Last year, the owners took that mission to the , organized by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and The , a woman-founded market operator dedicated to promoting equity, sustainability, and small business growth, for the first time. During the month-long event, the book store sold everything from their inventory, and for Young, there was no question they would return this winter. 

“That type of exposure for a small business is unheard of,” Young said. “The market is a tremendous boost for us.”

Before knowing their first year at the market would be a success, Young said they were scared they wouldn’t sell everything or have enough for the entire month. This year is different, she said. 

Over the past year, the business owner spent time budgeting the inventory necessary for the four-week market, in an attempt to not “scurry and try to order something that may take a week to arrive.”

They have gathered data around what was popular, what wasn’t so popular and what customers requested often. Now, Young said, they are ready. 

From Nov. 21 through Dec. 23, Mahogany Books and 114 other vendors, including over 20 first-timers, will take over between 7th and 9th Streets. 

The market is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. 

Young said many customers who have visited Mahogany Books over the past year have credited the market, adding that she noticed the event’s diversity allows for different cultures and communities to combine and learn more about each other, including Black history. 

“It’s crucial at a time when I feel like so many people’s ideas get isolated,” Young said. “this market, to me, really reflects all the different cultures, all the different values, all the different communities in D.C.”

The Youngs started the online book store in a one-bedroom apartment, hoping to make Black history and stories accessible. But being a business owner doesn’t come without its hurdles. 

Young said many people didn’t believe in their mission, but they decided to mute the “naysayers.” 

The couple commonly heard questions such as “Are people even buying books?” Ramunda’s answer is yes. Mahogany Books’ location at the National Harbor sees 55,000 people a year.

“The proof is in the pudding now,” Young said. “This little Black bookstore is rocking.”

Young said the preparation for the market starts months in advance. 

for vendors interested in participating in the market open between February and March. After that, The Makers Show chooses the 115 vendors who will participate at the market. 

Gerren Price, the CEO of the DowntownDC BID since 2022, said “a mix of different types of vendor options” and ensuring diversity among them are key factors behind the decision making. 

This year, 70% of the market’s vendors will be women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and locally owned. 

The market celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, and Price said it was a reset moment for the event. With a change in the aesthetics, a greater focus on supporting small businesses and the addition of more vendors, the event brings foot traffic to Downtown, an area still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Since 2020, fewer people have visited local businesses and restaurants in the area, Price said. Beyond remnants of the pandemic, he said federal layoffs and the 44-day government shutdown also impacted foot traffic in downtown. 

However, the holiday market helps shift that dynamic. Price said the DowntownDC BID did an economic development analysis after the 2024 Holiday Market and found that for every $1 people spend in the market, they tend to spend $1.50 in activities downtown. 

“It’s important that we’re bringing as many people as we can into the downtown core just to support that broader economic infrastructure,” Price said. “So it’s fun and it’s festive, and it’s all about bringing joy, but it’s also dollars and cents and it helps the baseline of the economy in the city.” 

The market broke a record in 2024, with more than 347,000 visitors in 31 days, according to the CEO. He said he expects even higher numbers this year based on previous success and “positive word of mouth.”

For the small female-owned business those numbers make a difference. 

Angelika O’Reilly, owner of Eliana Curated, a jewelry store in Old Town Alexandria, has been a customer at the market from the start. Since opening her business in 2020, one thing was certain: She wanted to have a pop-up in the DowntownDC Holiday Market.

For three years, O’Reilly applied to join the market, with no success. However, things changed in 2024, when the DowntownDC BID partnered with The Makers Show. 

“That was the best thing that ever happened to me,” O’Reilly said. “It was transformative. I can tell you, 30% of our revenue last year came from the DowntownDC Holiday Market.”

O’Reilly was born in Eastern Europe, and when she was 5, her parents made a choice: to move to the U.S. and give their daughter an “American education.” Her interest in entrepreneurship flourished early. 

During her time in middle school and high school, O’Reilly started a “babysitting club” and a driver’s ed school for 16-year-olds. However, she spent 18 years of her adult life in the tech industry before launching Eliana Curated, and she didn’t do it alone. 

The business is a family affair. In 2020, when O’Reilly was pregnant with her first daughter, her parents moved to D.C. to be present for their only daughter and the first granddaughter. But they weren’t ready to retire; they needed a project.  

So, O’Reilly, who wasn’t prepared to leave the tech industry just yet, had an idea in mind: to buy designer brand garments from antique shops, collectors and state sales and “cycle the buttons.” They filled the buttons with 14 karat gold posts and made them into earrings.

