DC Encouraging Restaurants to Go Green

A District of Columbia agency is embarking on an effort to consult and assist with neighborhood restaurants--including those in and around Logan--who want to "go green" as part of a Greening DC Restaurants initiative.

Restaurants who are interested in participating in the program, which includes an operations assessment followed by in-depth workshops, may contact the program's manager at the Department of Small and Local Business Development.

We think that this is an excellent, proactive initiative on the part of the DC government (one of many progressive initiatives that our city is leading) and hope to see a number of restaurants taking advantage of it. As area places such as Commissary have shown, taking steps to be environmentally responsible doesn't have to involve significant cash expenditures or changes in operations.

The full text of the press release on the initiative is included below.

DSLBD Launches Greening DC Restaurants Project

The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) has begun
assessing restaurants to help DC's neighborhood restaurants as part Greening
DC Restaurants, a project that offers free technical assistance to
restaurants operating in District neighborhoods. Restaurants located in the
central business districts also may participate if space permits.

A pilot project made possible by a partnership between DSLBD and GreenHOME,
Greening DC Restaurants begins with an initial assessment of business
operations in January and February, and continues with in-depth workshops
and consultations from March through May.

Through these assessments, workshops, and consultations with a green expert,
participating restaurant owners will learn how to reduce their operating
expenses, increase customer sales, and positively impact the environment by
making a minimal to moderate investment in changing their energy/water
usage, product and equipment procurement, and front-of-house operations.

An accompanying how-to guide will help DC restaurants implement both short-
and long-term changes that can significantly impact their bottom line,
reduce a business' ecological footprint, and improve the dining and working
environment for customers and workers.

To schedule an initial assessment and sign-up for the workshops, contact:

Camille I. Nixon, Project Manager
Department of Small and Local Business Development
(202)741-0894 or camille.nixon@ dc.gov.
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What to say?

At least the parties involved used protection for their romantic alley encounter. (This is behind the south side of the 1300 block of R Street and the north side of the 1300 block of Corcoran, not too far off from where that infamous Knee Deep in Mud incident took place.)

Encourage Small Business

We're back from a weekend in Virgina wine country and felling very relaxed. (No, Virginia wine country is not an oxymoron. And, yes, it is far far better than other eastern U.S. wine regions like Long Island.) Now back to life in DC . . .

I received a blast email from Jim Graham's office this morning regarding a town hall meeting tonight to address city-wide tax relief for small businesses. As his office puts it:

Small businesses are facing incredible market barriers and bureaucratic
impediments to staying in their longtime locations, expanding into new
sites, or just trying to open a business for the first time.

This meeting will be held at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U) from 6:30 to 9 this evening. Think about what a huge issue this is for our neighborhood and come out to listen or to testify. Even if you don't want to speak, critical mass at these meetings is important to show city leaders what issues matter to their constituencies. Tax relief will ensure the long-term viability of neighborhood favorites like Pulp, Go Mama Go, Home Rule, and Redeem. It will also level the competition for storefront space, perhaps limiting the rapid proliferation of bank branches and blah national chains.

This could be one of the few times that I agree with Graham. It's just a shame that the email notice didn't go out until today.