Images and Article by Mathylda Dulian
Popular coffee shop and bakery Paul closed in late March, leaving yet another open space in the
Western Market cafeteria on Pennsylvania Avenue. Image by Mathylda Dulian
On April 18, 2024, the GW Hatchet announced that following the closure of the small on-campus restaurant Beefsteak, a Panda Express location will replace it in the fall. A trend all too familiar in the D.C. area among small businesses. According to the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Association, fifty-two D.C. restaurants shut their doors in 2023. Small businesses and restaurants have been declining throughout the country in major cities since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Restaurant Association, by spring 2021, nearly 90,000 small restaurants shut their doors due to the pandemic. Despite the challenges, many restaurants in D.C. have kept their doors open, including many favorites on the George Washington University (GW) campus. Now, in 2024, what are the newfound challenges continuing the closing of restaurants?
According to Fox News sources, the main reason for restaurant closures in D.C. is crime. According to Metropolitan Police Department data, D.C. ended 2023 with a 26-year high in homicides. Fox News reported that the crime had affected restaurant insurance costs, making it unprofitable for restaurants to remain open. When looking at crime on the GW campus, George Washington University reported 485 safety-related incidents involving students on or near campus or at other properties affiliated with the school in 2019. However, is crime the cause of restaurant closures?
“The crime doesn't help…But I think it's a lot more complicated than just that,” said Jeremiah Cohen, the founder and owner of Bullfrog Bagels. “Customers still need to eat, and would just order carry-out or delivery if they don't want to go out on the street because they're worried about getting mugged.”
So, what is closing restaurants? According to Jeremiah, the leading cause of restaurant demise is something that was marketed to help them during the pandemic: third-party delivery apps.
Diptych image of how bagels at Bullfrog Bagels are made to order with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers. Image by Mathylda Dulian.
“During the pandemic, D.C. Council passed a law that put a ceiling on the percentage that DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub could charge, which was 15%. Prior to that, the reason I didn't use them was because they were charging 30% of the sale, which is making it almost like not feasible for business,” said Jeremiah.
During the pandemic, restaurants became almost entirely dependent on delivery to survive, and third-party apps thrived. According to a 2023 statistics analysis of Uber Eats, Uber Eats users increased by 54% in 2020. Because of this limitation, in May 2020, the D.C. Council put a cap on how much third-party apps could charge per sale.
Chef Solomon Johnson, co-owner of The Bussdown D.C., working in his flagship restaurant located in
Western Market cafeteria on Pennsylvania Avenue. Image by Mathylda Dulian.
Chef Solomon Johnson, co-owner of The Bussdown D.C., also relies on third-party apps to continue sales for the other portion of his business in California.
“So we are still operating a ghost kitchen there (California), and we're on DoorDash, Chow Now, Uber Eats, GrubHub, like all of them,” said Solomon.
However, as the pandemic ended and the 15% cap expired recently, many consumers still prefer the convenience of food delivery apps, leaving businesses charged 30% of their revenue from each sale and unable to remain open. Campus restaurants, like The Bussdown, flourished due to the higher student traffic returning post-pandemic. But their success comes at a price, too.
“When the students are gone,” said Solomon, “it's really hard for us. We're looking at five of the 12 calendar months that are virtually like non-profitable; we're seeing as steep as a decline of 65% in our sales.”
Lunch rush in Western Market cafeteria full of students and office employees getting a taste of all the unique options at the cafeteria, featuring The Bussdown D.C. Image by Mathylda Dulian
“Well, it's funny, the students are lining up. But in the neighborhoods, no one. Everyone's pre-ordering…and there, it's an older crowd. It's a little ironic,” said Jeremiah.
Students generally prefer the small on-campus restaurants and choose to support them if possible. Nolan Aldoroty, a freshman at GW, said, “On-campus restaurants are very important to my student experience…I tend to prefer them over GW dining options.”
Small businesses have created a community on campus, and students have connected with the restaurants that fuel them. Jasmine Padina, an employee and cook at Carvings, said, “There’s connection…students come here, and I feel like I see the same people daily…I remember people's orders just because they always get the same thing.”
Bullfrog Bagels uses their own secret recipe that Jeremiah Cohen, the founder and owner of Bullfrog
Bagels, would not disclose. Image by Mathylda Dulian.
Most importantly, small restaurants bring unique flavors and serve as a door to open students to new cultures and flavors they may only try here.
“The Bussdown is a Pan African, southern kitchen. Our food program reflects the migratory path of slaves from Africa into the Caribbean and from the Caribbean into the Carolinas. We reflect a wide range of food, from classic soul foods to Afro-Latino influence,” said Solomon. “People are disengaging with smaller businesses…we kind of create the fabric of the community. We create these businesses to provide the services for you guys. Unless you just want a neighborhood full of Panera’s and Chipotle’s, let us know, maybe we (businesses) can save some money.”