O’Reilly said she still remembers the business’s first pop-up in Virginia, when no one bought an item. Her father, who shapes the designs alongside her mother, stayed positive and encouraged O’Reilly to “stay consistent,” she said.

After four years of juggling her job in the tech industry, being a business owner, a wife and a mother of two, O’Reilly said she decided to focus on her business full-time in October of 2024.

“We kept showing up,” O’Reilly said. “Then, we did the DowntownDC Holiday market last year, and it blew up.” 

Since then, the business owner has opened a physical store in Old Town Alexandria, where she said many tourists and locals who stop by credit the holiday market for introducing them to Eliana Curated for the first time. 

For the store’s second year in the event, O’Reilly said customers expect a new line of waterproof jewelry and new vintage designer buttons. But for her, what she looks forward to the most is connecting with new customers.

“What I love about being a woman-run business is getting to meet all of you in person and like having new relationships,” O’Reilly said. “I feel like I have 100 new friends that I make every single month.”

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As the District grapples with an escalating substance abuse crisis, city officials are preparing to open a second stabilization and sobering center in Columbia Heights. While the facility aims to reduce the amount of substance abuse in the District, some residents remain skeptical.

“This is not a good location for it. I think it should be somewhere else in a bigger building. This is just not a good neighborhood for it,” Ortiz said.

In February, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser opened the first of two sobering centers at , aimed to redirect substance users from jail or emergency room check-ins. In less than a year over 5,000 people have been admitted to the facility. 

“There is a big issue with opioids and opioid fatalities in D.C. But alcoholism is the biggest substance use disorder social workers are seeing at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza,” Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said in an email response to 91����.

The $9.5 million project will replace the historic Old Engine Company No. 11, a fire engine building at 1338 Park Rd. built in the 1900s. The 24/7 center will offer a range of medical services at no cost, including medical clearance, comprehensive bio-psycho-social assessment, sobering and behavioral health support. It also features dormitory space, offices, showers, restrooms, a kitchen and nurse station and observation rooms. 

“While patients will come from anywhere in the city, the location in Columbia Heights will help serve some of the people struggling with substance use disorders at Civic Plaza, just a half block away. Many of them have expressed interest in getting sober and this is now an extremely low barrier for getting the help they need and in many cases desire,” Nadeau said.

City officials are eager to move the project forward quickly, but residents still need time to digest what’s being added to their neighborhood.

A community with questions

The project has moved fast with little to no communication with residents on Park Road. Two residents down the street said the most information they’ve received in the past four months was a flyer from the ANC. Other residents on the opposite side of the road said they hadn’t received a flyer or any information about the project.

“Residents just wanted to feel heard at the planning stage and oftentimes in the district, a lot of discussions happen after the fact,” said Anthony Thomas-Davis, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing part of the Columbia Heights neighborhood. 

Ortiz said the lack of communication makes her feel like residents’ voices don’t matter to officials, other neighbors confirm she isn’t alone.

Two houses down from the facility Gabrielle Rodriguez said he wasn’t notified about the stabilization center until his neighbor told him about the project. 

Rodriguez said many residents — like his neighbor who has lived in Columbia Heights for 30 years, strongly oppose the sober center on a residential street.

“I think people do understand that it’s a great idea but they don’t think it’s the best place for it … I think people don’t feel like the program will have enough funds to sustain it,” Rodriguez said, adding that residents are concerned people will loiter around their homes.

Other longtime residents have gone to Reddit to discuss their concerns, one user said, “I’m just doubtful the city will prioritize something like this.” Another resident commented, “I’m not hopeful about the city’s likelihood to execute something like this in a thoughtful way that integrates the concerns of everyone that lives in the neighborhood, while also assessing the needs of the people for whom this is intended. Especially given the lack of transparency so far.”

Davis, whose mother died from a drug overdose, said while he would like to support the development, he’s conflicted with how successful it will be. His concerns are that the facility is too small to tackle the large numbers of those experiencing substance abuse and that the center should be located in neighborhoods which have experienced higher drug fatalities from the opioid crisis, like Ward 5 and Ward 6.

“I am proud of the fact that we have a resource like this available. However, based on what I’ve heard from the community, based on what I know has not happened up to this point, I oppose it being on a residential street like Park Road,” he said.

Towards the end of the road, John, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood since the ‘90s, said he’s witnessed substance abuse as an issue on their streets making the stabilization center a necessary addition for Columbia Heights, however, he and his wife Tony are nervous about the unknowns of what the facility will bring.

