Submitted by fletchyjack1995 t3_zyk7t5 in washingtondc
Does anyone know why McDonald’s, Dunkin and chipotle closed in Chinatown and if any more are coming? Curious if anyone knows the reasoning as well? I heard it was about criminal activity but wasn’t sure if that was speculation or actual fact.. I did hear they are putting a chick fil a in the McDonald’s place, perhaps the real reason McDonald’s and Dunkin are closing is cause they are replacing both with that?
Leases were up. They are prob gonna become sportsbooks.
Also Chick-fil-A is coming to Chinatown. 🐔
We really are in the “Biff-horrific” timeline from BTTF II aren’t we?
I only wish we had that much classic neon signage in the city
Really? Where? I guess that makes sense— there’s already one in Union Station and 18th st/DuPont
Probably a combination of long term leases ending and the rates going up despite the overall Chinatown area getting wrecked by COVID in terms of foot traffic, general safety/crime, and night life
The answer is money. It's always the money. If they aren't profitable they close. Could be the rents going up, could be the insurance. Companies like that never suffer directly from crime.
yeah i’ll really miss all those fast food chains that are literally everywhere and not um… Chinatown.
I saw somewhere that people think that's where the e-sports space will be.
They’re building that inside where Lucky Bar was I’m pretty sure.
RIP
Chick-fil-A is being built across the street right now.
If it was about criminal activity no businesses would ever open in Chinatown. It’s code for you bring in the wrong crowd and we wanna rebrand so we pricing you out your leases cuz we don’t want the money you bring in, we want the classy dollars our new businesses and housing projects will bring. . In decades we will be talking Chinatown from the late 2000s to now the same way we look back and say what happened to “China”town.
The rent is too damn high. So many great places have left China town, now the not so great massive chains are next. For them the juice is not worth the squeeze.
Places will continue to sit empty as landlords wait for the next place to come along and pay their insanely high rents
I wonder about rent in the arena vs other buildings in the area. Chipotle closed but reopened across the street.
They want sports books under the arena
I have never seen Chick-fil-A be empty or be a loss even in middle of nowhere. So Ima say money.
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Impossible-Expert277 t1_j273ls6 wrote
Chipotle moved right across the street (710 7th St NW) simply because, like a lot of other restaurants, their leases get jacked up sometimes 1.5 to 3x from the last lease (Depending on whether 10 or 20 year lease).
McDonald's has had stabbings, at least one death and drug dealing inside of it for almost two decades and they went nowhere. They moved cause of landlord per Councilmember Pinto ( “Monumental Sports owns this space & decided not to renew McD’s lease. New use should be announced soon.")
Notice Tom's Watch Bar, Caesar's, etc.? It's all about more revenue landlords think they will get, and they can keep property empty for a long time if they want.