lounge space: the previous tenant actually did quite well there, but he was forced to close his business due to health problems, not rent concerns, or lack of business.
I have lived in this area for about 5 years, and this is the best event I have EVER seen. The young guy Rafeal Marshall who planned, organized and made this event happen did an increduble job. I was at several other festivals and saw him at each one advertising the h street event. it was good to see so many families out and the crowd was diverse too. the h street people need to sign this guy to a looooong contract unless someone is gonna steal him and we will have to fend for ourselves!
I don't think dry cleaners belongs in that list because I've definitely seen various sources suggesting that dry cleaners tend to locate disporpotionately in minority & low-income neighborhoods. Here is one such source: here
Joe Englert wrote: I doubt if any current dry cleaner that would newly open on H would be as old-fashioned as do dry-cleaning on premise. I don't think it happens on-site at all much any more, especially because it is too expensive to do anything but to farm it out and the epa standards are increasingly difficult to meet. Also, it is over a mile from 300 to 1500. There could easily be more than one pet store, one dry cleaner, one coffee shop, one book store. It is a massive strip. If all the locals whom lived in walking distance actually had more preferrable retail, the street would be packed day and night with LOCALS. Every minute we move closer to the future. It's time we start thinking about what H street is going to look like in 3-5-10 years. Let's continue to plan with good parking plans, public transportation plans, policing and security plans. Soon, so many things will be opening, one or two shops opening or closing really won't mean anything. It will be progress and hopefully most of it will fit into a livable, walkable city.
A word on Readers Lounge: that place had horrible hours! I tried repeatedly to check it out, but it was always closed. I even went by once at 4 o'clock on a Saturday. What place that wants to do decent business isn't open at 4 o'clock on a Saturday? Readers Lounge seemed destined to fail.
I was talking to one of my neighbors about it and he was telling me that the owner was working another job and hiring people to work at the store. Sadly, I don't think that you can do that.
I am not so sure Readers Lounge is closed, I heard it was just closed temporarily. It is a really nice space and if it does reopen we should try to support it.
The Hill Rag's Business Brief on The Reader's Lounge and Quieto Cafe notes that Genae George is the co-owner and the number is 202-544-7005. Maybe someone can call and find out if they are just closed temporarily. I called but didn't leave a msg.
21 comments:
So what is the deal with R&B being closed yesterday.
Did the Reader's Lounge close/move? It's empty and the sign is down.
H St'er
the sign at R&B this am said it was closed until Wednesday for inventory.
yes, what is going on with reader's lounge? i will be heartbroken if they closed.
If I'm in the area, I take a look but I have a feeling that an independant bookstore is a hard business to be in anywhere and H street is not the best market for that anyway.
Its a pity, because the owner was real friendly when I went in and she had a good selection of books. I think with a coffee shop they had a fighting chance, but not otherwise.
The problem with selling used books is that people have to buy what you have, and hopefully there is an intersection with what they have and what you want. Usually that isn't the case...
So you need to sell new books too. That's what Powell's and Tattered Cover Do. They started small, and with used, but now they are huge.
Knowing what David was charging for rent, probably about $2,000/month ideally, you have to sell a lot of books just to pay the rent, and that doesn't include other costs (personnel, utilities, cost of goods sold).
That's why increasingly, bookstores sell a lot of gift type stuff (calendars, etc.) as well as coffee and other foodstuffs.
Well, sounds like it's gone -- and, that's too bad. I'm just curious why that spot seem to have such frequent tenant turnover. I'm starting to think that it may be the landlord rather than the likelihood of a business prospering at that location. However, I heard that the owner of that space is the same owner of the space where Bikram Yoga is located -- and he appears to be a pretty good guy.
H St'er
joe englert said:
I think Mr. Marshall did a splendid job on the H street festival. Great feedback. Lots of new faces. (Next year we will have more places open--because of opening hours of our licenses, we couldn't serve booze saturday at all venues.)
Also, clean up was magnificent.
Raphael, if you are reading the blog--please call for an after assessment.
Joe Englert:
On r&b and on reader's lounge:
H street is still very transitional.
We have been doing significant numbers at all our H street locations but won't be in the black or even pulling salaries for months, perhaps years to come.
The only reason that Argonaut is still open is thanks to all the sacrifices of Scott, Shannon and other workers who have really sucked it up to make the place happen. (Thanks for holding all those paychecks over the year, guys.)
For those who are anti-alcohol and restaurants, these are essential primary businesses for transitional neighborhoods. For the most part, only a restaurant can afford rent in d.c. right now, even on H.
We will bring people to the neighborhood as patrons. Then, the new renters and new buyers will start coming in greater numbers.
