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UPDATE
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I have confirmation that the same team behind Sugar is in charge of the food at the new incarnation of XII. Look for a brand new menu with all fresh ingredients to start in mid-March.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Management for XII
@HStreetDC_ reports via Twitter that XII (LINK PLAYS MUSIC, 1123 H Street) is now under new management (and a new Twitter account: @CLUBXII). There appears to be a link to soul food restaurant Sugar (1803 West Virginia Ave), so I'm looking into that. Stop by and celebrate with a $5 margarita tonight.
I have confirmation that the same team behind Sugar is in charge of the food at the new incarnation of XII. Look for a brand new menu with all fresh ingredients to start in mid-March.
I have confirmation that the same team behind Sugar is in charge of the food at the new incarnation of XII. Look for a brand new menu with all fresh ingredients to start in mid-March.
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35 comments:
This could be a great spot based on the location and the possibity of becoming a great soul food venu...Who doesnt like southern cusine if priced right and prepared with lots of love.Welcome Sugar
Sugar had really god food but their previous location was awful...the interior rehab was nice but you had to run the gauntlet to get inside. Let's hope the new mngt and restraint focus cuts down on Rome of the neighborhood angst and desire to get rid of the venue.
Will it still be ghetto?
@Anon 7:31am-
What a troll you are!!
Sugar is closed right? Their website is just still up? Any details would be appreciated. I miss their food.
Not a troll 9:20. 7:31 is asking a very legitimate question. Will it still be ghetto? I want to know too and I'm sure a large majority of FT readers want to know the same thing. Thank you 7:31 for asking.
7:31 & 11:06,
You're kidding right? That's a trolly question. A legitimate question would look more like this:
"What changes is the new owner planning to make?"
"Is he going to have any more ________?"
"Will there still be a cover for ____ night?"
Ghetto is a loaded term that doesn't even express your specific objections.
Umm....how about "will it have the same regulars?"
Good post Inked.
Anyway, I am excited about the changes. I liked it before but it sounds like major improvements are on the way!
Last several times I've driven by Sugar it's been closed, which is a shame because they had really good food. I'd give XII another chance if they have new management do a reboot and have Sugar providing the food.
I'm not going to wade into the "ghetto" debate ("will it still be ghetto?"- they just announced new management this week, see how that goes, give it a chance and figure it out for yourself), but XII had a terrible, unpleasant vibe and hosted a lot more fights than those reported here. I know the management tried to do a few things to break the "ghetto" tag (manager tried booking rock & roll/punk bands at one time) but at some point probably realized that it wasn't really bringing any new business in and was alienating the customers they did have.
huh. I honestly thought they catered to an "upscale" african American crowd. I know that was their initial hope.
XII is really nice inside. Much less "ghetto" than Granville Moore's or the Argonaut which have missing walls and ceilings and painted cinderblock as part of their decor.
You must be talking about the customers when you ask about "ghetto." I'm not really sure what a business can do about that.
XII is really nice inside. Much less "ghetto" than Granville Moore's or the Argonaut which have missing walls and ceilings and painted cinderblock as part of their decor.
Pretty funny ironic cultural inversion there. Touche.
"Ghetto" has everything to do with clientele. Granville Moore's and Argonaut, in general, do not have ghetto clients, XII did. How often were the police called to the Argonaut for a stabbing?
So, to build on Inked's suggested questions:
"What changes is the new owner planning to make?" Is he planning to continue atracting gangstas with the fliers on our cars with the girls in their go go boots, hot pants with their ass and tits hanging out? Ghetto.
We don't need this type of place in our neighborhood. Hopefully, "Sugar's" will be different. Neighbors, what do you think?
Fatty,
I believe Sugar has shut down. H Street's a much better location. Eager to try their food in a new setting.
@Anon 2:46pm: "Neighbors, what do you think?" This neighbor thinks you're a not-even-thinly-veiled racist.
Oh, and if you had even the tiniest clue about the neighborhood, you'd know that Sugar (not "Sugar's") was a soul food restaurant that was in a lousy location just above Trinidad, but made quite good food (their rotisserie chicken rivalled El Pollo Rico for its addictiveness) and was pretty popular. If they're moving onto H in some fashion, that's a huge win for everyone.
Granville Moore's or the Argonaut
both those places are shtetl-fabulous
Agree with Anon 2:46
Why was Sugar's previous location so bad? Parking available and tons of foot traffic, perhaps just not the foot traffic you're comfortable with. Sounds like the racism is all being pointed at the corner of WV and Mt. Olivet.
@ anonymous 3:47
Not just racist, but an angry, self-righteous racist!
@Anon 2:46pm: "Neighbors, what do you think?"
Love the populist appeal! Well, count me as another neighbor who thinks you're out of line. No doubt you think you're speaking the "truth," but your classless tone says much more about you than it does XII, its clientele, or your neighbors.
For Realsy,
The H Street location is going to offer way more foot traffic than the old location. You had to explicitly plan to go to Sugar before, but XII could just pick up people walking down H Street who haven't made dinner plans. That intersection was also just a little weird. I have a coworker who really liked Sugar, but complained that driving their could feel a bit like running the gauntlet.
Personally, I just think a nice space on major commercial strip with foot traffic makes a lot more sense than even the nicest space randomly located in an otherwise downmarket stripmall. When you cluster restaurants together it can help them all. Ask the Argo how hard it's been being a bit isolated from the other spots.
Will it still be called XII? Will the upstairs still be a night club? If this is the case, will the food really make that much of a difference?
