The City’s Nightlife, Restaurant Bubbles Have Basically Burst

A time of insane growth for DC’s restaurant and nightlife scenes has come to an end, reports Washington City Paper, citing a report from the DC Policy Center. Researcher Kate Rabinowitz synthesized data from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and concluded that there were enough closings (and cyclical openings and survival rates) in 2015-2016 to prove that DC’s “nightlife and restaurant boom could be coming to an end.“

The question of whether DC’s restaurant bubble would burst has been one asked for some time. WCP’s Laura Hayes says that while the data shows that 10% of nightlife spots don’t survive for each year of business, it “feels like restaurant openings will outpace closings.”

This summer, over 30 restaurants have opened up shop; there have been closures, of course, but they appear to be happening at a slower (though still healthy) clip. [Keep track of all 2017 closures here.] Often, when one restaurant closes, another takes its place.

Hayes also mentioned that fall is a notoriously busy time for DC openings — the forthcoming development The Wharf alone will account for several new spots.