Center at a glance

The D.C. Stabilization and Sobering Center, operated by Community Bridges in partnership with the, serves adults 18 and over experiencing substance use disorder at no charge, insurance or citizenship.

91���� reached out the DBH to address neighborhood concerns regarding location and lack of communication. The agency said it had held two meetings open to the public to inform residents about the center, the first meeting was May 1, the second meeting took place last Monday, Nov. 25.

”We’ve shown our commitment to keeping the community informed and engaged,” said Phyllis Jones, Chief of Staff, DC Department of Behavioral Health. “We started our engagement at the early days of the project and were going to continue to do that because we think it’s very important that the community has information they need to raise any concerns that they have.”

Individuals in need of the center’s care can visit or be transported to the center if they require stabilization support. Individuals can be referred by the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, Metropolitan Police Department, community-based providers, family, friends, or as walk-ins. 

When a patient checks in they will receive a medical screening and clearance before trained medical staff can address any immediate care. From there the individual will be connected with a peer counselor or recovery coach, administer crisis stabilization and support services, and coordinate continued care and support upon discharge.

The stabilization center can support up to 22 individuals at one time. The center features 16 recliners for people staying up to 23 hours, and 6 patient beds for individuals staying up to 72 hours with acute substance use disorder needs that need to be observed and monitored.

The has completed the first part of the reconstruction, firehouse cleanup, but there are three other phases it must undergo before a Spring 2026 completion. This includes designing structural preservation plans, performing lead and asbestos abatement, and developing concept design to minimize impact on residential areas, which is funded through the $9.5 million from city funding.

While the development is slated for a Spring 2026 completion, the site itself will not open for operation until funds are properly allocated.

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“It sucks,” Davila said. “I felt like I failed Chef Pepe to certain degree.”

Cranes is the fourth Washington restaurant to lose a star since the coveted awards resumed following a pandemic hiatus. It was the only restaurant to lose its star in the November 2023 guide. Two of the 2022 losses—Plume and Komi—had permanently closed or significantly changed their business operations before inspection. Only Sushi Taro, which lost its star last year, was in a position to defend its award.

“Everyone was kind of sad and brought down,” Davila said. He recalls Moncayo sitting everyone down following the announcement and reminding them that although having a star was welcome, it wasn’t the end goal. Moncayo implored his chefs to think about the loss of the star as an opportunity to reset and to be creative without the pressure of retaining a star hanging over them.

“There was also a lot of motivation that came out of it,” Davila said of the meeting.

Studies have shown that consumer expectations inevitably increase once a restaurant receives a Michelin star. Patrons are to have negative feelings when restaurant experiences fail to live up to their Michelin reputations. Craving relief, in recent years have even returned their stars and stepped away from haute cuisine, including French chef Sébastian Bras and Swede Magnus Nilsson.

Moncayo did not respond to repeated interview requests for this story.

Davila joined Cranes as a line cook in April 2022, less than a year after the restaurant received its first Michelin star. Just a month after he arrived, the restaurant retained its star in the 2022 guide published on May 4.

“Of course, I didn't really feel like I contributed much because I had just started,” Davila said, but even though he didn’t make a major contribution, working at a Michelin-star restaurant had exceeded any expectations Davila had for his culinary career.

“It was it was always like a fantasy,” Davila said, “I never thought it was going to be me. I never thought I was ever going to go up to a Michelin-star restaurant.”

During his time as a line cook, then a station lead, Davila worked with Moncayo on a couple of dishes that were added to the menu, demonstrating his culinary promise and knack for development. At the beginning of 2023, Davila was promoted to junior sous chef, although he has since taken on the responsibilities of an acting sous chef, handling a lot of the research and development, Davila says.

“Going from just being a line cook or a lead line is a completely different world,” Davila says.

For Davila, 2023 has been a learning experience. He now understands how to push a team without leaving them unmotivated and stressed. He learned how to listen and when to let someone try something on their own and when to intervene with assistance. He also learned how to take responsibility for his mistakes.

“We had a lot of change in the restaurant, whether it was management or personnel,” Davila said. “We all just had a lot of change that was happening all in the same time. And then a lot of cooks were able to keep up, others weren't.”

Cranes’ former sous chef, Marc-Adam Rodriguez, left earlier this year, telling the Wash only that “Cranes had to release some staff during the slow season, myself included.” He only assumed the sous chef position in May, according to his LinkedIn page.