9:16,
I believe they are keeping the name. It's not just new food, but new management. I don't really know what sort of changes the new team wants to make. I feel like a lot of a places audience is determined by the events they choose to host. If XII becomes more food centric, I could see the types of events shifting. Plus, it could bring in a whole new crowd.
I admire your optimism Inked, as blind as it may seem to me. I hope I'm wrong and the newly-run establishment will just be fabulous!!
10:13,
Just saying that it makes no sense to make assumptions when you know absolutely nothing about the intentions or operations of the new management. Give the guy a chance.
Sucks to have people like @Anon2:46pm and @Anon8:16pm in the neighborhood. Since they are "Anon" I won't know who the racists are when I'm hanging out at the ghetto Pug.
@ anon 11:30 - Race wasn't mentioned at all in anon 2:46's posting.
If you're attributing go go boots, hot pants and t&a hanging out to a specific race, you need to stop and think about who's the racist here.
Singed Frank (aka anon 8:16 who has been a XII customer and who you won't find at the Pug).
for realsy: re: Sugar's previous location, the worst thing about it is of course that it wasn't near me, and parking there was a real bitch. But also, talk to the 5D cops about that strip mall. Seriously.
Let me just clear up a few things about the New Management Team at Club XII Restaurant and Lounge since I’m the one doing it.
First My Name is “William A Burch “Steve” I Use to be a 1/3 partner of Sugar Upscale Soul Food at 1803 West Virginia Ave from March 4th 2009 until I parted ways with Sugar Just before the Summer June of 2011. They were closed by October.
So Much for that its boring, What’s exciting is my newest venture Teaming with what seems to most peoples perception as the bad boy on the block, I have Known Bernard Gibson for about 2 Years and to my surprise he is very mild tempered, Yes I feed into the bad boy BS too. Since actually meeting and talking business with him I have a new perspective of what I originally thought and shame on me for believing what I was told before actually talking with him.
The new Concept of Taking over Management at Club XII to the establish a sound food concept and utilize a revenue stream the has been ignored at this location, So by bringing my Sugar experience to XII I believe we can make a great team. we will do some light remodeling of the location to bring some minor things up to snuff paint drywall etc... We are also working with engineers to make the venue a great place to listen to live music without violating any noise ordinances in the atlas district ( there have been some noise issues in the past with live entertainment.
I will try and answer all questions in the February 22-24, 2012 blog
It is not the same team from Sugar but One partner who left because of irreconcilable differences between the management staff. Steve A Burch
“Will it still be ghetto” as much as I hate to answer this question the answer is no and it never was, just because you don’t approve of a genre of music of a cliental doesn't make them ghetto, and who are you to determine whether it is or is not.
“fatty” Sugar is closed.
“stabbing” There has never been a stabbing at XII that was a neighboring location actually across the street and up the block. which business is so unimportant its difficult enough dealing with day to day work without having a stabbing blamed on the place you were stabbed.
The Name of the location will remain the same, this just the appeal we want to bring in a more diverse crown so everyone can enjoy this location.
I think thats all I won't address the racial over tones but just to say if you have an issue with any race your in the wrong city and maybe you should think about relocating. I dont like everything but I do respect peoples right to be different.
Sorry for the lengthy post of there are any more question I would be more than happy to have anyone come by and have a cocktail and talk. 202 398 2655
Steve Burch
Prove all the haters wrong Steve, please, prove us wrong! Best wishes to you. I sincerely wish you and XII much success.
Good Luck Steve an thanks for the introduction-
If the quality of food and the prices are close to what Sugar was I will eat there more than a few times. I realize that Sugar was take-out and you will have more overhead in this place but I'm sick of these new places opening up on H Street with overpriced food. Some of it is good, some of it is okay some of it flat out stinks. I have no problem with the prices at Granville Moores, Liberty Tree the Argonaut, even the Atlas room for that twice a year expensive meal.
That's my rant-
PS I hope you consider changing the name if for nothing else just because I don't know whether to call it "Twelve" or "ex ex eye"
A lot of places that try and utilize big terms, roman/Latin/Greek numbers are all usually crappy joints trying to compensate. You will not be better than the competition because our name is 'funky'. You might even detract from your potential customer base. Look up the recent studies on who gets hired and promoted..... i.e., it's not shaniquwanda or the 'musician formerly known as prince'..... It's jonathon. It's matchbox. It's Vidalia.
I'm just saying......
XII already carries a bad reputation in the hood. Maybe the owners could think of going with somEthing a bit classier? To go with the new concept and all....
XII just sounds so.... I am dying to be something that I'm not. But then, what do I know? A graduate business degree from an ivy league school, and all I do is translate foreign languages for the fed gov't.
Good luck! You'll most likely need it.
anon @2:46
""Ghetto" has everything to do with clientele. Granville Moore's and Argonaut, in general, do not have ghetto clients, XII did. How often were the police called to the Argonaut for a stabbing?"
There was never a stabbing inside VII. There WAS a stabbing inside Sticky Rice, though. Maybe you're concerned about the wrong venue...SMH
How many people commenting here have actually been to VII? Sat down, ordered a drink or food? Or are you just assuming?
Been there. Didn't feel comfortable. Won't go back.
They will have some tough competition from Xclusive ;)
It's hilarious how people become so overtly racist behind their computers, but are the main one's claiming "I love black people! I even have black friends"! You move into an inner city neighborhood and then look down on the people who've lived here all of their lives? That's very bad Karma folks..very mean spirited...all levels of diversity is what makes this neighborhood so cool..on behalf of the white folks reading this, us "non-ghetto" black folks do not blame you all for a few's racists and mean spirited comments..Most of us actually do get along! Don't let a few ignorant black or white folks ruin the great momentum that H Street has going!
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