Petworth Citizen and Loyalty Bookstore on the 800 block of Upshur Street NW

Petworth Citizen (829 Upshur Street NW) will close its doors for good on February 1st. The space will go through a two-month renovation, with a new, larger concept in the works.

“It’s been a successful six years at Petworth Citizen and we’ve had a lot of great events as Petworth’s local watering hole,” said owner Paul Ruppert. “Over the years we’ve been proud to be a gathering spot for our neighbors, who became our friends. I am sad to see the end, but am excited about what is coming next. I am grateful to the Petworth community for all of the support of Petworth Citizen over the years.”

While we’re saying goodbye to a great saloon, we get to welcome a new idea at the same time.

The space occupied currently by Citizen at 829 Upshur will be merged with the space at 827 Upshur held by Loyalty Bookstore, owned by Hannah Oliver Depp. The two spaces will be combined into a larger restaurant / bar/ bookstore.

“We’re rethinking the 829 and 827 spaces,” Depp said. “My dream concept is a bookstore / bar. It’s been done before, but we’re hoping for something more fluid and integrated and less partitioned out with ‘this space is for books, this space is for the bar,’ that kind of thing. Our plan is for Loyalty to have an integrated concept with the new restaurant and bar. More like an expanded version of the Reading Room, mixing programming with the bar.”

Depp said that during the renovations of the two storefronts on Upshur, Loyalty Books will stay on Upshur Street, albeit in other spaces for the time being. “We are not leaving Upshur Street,” she said.

“Details are coming soon! Meanwhile, we will physically be on the block. Our customers’ memberships, gift cards and events are safe,” she added. A press release will be coming from Loyalty in the next day or so which should give more information on their next steps. (Depp is also in the process of opening a second Loyalty Bookstore in Silver Spring.)

Restaurants have a somewhat short lifespan in the District, so Citizen’s six years speak well for the longevity. Upshur has seen restaurants close in the past few years, including Ruta del Vino, which in turn became the successful Cinder BBQ. Some see this turnover as problematic, others see it as how businesses ebb and flow, based on how well the restaurant is run, how rents rise, how the community responds.

Revenue versus expenses is always a challenge, especially within the increasingly crowded market developing within Upshur Street. As the market changes, businesses must find ways to keep up.

“With increased competition — both in the neighborhood and throughout the city — we need to rework the business to find a niche that both complements other businesses on Upshur Street, and at the same time stands apart,” said Ruppert.

Loyalty Bookstore owner Hannah Oliver Depp

“The economic situation in the area hasn’t changed for us in the last year,” Depp said. “That’s not why we’re making the change. This represents a new opportunity, and gives us a chance to be more present in the community. We are committed to Petworth!”

Mixologist Chantal Tseng, who’s been running the Literary Cocktails events in Citizen’s Reading Room for a few years, will be moving her programs to the Gibson on an interim basis starting the weekend of February 7th, before heading back to the new restaurant / bar / bookstore.

Ruppert invites the neighborhood to join them for the next two weeks as they celebrate the six years they’ve been in the neighborhood.

Petworth Citizen was named after the local newspaper that was published in the neighborhood during World War I. Copies of the paper adorn the walls. It’s been my personal watering hole since it opened, and I’ve consumed my fair share of bourbon, beer, wings and burgers while listening to local musicians, long readings of Ulysses and attending events at the Reading Room. It was the location of the very first Petworth News Shindig party in 2015, the first music “Bandstand” shows we hosted, and many nights out for dinner with the family. The staff there has always been great (shout out to Jeremy), and the local icon will definitely be missed.

That said, Loyalty Bookstore and Hannah Depp have been very welcome additions to the neighborhood. As change is a constant, I’m excited to see what Depp and her partners will do with the new, combined space at their disposal. I’m sure it will be great.

More details to come…