No More Roller Skating Rink Pizza

I was going to ask the guy who hangs around that area if he had any idea but I haven’t seen him either since the closing.

Did it fail because it didn’t accept credit or debit cards?

One of my co-workers asked and was told that rent just got too high. The same thing happened to Soho, which was a similar lunch place about two blocks away, in the past year. I would guess the area’s changed a lot since their leases started and rents have gone up significantly.

Maybe it’s because the staff was so rude people stopped going there.

Seem like it would be a perfect spot for frozen yogurt or cupcakes!

Central Liquors just moved due to rent increases as well. They’re moving just a few blocks away, but I miss having them as my next-door neighbor. *snif*

Or, I don’t know, maybe some new small-plates restaurant? I would say I miss this place (the pizza WAS pretty decent), but I didn’t even notice it had closed and I live on that block. Oh well.

The only tenants at this point are the Wachovia on 9th and the cleaners and hair salon on D St. Looks like they should try harder to get those spaces filled.

Central Liquors is another soon to go the way of the dodo — and for good reason with their snarling customer service. I have never been treated with such disdain as I am when I am in CL. I live a block from the old store, but found the walk up to Modern Liquors at 9th and N well worth it. Friendly, knowledgeable and willing to take special orders.

Would not miss CL/

Could not disagree more about Central Liquors. I really like those guys. And contrary to J’s comments, I’ve had them do special orders for me, ask my opinion about various boozes that I liked to drink, and offer suggestions to me when I was torn (or puzzeled) about various champagnes.

I didn’t shy away from them though, I engaged them. And I suspect they are the type who don’t reach out. So I can see how that would make them appear off-putting. Once we were introduced (a move they made after I started talking to them), they would always call me by name when I walked into the store. I’ll miss them being at 9th & F, but 7th & E is close too.

only went in there once but it did have some primo real esate.

I agree, Columbo. I really liked those guys too. Will have to walk a bit further now to get beer.

Yep, CL did special orders and recommended many good bottles of wine for me. I’m a big fan.

Why would you buy booze in DC when you can save serious tax money and buy it in Arlington?

I agree with Columbo – Alec (owner) is great. He knows me and we often chat about wine, etc. He will hold bottles for me if I ask, he calls or emails when he gets a wine he thinks I will like and even told me he would be willing to deliver to me at my building – I declined (of course). The ‘brothers’ are more reserved and to be honest, I think their English is not strong which makes them seem a bit ‘removed’ but I have never had any issue with any of them. I am glad they have moved and will continue to go there.

Because booz is MUCH MUCH cheaper than Arlington’s state monopoly liquor stores. Don’t believe me? Go to Magruder’s or Calvert Woodley on Connecticut Ave (or check their specials online) and see just how much cheaper. Your local corner market probably won’t be though.

OK, CL lovers, so where are they moving to? If its 7th and E right beside CBarton condos, apparently its ok with the CB owners bc we have not heard a peep out of them.

Do they have to get approval to move, ie, similar to a bar or club where the owners present in open meetings with community.

We recently moved from 801 PA (condo). The loss of Manhattan Deli is MAJOR! I was a regular and they were friendly!
Central Liquors is another matter: the owners/help were surly and although I am 70, dress fine, told them I live in the neighborhood etc. they were always very suspicious I would steal something. They followed me around. I complained and offered to leave my sport coat up front; they remained as nasty as they always were. It is a pleasure for me to never have to shop there again!!!! You lose some (Manhattan Deli) and win some (Central having to move and hopefully go out of business). For many years a resident of Penn Quarter.

Central liquors website says their new location is 625 E St., which I believe is the old Numark Gallery space.

I wonder what will happen to the Central Liquor sign. I love the way it looks.

If I lived in the Clara Barton, I would’ve had serious issues with CL moving across the street. Unlike Zola wine shop, CL brings with it certain, less desirable customers to have as the new neighbors.

I dont see the home less guys looking for cheap booze much at the CL now but 7th &E makes it the closest spot for the homelsss in the Parks and benches around Pennsylvania Ave b/t 6&9 Sts.

