Local

Eagle seeks to move to Benning Road

Plans to add cafe, summer rooftop garden

Published

11 years ago

December 23, 2013

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

The D.C. Eagle is leaving its New York Avenue location and moving to a warehouse building at 3701 Benning Road, N.E.

The D.C. Eagle, a gay bar since 1971, filed papers with the city on Dec. 13 to move into a three-story warehouse building at 3701 Benning Rd., N.E., where it proposes to operate as a tavern and restaurant and offer live entertainment, dancing, a rooftop “summer garden” and a small retail gift shop.

Co-owners Theodore “Ted” Clements and Peter Lloyd filed the papers with the D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration as an application to transfer the Eagle’s liquor license from its current location at 639 New York Ave., N.W.

The popular bar, which caters to a leather-Levi clientele, must leave the New York Avenue location by Jan. 31 to make way for the construction of a new office building. Clements told the Blade in an interview last year that the Eagle has been in the New York Avenue building for more than 25 years and operated in two other downtown D.C. locations since first opening on 9th Street, N.W. in 1971.

Clements and Lloyd couldn’t immediately be reached this week to discuss the application to move to the Benning Road location.

The 18-page application submitted to ABRA asks for an entertainment endorsement, a feature that the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which is an arm of ABRA, must approve for taverns to offer certain types of entertainment.

“Types of entertainment include dancing, four piece bands, open mic, contests and fundraisers for charity,” the application says. “Dance floor will approximate 800 square feet and a small retail gift shop will be included on the premises,” it says,

The application says the new Eagle building would also feature a rooftop summer garden with 100 seats and a sidewalk café with 36 seats.

In a space on the application form that asks if “any other business” would be conducted on the premises, Clements and Lloyd replied that a tavern called Terminal Alley LLC and a catering service called “Eagle Eye Catering LLC” would operate “adjacent” to the D.C. Eagle but in the same building.

A spokesperson for the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue said records show the building at 3701 Benning Rd., N.E. consists of 16,984 square feet of “gross building area.”

Evie Washington, a member Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7F, which has jurisdiction over the area where the building is located, said she met earlier this month with the two principals of the Eagle and their attorney at their request to discuss their plans for the building.

“They want to be good neighbors,” she said.

Washington noted that the building is located two and a half blocks from the Minnesota Ave., Metro station and a short distance from access to Interstate Rt. 295, which feeds into Maryland and Virginia. She said the area surrounding the intersection of Benning Rd. and Minnesota Ave., where the Eagle is seeking to move, is experiencing new residential and commercial development.

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World Pride 2025

D.C. liquor board extends drinking hours for WorldPride

Gay bars, other liquor-serving establishments can stay open 24 hours

Published

2 hours ago

May 2, 2025

Lou Chibbaro Jr.

Sasha Colby performs at Pitchers in 2023. Liquor-serving establishments in D.C. will be able to remain open for 24 hours during WorldPride. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board, which regulates liquor sales for the city’s bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and other establishments licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, has approved extended hours for alcohol service and sales during the days when most WorldPride events will be held in the nation’s capital.

In a May 2 announcement, the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, which works with the board, said the extended liquor serving and sales hours for WorldPride will take place beginning Friday, May 30, through 4 a.m. Monday, June 9.

Although the official schedule for WorldPride events shows the events will take place May 17-June 8, most of the large events, including a two-day Pride street festival, parade, and concert, were expected to take place between May 30 and June 8.

According to the ABCA announcement and an ABCA spokesperson, liquor servicing establishments with the appropriate license can stay open for 24 hours and serve alcoholic beverages from 6 a.m. through the day and evening until 4 a.m., with no liquor sales allowed from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. during the May 30-June 9 period.

The ABCA announcement says liquor serving establishments must apply for the extended hours option and pay a $100 registration fee by a deadline on May 27.

Sources familiar with the liquor board have said the board has for many years approved the extension of liquor serving and sales hours for important events and for certain holidays such as New Year’s Eve.

At the time it approved the extended hours for WorldPride the liquor board also approved extended hours during the time when games for a World Cup soccer tournament will be held in the city on June 18, June 22, and June 26.

It couldn’t immediately be determined how many of D.C.’s 22 LGBTQ bars plan to apply for the extended drinking hours. David Perruzza, owner of the Adams Morgan gay bar Pitchers and its adjoining lesbian bar A League of Her Own, said he will apply for the 4 a.m. extended hours option but he does not intend to keep the two bars open for the full 23 hours.

Under the city’s current alcoholic beverage regulations, licensed liquor serving establishments may serve alcoholic beverages until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.

World Pride 2025

Episcopal bishop to speak at WorldPride human rights conference

Trump demanded apology from Mariann Edgar Budde over post-Inauguration sermon

Published

11 hours ago

May 2, 2025

Michael K. Lavers

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde. (Screen capture via PBS NewsHour/YouTube)

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde is among those who are scheduled to speak at the WorldPride 2025 Human Rights Conference that will take place from June 4-6.

Budde, who is the bishop of the Diocese of Washington, in January urged President Donald Trump “to have mercy” on LGBTQ people, immigrants, and others “who are scared right now” during a post-Inauguration service that he and Vice President JD Vance attended at the Washington National Cathedral. Trump criticized Budde’s comments and demanded an apology.

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde speaks at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21, 2025. (PBS NewsHour clip)

A press release the Washington Blade received notes Icelandic Industries Minister Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, UK Black Pride founder Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, and Bob the Drag Queen are among those who are also expected to participate in the conference.

The conference will take place at the JW Marriott (1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) and registration is open here.

World Pride 2025

Pabllo Vittar to perform at WorldPride

Brazilian drag queen, singer, joined Madonna on stage in 2024 Rio concert

Published

1 day ago

May 1, 2025

Staff reports

Pabllo Vittar (Screen capture via Pabllo Vittar/YouTube)

A Brazilian drag queen and singer who performed with Madonna at her 2024 concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach will perform at WorldPride.

The Capital Pride Alliance on Thursday announced Pabllo Vittar will perform on the Main Stage of the main party that will take place on June 7 at DCBX (1235 W St., N.E.) in Northeast D.C.

Vittar and Anitta, a Brazilian pop star who is bisexual, on May 4, 2024, joined Madonna on stage at her free concert, which was the last one of her Celebration Tour. Authorities estimated 1.6 million people attended.