Justice for All, Even the Liquor Stores
At the ANC meeting last Tuesday, the Commission unanimously voted against a request by the owner of SuperLiquor located at 1633 North Capitol Street N.E. to extend the store hours from the current 9 p.m. closing time, to one hour later, 10 p.m.
This matter does not even appear on the official monthly meeting agenda distributed . . . hours before the meeting? The public had no official notice of this matter.
Cleopatra Jones introduced the motion to reject the application. She said she had spoken with or received comments or letters from constituents who opposed the request.
She didn't speak with the owner. The owner didn't have any notice of the ANC meeting or that it would be voting on his request. And, when I walked into his store shortly before 9 p.m. this evening, I was the first to inform him of what the ANC had done.
Iyob, the owner, opened his store approximately three months ago. In that time, he has transformed an ugly metal grate into a large, well-lit, pleasant window storefront. Someone threw a brick at the new display two weeks ago, shattering a pane of glass that he had since covered up in such a way as to make it unnoticable. The door to the store is well-lit and he says he has been diligent to keep all loiterers away. I have not seen any outside his store (they are all across the street at Yeong Fong, waiting for their orders to be filled).
Naturally, he was a little upset at the development. Does the government want to run him out of business? He would have liked to have told his side at the ANC meeting, but he didn't have any notice. He says that other similar stores already are open until 10 p.m. and he cannot compete if they are permitted to be open one hour later. He is concerned that his livelihood is threatened. Are the commissioners against small businesses, he asked.
I suggested to him that with several new commissioners taking office next month, that the ANC's method of conducting business would likely change. Liquor stores are not well-thought of in our neighborhood, due to some elements that they might attract. But before the Commission takes action adverse to any specific business, it ought to hear that business's side. The hearing date is December 4.
posted by Kris Hammond @ 11/27/2006 10:09:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Kris,
I am a supporter of small businesses. However, North Capitol Street is plagued with liquor stores. There is an average of one liquor store every two blocks! One store on the corridor was paying $400 per month in rent for over a decade. That store made $400 per day on its profits from lottery sales. So I have very little sympathy for the liquor stores in our corridor.
However it is interesting that the new owner needs an extra hour of sales to make money. That speaks volumes! Simple supply and demand may be hurting his profits.
I agree the store owner should have ben informed prior to his vote, however, the business owner in me, feels that he should have lobbied the ANC for their positions prior to submitting his application. Also followed his application if it was a critical vote for him and his business. I am sure he will re-submit it again in the future.
Personally, I would have been ADAMANTLY opposed to his expanding his store hours. Isn't he making a ton of money selling single sales of beer all day?
The owner should contemplate new options to increase sales during his business hours. Offering products that can keep his cash register ringing all day long during his "core" business hours. Including diverse products, better wines, higher quality merchandise and a clean and consumer friendly store.
I wonder how much due diligence he did on the store prior to buying it? If the store was so profitable why did the previous owners sell it so quickly? The previous owners have not been here for more than a three years.
Walls of bullet resistant glass line the interior of that store. I've been in there precisely once. I won't be back because I refuse to spend my money in an establishment like that. I do not shop in bullet proof establishments.
Washington DC is unique because it's the nation's capitol. And, as well, that of, Capitol Hill North 5C-06, Eckington-Bloomingdale, of the entire District of Columbia. So, all is yours in envisioning neighborhood projects for the coming 2years. Do away with the degradation of community development, such as, liquor establishments; and, as well, you could save the futures of the residents/citizens of Eckington-Bloomingdale.
Hope that helps, that of my comment of blog post 11/27/2006.
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