Michelin stars are awarded against five criteria: the chef’s skill, the personality in the cuisine, ingredient quality, value for money, and consistency. Keeping consistency, Davila said, has been a struggle this year.

As soon as Cranes lost the star on Nov. 7, Davila and Moncayo began making changes. The day after they returned from California, they started work on a whole new menu, Davila says.

“We already started sort of changing, like small things here and there that we weren't necessarily happy with,” Davila said, “making sure that we just check on like the minor details, quality and error and everything else.”

Part of this effort was to show the staff that they weren’t giving up and were motivated to get the restaurant back to where it was. “Not necessarily getting the star back,” Davila said, “just making sure that every little detail of the food and ingredients really shines through.” He added that he is now “more motivated than ever.”

“We are working towards just getting back to our, not to say roots, but just getting back on track on things,” Davila added, “making sure that we're able to keep our quality regardless and just make every experience for customers who do come and eat at Cranes the best possible.”

91���� spoke to several diners who visited the restaurant on a recent Friday evening. Many were shocked to hear that the restaurant had lost its Michelin star. Zach Loeffler, a Navy Yard resident, said that the shrimp tempura—served with lime aioli—was the best he’d ever had. Meredith Shields, also of Navy Yard, was equally impressed.

“One of the more interesting meals I’ve had in a long time,” Shields mused. “The best part was the dessert,” she said emphatically.

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Shops started opening despite a rainy December day when shoppers gathered to grab holiday gifts and collectible items. With the participation of live music, a small section south of the Portrait Gallery on F Street NW is branded into the holiday season.

“I think this is my favorite time here in DC,” shopgoer Kim Schmith said. “It is important to support DC’s small businesses and there is no better time to do it than Christmas.”

Happy holidays, DC!

The Downtown Holiday Market is now OPEN! Grab a bite, buy some gifts, and support your local businesses from now until December 23rd.

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser)

Among the stores is “Smell of Love Candles,” a Vienna-based start-up company founded by Alejandro, a 9-year-old ‘kidpreneur.’ His mother, Patricia Buxcun, said she loves candles but is also sensitive to smell and allergic to many ingredients that candles contain.

“He decided that he was going to experiment with different types of waxes, and he created a candle that did not give me headaches,” Buxcun said. “That kind of turned into ‘let me try a different type of sense’, and we decided to launch an Etsy.”

In their second year at the holiday market, Buxcun said the project increases the visibility of Smell of Love Candles. “There are also a lot of tourists that come in; we have customers from California, from New York.”

This holiday season is Love Candles’ third year participating in the program. While many are new in Penn Quarter this year, one business stands out as an 18-year participant in the Holiday Market.

Promoting small businesses has always been part of the holiday market project. But this year, more small businesses owned by people of color and indigenous people are present.

On the western edge of the festival, Oswaldo Sinchico greets customers as they walk in to check out handmade art and craft from overseas. Sinchico said that indigenous Inca people made everything inside the two tents in Ecuador.

Sinchico said he entered the business when he was 16 years old and traveled to Europe and the Caribbean to promote the people of Inca’s products further. When he was in his 30s, he arrived in the United States for the first time.

From sweaters to jewelry, “everything is from Ecuador and works off all indigenous people,” he said.

As more people become aware of environmentally friendly products such as handmade local artwork, bringing life to forgotten pieces is another way some businesses choose to fight pollution. At Lost and Forged, visitors can purchase restored antique silverware.

“A lot of generations are getting handed down their families’ antique silverware. It just becomes something we don’t use anymore because it is just harder to take care of and it is just a lot more effort,” Alexis Abel said. “So we might as well turn it into something we are actually going to use on more of a daily basis.”

Abel said the Silver Spring-based small business transforms old things that “may not have a use or perfect anymore.” Abel added that during the 5-week period in which Penn Quarter visitors can get to see artcraft provides an excellent opportunity to market their brand.

“Typical art shows are two to three days but this market has been going on for so many years and it is a great exposure for us and everybody,” Abel said.

Further down the aisle, colorful maps of American cities bring positive energy to this gray December day. At Terratorie Maps and Goods, Olivia Music assists her friend’s small business for the second year in a row.

“Even if people don’t necessarily buy something, it is just good to get the exposure,” Music said. “People get to pick our business card and visit our website later on.”

Music said the Holiday Market is a great opportunity to showcase the talent of the District area small businesses as it is one of Brookland-based art shop’s “biggest revenue generator.”

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The first class session took place on Nov. 4 for children aged six to 11 and teens aged 12 to 18. Adults began their Shakespeare experience on Nov. 7. Classes in both sections will conclude by mid-December.

