By Jessica Sidman for Washington City Paper

June 27, 2012

This past weekend, the brunch crowd sipped Bloody Marys and chatted over lobster rolls and French toast on Hank’s Oyster Bar’s packed patio. Or rather, half-packed.

Twenty of the 40 seats on the restaurant’s newly expanded outdoor seating area are gone, leaving an empty, fenced-in concrete slab. A large sign posted there reads: “THIS AREA OF HANK’S OYSTER BAR IS CLOSED DUE TO AN INVOLUNTARY AGREEMENT.”

Nearly three weeks ago, Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators forced Hank’s to shut a portion of its patio following a dispute with a handful of nearby residents over the restaurant’s termination of its voluntary agreement with the neighborhood.

Since then, Hank’s has become the hottest battleground in a larger debate about how much power small groups should have over the operations of restaurants and bars. This isn’t just about a handful of tables in Dupont Circle; the clash is the latest twist in the District’s long saga of NIMBYs vs. new businesses. Should the city defer to residents trying to hold on to peace, order, and quiet? Or should it push for a lively, urban environment, particularly in dense neighborhoods like Dupont?

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