Tobi RajiTucked away in Capitol Hill鈥檚 historic Barracks Row, black-owned restaurant District Soul Food is renowned for its southern cuisine. The restaurant offers jumbo gulf shrimp with grits, an eponymous soul burger, a sweet potato pound cake, and much more.
Like many restaurants across the country, District Soul Food saw its business wane as the effects of the pandemic set in. When the restaurant emerged from the citywide lockdown, it had to adhere to an entirely new set of health and safety to survive.
However, an investigation by Washington鈥檚 Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration revealed that the restaurant has struggled to comply.
In July, months after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lifted the first set of lockdown restrictions, District Soul Food was fined for one of its first pandemic-related offenses.
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration investigator Rhoda Glasgow that the restaurant violated the city鈥檚 emergency executive order by allowing 鈥渆mployees to walk around and interact with patrons without face masks鈥� and failing to 鈥渆nforce social distancing practices by not placing chairs and tables six feet apart.鈥�
Since then, District Soul Food has received five more citations, two of which are pandemic-related offenses.
According to the Nov. 17 sheet obtained by the Wash, the restaurant received a $1,000 citation on Aug. 15 for violating social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. Employees were not wearing masks.
On Oct. 3, after an inspector caught a bartender wearing her mask on her chin and witnessed live entertainment at a private party, the citation was forwarded to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The agency District Soul Food鈥檚 liquor license for 30 days.
The suspension was lifted on Mon., Nov. 9.
Of these citations, Owner David Roundtree told the Wash, 鈥淚鈥檓 innocent more than I am guilty.鈥�
Roundtree said he鈥檚 been unfairly targeted for being a Black business owner.
鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever felt like a [n-word],鈥� Roundtree said.
For Roundtree, 49, managing one of the only black-owned businesses in Capitol Hill during a pandemic has gotten tougher. He said the experience has been 鈥渢errible.鈥�
Although he鈥檚 not angry with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, he said he鈥檚 angry about the complaints from people who鈥檝e never eaten at his restaurant.
Roundtree believes his restaurant adapted as well as it could to the pandemic.
Cava Mezze General Manager Herson Reyes acknowledges the difficulty Roundtree faces as he manages a restaurant during a global pandemic.
鈥淵ou really learn as you go,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淲ith people being fined and all this, it鈥檚 just that鈥攖hey鈥檙e learning as they go.鈥�
An enforcement blitz
The coronavirus pandemic has created a need for a new set of health and safety guidelines for restaurants to follow to reduce the spread of the virus.
Belga Caf茅 Manager Christa Machado told the Wash that in order to survive, her restaurant had no choice but to adopt these policies.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not taking a 鈥榥o鈥� for an answer,鈥� Machado, 24, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a debate whether it is okay for you to wear a mask or okay for us to take your temperature in the morning or okay for us to ask you to wash your hands all the time.鈥�
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 wanna do that, you can鈥檛 work here鈥攑eriod.鈥�
The same is true at Cava Mezze, a large Greek-Mediterranean restaurant in Capitol Hill. When it comes to enforcing the rules, Reyes said, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 apologize.鈥�
These managers said they have to enforce the rules because there is a lot at .
But in the face of a looming shutdown, Capitol Hill鈥檚 restaurant owners and managers are hopeful that because they survived the first shutdown, they can survive the next.
鈥淎 lot of restaurants have closed, and a lot of restaurants will close,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淏ut if you do what you鈥檙e supposed to do, and you just fight on, then you鈥檒l be fine. I think we鈥檒l be fine.鈥�
Roundtree is also optimistic.
鈥淲e鈥檝e adapted as well as we can,鈥� Roundtree said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still here; so many restaurants aren鈥檛.鈥�
Wash staff
No “Mr. Dave” was not targeted because he was a black-owner, the WHOLE CITY was targeted. He did not follow rules under ABRA, the CDC, the city laws, the state laws and any other health regulations or laws. They have run ins with the police all the time for not complying AND other illegal matters. They were all around a horrible company to work for and their track record shows, it’s all public information. I hope he learns his lesson with his future endeavors.