Shakespeare Theatre learning coordinator Raine Ensign said topics and classes range from introduction to acting to understanding Shakespeare and his plays. Julius Caesar, Richard II, and Coriolanus will be among the scenes selected for youth classes.

“Shakespeare is a really incredible tool for learning and understanding the world and improving literacy that at the end of the day it is about community and this space we can provide for people to learn and have fun and be themselves,” Ensign said.

The company is providing scholarships to participants whose income level is not suitable to cover the cost of the 6-week program. Applicants can get partial or full tuition reimbursement depending on their yearly earnings. Ensign said the scholarship application is simple, and Shakespeare Theatre provides applicants with “what they need so they can participate in the program.”

“I think the reason that I got into education is because I, as a young person who was participating in theater, found that community I didn’t find anywhere else,” Ensign said. “The reason I got into education is because I wanted to provide that [education] for other people as well.”

Like other companies, Shakespeare Theatre was unfamiliar with online learning tools before the pandemic. But beginning in the winter of 2020, the company switched its lessons to remote and resumed partial in-person practices last fall. For the 2022 season, virtual lessons are offered in addition to in-person visits.

All of our In-Person and Virtual Classes are taught by working theatre professionals, award-winning actors, and STC artists and staff, giving you access to the most successful and generous theatre artists in D.C.

A new session begins Nov 7 –>

— Shakespeare Theatre Company (@ShakespeareinDC)

The effectiveness of remote learning provided Shakespeare Theatre with a secret tool to expand its reach beyond the borders of the United States. Acting students from Canada and Mexico have participated in the company’s educational program through online learning.

“Kids learning to perform Shakespeare is almost like performing in a foreign language,” John Douglass, former associate professor at American University, said. “It’s great training for learning to present oneself in front of an audience.”

The Theatre teaches several plays by Shakespeare. Tragedies and comedies on the agenda include Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Richard II, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest.

In the Revolutionary Shakespeare class, children and young adults will have the opportunity to practice Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which was first performed in 1599. The tragedy tells the story of Roman statesman Julius Caesar who was to be assassinated by a group of conspirators, and Brutus, a Roman senator whom Caesar called “Et Tu, Brute?” – roughly translated as “You too, Brutus” in the first scene of the third act.

Coriolanus, another Revolutionary Shakespeare play, tells the story of Roman leader Caius Coriolanus whose expulsion from Rome leads him to join the Volscians, rivals of the Republic. A tragedy of betrayal and revenge, Coriolanus represents what makes someone a hero and where one’s pride leads them to.

Creators through writing, film, art and other media “have felt the need to portray and respond to Shakespeare” for centuries, Benjamin Djain, a professorial lecturer at American University, said.

Shakespeare Theatre aims to adapt the old writings of Shakespeare to today’s world and show similarities between the past and future. Ensign said Revolutionary Shakespeare hopes to bring Shakespeare to the modern day and apply it to the social justice movement, albeit it did not start with the death of George Floyd.

“To persist with Shakespeare means connecting current generations with the excellent stories of the past and present,” Djain said. “Learning to read Shakespeare shows students that the past is accessible, that the decisions that many of us wrestle with today aren’t new.”

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While its owner, , said it intends to find a new location in the future, it also mentioned the transition process might take time. The Freedom Forum loans its print news items and photography collections to institutions that meet the organization’s criteria.

Since its closure, the Newseum has continued organizing travel exhibits. The Photographs Exhibit and the : Stonewall and the LGBTQ Movement Exhibit travels across the country. The latter exhibit completed a Memphis tour recently and will head to Dallas Jan. 25, 2023.

With the Newseum announcing that it would permanently close its doors to visitors, questions arose as to what would happen to the iconic building. In 2019, Johns Hopkins University that it would acquire the then-preparing-to-close Newseum. The purchase had cost Hopkins $372.5 million.

The SAIS, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, and the Carey Business School have been located on Massachusetts Avenue’s Embassy Row in the Dupont Circle neighborhood since 1963. With the new announcement, all students are expected to move to the new campus.

“It has been quiet here for a while,” Green said, referring to the Newseum’s departure more than two years ago. “This area, more specifically Penn Quarter, is a culturally rich place but having graduate students around will create a more diverse neighborhood.”

The 555 Pennsylvania Avenue building is surrounded by an embassy and several museums on the southern boundary of Penn Quarter. The construction on Pennsylvania Avenue began last year and is expected to conclude in the summer of 2023. Current tenants of the Massachusetts Avenue campus should expect to move into the new building starting the fall semester.

