Something New, Exciting and Fabulous

Release Date: Tuesday, January 10th 2012

DC Mayor Vincent Gray is flanked by President Tom Meyer and CEO John Laytham of the Clyde's Restaurant Group (L-R).

"We're thrilled that the Clyde's Restaurant Group chose to locate The Hamilton in Downtown. It is certain to become an extraordinary DC attraction," said DowntownDC BID Executive Director Richard H. Bradley.

On Monday, January 9, Bradley's feelings were echoed by city officials and others who turned out for The Hamilton’s (600 14th Street) elegant grand opening. They hailed the 24-7 venue as a boon to Downtown and another example of the city moving forward as it grows its nighttime economy and continues to rank No. 1 on the MarketWatch list of the Best Cities for Business.

Noting “there’s nothing like this” in DC, Mayor Vincent Gray said The Hamilton “will continue to notch up our game. It will continue to bring people into the District of Columbia.” Council Chairman Kwame Brown agreed, saying that The Hamilton “will connect 14th Street to Gallery Place and create a vibrant Downtown.”

The Hamilton, Downtown’s new restaurant and live music venue, opened its doors on December 18, creating 380 jobs. Owned by Clyde’s Restaurant Group, the 37,000-square-foot restaurant/club offers three first floor dining rooms, three bars and a sushi bar that seats 500 guests, and a lower level music room with three levels of table seating and two bars to accommodate 400 guests. The Loft, a private room with a large bar area, is located on the restaurant’s second level and is reminiscent of an English pub.

On opening day DC Mayor Vincent Gray tells a capacity crowd that the 37,000 square foot Hamilton "will continue to notch up our game. It will continue to bring people into the District of Columbia."

“About one-and-a-half years ago, we signed the lease and promised the city and Shorenstein Properties [the building’s landlord] that we would do something exciting and new to add vibrancy to Downtown,” said John Laytham, the chief operating officer of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which owns 13 local restaurants, including Clyde’s of Gallery Place (707 7th Street) and the Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th Street).

Indeed, Clyde’s followed through on its promise. The Hamilton represents an investment of $25 million. Clyde’s received $4.5 million in tax increment financing (TIF) from the city to develop the project.

The Hamilton is “the first big nightclub to be Downtown,” noted Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, who spoke briefly about the city’s positive growth.

left to right: Kevin Kuzemchak of Shorenstein Properties, John Laytham of the Clyde's Restaurant Group, Councilman Jack Evans, Mayor Gray, Councilman Kwame Brown, Tom Meyer of Clyde's, Councilman Vincent Orange and David Moran of Clyde's

Downtown’s newest prize occupies space vacated by Borders in the Hamilton Square building, constructed in 1929 and once operated as the flagship store for Garfinckel’s department store, which closed in 1990.

At 37,000 square feet (SF), The Hamilton surpasses Carmine's (425 7th Street) Italian restaurant by 17,000 SF. Carmine’s opened in Downtown with the city’s largest year-round seating capacity in 2010 and created more than 250 jobs. Of The Hamilton’s 380 employees, more than 200, or 53%, are DC residents.

The Hamilton is located at the corner of 14th and F streets, two blocks from the White House.  For more information about Grammy Award-winning vocalist Mavis Staples’ January 19 performance and more, visit The Hamilton's website.