WASHINGTON — Popular restaurant, KitchenCray is shutting down its H Street location later this month after one of the owners said it’s being unfairly targeted by the advisory neighborhood commission (ANC) and neighbors in the area.
"I’m upset because they’re treating us so unfairly," said co-owner James Robinson, better known as Chef JR.
After four years in business the corner of 13th and H Streets in Northeast, Chef JR tells WUSA9 he plans to shut the doors.
"I am sad because we really put a lot of money and a lot of effort in here and we hired a lot of people from the community and a lot of them are coming home getting a second chance," Robinson said.
The restaurant will close later this month. KitchenCray has three locations across the DMV. The H Street restaurant opened back in 2019, but Robinson says it has been a battle with neighbors and the ANC for three years.
Robinson says his restaurant is being blamed for things they have no control over. “Because of KitchenCray they don’t have no where to park, because of KitchenCray it’s a lot of loud noise, a lot of engines running, a lot of crimes happening."
According to minutes from a recent ANC meeting , neighbors brought up concerns that kitchen cray suddenly opened a nightclub causing loitering, littering, noise, and unseemly behavior and accused staff of smoking marijuana on the job.
"The guy said my staff is high everyday but he never stepped foot in my restaurant," said Robinson.
WUSA9 reached out to the ANC representing the H Street corridor for comment and received the following statements:
Statement by ANC 6A Chair Amber Gove:
"ANC 6A did not protest KitchenCray’s ongoing application for a substantial change to their license. As with any business seeking a new or renewed license within our Commission area, our volunteer Commissioners and Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee members follow a well-defined, public meeting and engagement process. For several months and over the course of multiple public meetings, we have sought to help Kitchen Cray come into compliance, grow their business, and assist neighbors and KitchenCray to work together."
Statement by 6A06 Commissioner Robb Dooling:
"I treat KitchenCray fairly, like other H Street NE establishments that seek new licenses or changes to existing ones. KitchenCray opened an unauthorized nightclub in its basement outside of the bounds of its restaurant license, with no notice. In March, KitchenCray’s attorney wrote to me in an email: “They’ve invested a good amount in the lower level but were not as proactive as perhaps they should have been in seeking a substantial change”. The unauthorized nightclub, Flight Lounge, was the cart in front of the horse by months. I have worked tirelessly since March to help KitchenCray restore the trust lost through the unauthorized nightclub, but many neighbors who supported the restaurant feel betrayed and unsafe. I support nightclubs that operate with transparency and I want to see KitchenCray succeed."
“If the mayor is saying they want to have more black businesses in dc to drive that traffic to DC and then the people are complaining about the traffic I don’t get it,” said Robinson.
Robinson says he plans to open another location in DC but didn’t say where. The timeline will be later this year or sometime in 2024.