More upscale restaurants, drug stores, dry cleaners, coffee shops, pet stores and furniture/antique stores are next.
In a few years, national restaurant chains, garden centers, gift shops and boutiques will follow. This is just how national urban retail happens these days.
Patience and good planning (a liquor moratorium in a couple of years would be ideal to cap the number of licenses on the 300-1500 blocks.) will combine to make for a great neighborhood-friendly strip. It isn't too late to think of capping the number of liquor establishments at a reasonable number. That would create opportunities for diverse retail and a more reasonable rental climate down the line. Keep the faith, more and more good businesses are headed to H.
It's definitely too bad about Reader's Lounge. Independent bookstores are a very hard sale these days & I'm not sure the corridor is ready for one quite yet. David Bernhardt (the landlord for Reader's Lounge, Sidamo & Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill) is a good guy & lives right off H Street (as he has for many years). He's very invested in the success of the Corridor.
Let me assure people that this is just a temporary thing at R&B Coffee (it is not closing down, or moving elsewhere).
As for the festival, I thought it was hugely successful & it far exceeded my expectations. Kudos to the organizers. There are always improvements that could be made (e.g. I felt that promotion was down from last year, but I also know that HSMS had a difficult summer). I'm confident that next year's festival will be even bigger & better. To echo the theme of Joe Englert's comment, this is all a process & I feel that we are headed in the right direction. That said, it is essential that we all keep ourselves up to date & involved in what goes on on H Street, in Trinidad, in Near Northeast, & in the other neighborhoods (like Rosedale & Carver-Langston) that surround us.
A further comment on the Reader's Lounge space: the previous tenant actually did quite well there, but he was forced to close his business due to health problems, not rent concerns, or lack of business.
Joe Englert wrote: "More upscale restaurants, drug stores, dry cleaners, coffee shops, pet stores and furniture/antique stores are next."
Of course, there are already two or three dry cleaners (on the 900, 1100, and 1300 blocks) and a pet store (Pet Dreams, 500 block) on H St.
I have lived in this area for about 5 years, and this is the best event I have EVER seen. The young guy Rafeal Marshall who planned, organized and made this event happen did an increduble job. I was at several other festivals and saw him at each one advertising the h street event. it was good to see so many families out and the crowd was diverse too. the h street people need to sign this guy to a looooong contract unless someone is gonna steal him and we will have to fend for ourselves!
I hope the Readers lounge isnt closed for good
I don't think dry cleaners belongs in that list because I've definitely seen various sources suggesting that dry cleaners tend to locate disporpotionately in minority & low-income neighborhoods. Here is one such source:
here
Raphael is a volunteer, not a paid employee.
Is 5:16 anonymous Raphael mom? LOL
I didn't like the trash, but I did think the festival was very good. It was the best one yet.
Hopefully Fenty will start a do not litter campaign that works.
I'm not particularly pro alcohol but I do like the Argonaut, and I'm hoping to hear some music at the other places. Thanks for your comments Joe.
Joe Englert wrote:
I doubt if any current dry cleaner that would newly open on H would be as old-fashioned as do dry-cleaning on premise. I don't think it happens on-site at all much any more, especially because it is too expensive to do anything but to farm it out and the epa standards are increasingly difficult to meet.
Also, it is over a mile from 300 to 1500. There could easily be more than one pet store, one dry cleaner, one coffee shop, one book store. It is a massive strip. If all the locals whom lived in walking distance actually had more preferrable retail, the street would be packed day and night with LOCALS. Every minute we move closer to the future. It's time we start thinking about what H street is going to look like in 3-5-10 years. Let's continue to plan with good parking plans, public transportation plans, policing and security plans. Soon, so many things will be opening, one or two shops opening or closing really won't mean anything. It will be progress and hopefully most of it will fit into a livable, walkable city.
A word on Readers Lounge: that place had horrible hours! I tried repeatedly to check it out, but it was always closed. I even went by once at 4 o'clock on a Saturday. What place that wants to do decent business isn't open at 4 o'clock on a Saturday? Readers Lounge seemed destined to fail.
I was talking to one of my neighbors about it and he was telling me that the owner was working another job and hiring people to work at the store. Sadly, I don't think that you can do that.
I am not so sure Readers Lounge is closed, I heard it was just closed temporarily. It is a really nice space and if it does reopen we should try to support it.
The Hill Rag's Business Brief on The Reader's Lounge and Quieto Cafe notes that Genae George is the co-owner and the number is 202-544-7005. Maybe someone can call and find out if they are just closed temporarily. I called but didn't leave a msg.
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