“We needed a change,” Garrett Crossley, 34, of Penn Quarter, said. “The building has been sitting empty for almost three years now and I think it is badly affecting the reputation of the neighborhood.”

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins University has been regarded as one of the top research universities in the country. From public health to social sciences, Hopkins houses over 20,000 students across several campuses and over 3,000 in the district.

A spokesperson for the SAIS said the university was unable to comment on the ongoing progress of the restoration other than what is available online but added Hopkins is expecting a big opening in its new location next fall.

The 420,000-sq ft building’s exterior appearance seems to have remained similar to that of the Newseum but will remove the First Amendment panel on the southern facade. The interior renovations, however, will the museum’s old galleries into classrooms and in addition to adding an atrium. The company handling the renovations, Clark Construction, did not respond to a request on the ongoing project progress.

Paul H. Nitze founded the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1943 and the school joined the Johns Hopkins family in 1950. Nitze aimed to train diplomats and public policy experts of future generations at a time of World War II mayhem.

“I think it is a great place to study,” Lorraine Green, 42, of Penn Quarter, said. “D.C. has the best schools in the nation and resettling in a great neighborhood like Penn Quarter is well worth it.”

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On top of the millions  following the two energetic seasons from their living rooms, an average of 1.3 million hockey and basketball fans attended home games last season in Penn Quarter. 91����ington Capitals of the NHL and the Washington Wizards of the NBA represent Washington, D.C.; both playing in Capital One Arena. The Capitals’ average regular season home attendance surpassed that of the NHL; drawing 2,732 more fans each game while the Wizards of the NBA fell short by 10.5% on average, according to the and .

Capital One Arena is the district’s main entertainment venue; each team hosts 41 home games for regular seasons and other music and sports events. NHL and NBA franchises make over $1.3 million in ticket sales per game on average, according to Team Marketing Report.

It is not only the immense arena that benefits from the support of passionate fans and visitors. Penn Quarter and Chinatown neighborhoods border the arena with their various local restaurants and shops.

The 2022-2023 season brings hope to the neighborhood. The past two and a half seasons have meant confusion, economic loss, and financial hardship as pandemic-related restrictions and closures resulted in empty restaurants on what-would-have-been crowded game days.

Devlin Barry, owner of Eat Brgz on 7th Street, whose Chinatown location started operating in late April, said that he had observed “good times and bad times.”

“At the end of last season, it was very busy, so I think it should be fine this season and we should get a nice lift in business,” Barry said.

It is difficult to say who makes more profit when the Capitals and the Wizards borrow the arena, but already-high food prices inside the arena lead some fans to look for alternatives in the neighborhood.

Only one block west from the arena, Pizza Pi is a casual pizza restaurant with a bar. Pizza Pi is a unique spot for game goers that want to be close to the arena.

“We are going into the unique time of the year where it is the NBA season and NHL,” Pizza Pi general manager Jessica Swann said. “So we get to see fans from both teams which gives a good amount of diversity in our fanbase and our business group.”

The 2020 season fell short with only a few regular season games remaining when COVID-19 was declared pandemic. The following shortened season was almost fully without fans in the arena and the 2022 season attendance numbers still did not reach pre-pandemic level.

The district, along with major cities like New York City and Boston, a vaccine mandate to enter public places such as restaurants and sport events. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that vaccine and mask requirements would be lifted last February, a policy that could lead more fans to the arena, though D.C. has a high .

“The big hurdle was always the restrictions and the requirements changed pretty quickly and often, which it was just difficult to keep up with,” Swann said. “So we took a big hit in the last two years just as everybody else did, but thankfully, we were able to stay open and continue to build back where we were before the pandemic.”

Pandemic restrictions took a significant toll on district businesses. While customer-facing industries recovered quickly as of June 2021, other small business revenues dropped by 57% compared to pre-pandemic levels, to the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

“We haven’t been able to see a true full Caps game day in a while,” Swann said. “But even last season, as the season progressed, we started to see a lot of regulars, more and more people were coming out, more and more people were going to the games.”

Local fans and visitors do not face pandemic-related restrictions as the district and the United States no longer observe a vaccine mandate or proof of negative COVID-19 test. Positive Impacts of the removal of restrictions should reflect Penn Quarter businesses.

“Going into 2023, we have high hopes that we are going to get as close back to pre-pandemic volume on those Capital One events as we can,” Swann said.

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