I spoke with Chris Brophy, the owner of Rhode Island Reds, an aweome cafe/restaurant/grocery in Hyattsville, and asked him to address this blog comment at the Rhode Island Avenue NE Insider, which said he's closing up shop today.
Unfortunately, he confirmed that it is true. There will be a "wake" tonight.
This is terrible news, as we've really enjoyed stopping in for a meal when biking along the Anacostia Tributary Trails. It's location on Route 1 at the southern edge of Hyattsville made it easy to access from DC, by both car and bicycle. The food is good and the atmosphere is relaxed.
Perhaps Rhode Island Reds won't stay closed for long, though. Chris also confirmed that everything is for sale at the starting price of $15,000. He said "this is probably the cheapest way into the food business in PG County if you know anybody."
Does anyone want to buy a restaurant operation in Hyattsville for cheap? I have to believe that there will be a lot more traffic in the area very soon, with even more restaurants, a grocery store, and homes opening up at Arts District Hyattsville in the coming months. The rent is cheap!
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Parking was a problem, though, as it will be for anyone else moving in. Too bad they have closed since more options are needed, even with Busboys opening up the street.
ReplyDeleteI think it's going to be hard for anyone to compete with Busboys! I think Reds got out just in the nick of time. And, Busboys has everything! A great and diverse selection of meal items. It's going to set the standard for what people expect in dining all along the Route 1 Corridor. Standards have been needed for such a long time.
ReplyDeleteEntry price is the least of your worries. Most restaurants fail from lack of sufficient capitalization; they under-estimate how much cash they're going to need for salaries and supplies and end up having to close their doors before they get their footing. Anyone paying that $15,000 would do well to have $150,000 to go with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen we went there today a sign was already up stating a new Bakery would be located there called Short Cuts, I believe.
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