They could probably stay high end and be too expensive for the homeless but would be nice if they would engage community or CBarton and nearby condos to explain how they will address the potl problems.

Single serve cans are banned I guess but I still see cheap wine bottles and cans (they pitch in and buy a sixer?).

Someone mentioned that SoHo closed because the rent increased. That is not my understanding and I have no idea how rumors like that get started.

As to Manhattan Deli, I have no idea if there was a difference of opinion in what the rent increase should be for the Manhattan Deli space 20 years after the owner and leasee executed the initial lease. I did hear a rumor that the owner intended to open a pizza place nearby since that was his big seller.

But before everyone gets excited about rent increases for Manhattan Deli, think about both salary increases and cost increases due to inflation over the past 20 years. Your housing costs have increased (even if only your condo fee, taxes, insurance, and utitlities), your food, restaurant bills, doctors, education, travel, hotel, clothing, furniture, and almost all other costs have increased over the past 20 years. Is anything other than computers less expensive (cell phones and plasma TV’s weren’t around so they don’t count).

Manhattan Deli moved in when Trammell Crow developed Market Square — just over 20 years ago. Studio units originally sold for under $100,000. I have to believe the retail base rent was significantly lower than Penn Quarter retail space commands today. It’s a problem for almost everyone whose income has remained flat. I have no knowledge if there were escalation clauses in Manhattan Deli’s lease, but all leases in new buildings pass on to tenants certain costs, including taxes, security, and utilities (it’s called a triple net lease). So costs would have increased over the years even without a rent increase; if the lease included an escalation clause, there would have been some increase in the rent as well, probably calculated after 5 or 10 years. Considering that nearly all other costs have increased over the past 5, and certainly 10 and 20 years, it is not surprising nor unreasonable for the owner to want a higher rent, something closer to market rate, especially if the owner has to answer to a board or investors.

Most businesses that closed here did so because they were not succeeding as a business. Some left because they were on short-term leases that expired and they saw other opportunities. Some were successful but not sufficiently so to meet the goals set by the corporate owners and so on. There are many reasons businesses close, sometimes before a lease ends, sometimes because they choose not to renew a lease. Finding the facts is hard and jumping to conclusions is easy.

Liquor is definitely generally cheaper in DC than VA/MD, but not at Central Liquors (or Safeway). That’s why I didn’t shop there. Too many better options around, including Washington Wine & Liquor at 12th & E.

It’s no surprise that the Manhattan Deli closed. First of all, who names a restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, DC after a neighborhood in NYC? Weird. Secondly, why weren’t they open on the weekends? They could have copied the successful breakfast fare at Eastern Market and had plenty of diners. Finally, there was a distinct attitude problem. The last time I saw the manager, he was staring down people who had come to listen to a Tuesday evening concert at the Navy Memorial, almost defying them to sit on one of his chairs. Who wants to buy ice cream from a guy like that?
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I won’t miss the Manhattan Deli at all, but I am sorry that a space with such good potential is sitting empty.

I was a frequent pizza customer from Manhattan Deli for a decade. They had great pizza. I occasionally went in for breakfast – they were the only breakfast place on a Saturday morning that was not in a hotel or named McDonald’s within a 5 block radius. They had great chopped liver and deli meats. It is a shame. But, there was something strange. Not taking credit cards. Not willing to deliver when I tried to put in an order for 30 pizzas for my office. Unwilling to advertise, when they clearly could have done a lot more business outside of the lunch hours.

Makes me wonder what the real story is behind the business.

So, I hope a local entrepreneur buys their pizza equipment and hooks up with their deli supplier. Please, renovate and put in table and booth seating, and pull together a real delicatessen and pizza joint where we can get tasty food and meet with friends. Serve breakfast! Tourists would love this, too.

As some have noted, the Manhattan Deli folks had a huge attitude problem. The only one in there that didn’t have a bug up his rear end was one of the pizza cooks. He’s the only one who has my sympathy for losing his job. The others can go rot under a bridge for all I care.