The owner of seven Capitol Hill restaurants is defying Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order to limit seating and close bars due to the coronavirus, saying “we will not bow down to pressure from the mayor’s office or any group for that matter who covertly is attempting to shut us down.”
The Hill Restaurant Group, which operates the Hawk ’N Dove tavern, Finn’s, Lola’s and several others, said it fully understands the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak.
But it added in a statement, “We fully support our employees and our patrons. It is not our burden to bear nor is it our staff’s burden to bear.”
“All HRG restaurants will continue to operate as normal and we encourage our fellow industry folks to do the same,” the owners said.
The mayor tweeted at the restaurant group, “While I recognize that all of us have been stressed beyond our immediate understanding of how coronavirus has so quickly upended our daily lives and personal and business existence — you must comply with the DC Health notice.”
The mayor on Sunday ordered licensed nightclubs to shut down operations, and all eating and drinking establishments to eliminate bar seating. There are also restrictions on the number of patrons who can sit at tables at restaurants.
The restaurant group’s announcement drew a strong reaction on social media, with some people saying they would no longer patronize those restaurants.
David Zipper, a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, tweeted, “I invite fellow Washingtonians to join me in never again visiting any restaurant owned by Hill Restaurant Group.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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