Georgetown Pizza Carryout Canned
City says Georgetown restaurant became illegal carryout, shuts it down
By TOM SHERWOOD
Updated 8:11 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 11, 2010
It's not like you can't get a slice of pizza most any where in the Washington area, but the Philly Pizza and Grill on Prospect Street in Georgetown apparently went a little overboard in supplying pizzas late night and early morning.
According to city officials and neighbors (see the photos they took), the tiny little restaurant with seating for less than a dozen turned itself into a full-time carryout with hundreds of customers who crowded in late a night and even early in the morning.
"It was noisy, lots of trash and general disorder," said ANC Commissioner Bill Starrels who helped lead a neighborhood and official attack on the pizza joint.
After months of legal hearings and testimony, the owners voluntarily shut down this week as they faced even tougher legal action from the city.
Although a representative of the owners couldn't be reached, city officials said the pizza parlor may apply for a proper license in the future, but neighbors are hoping the tiny shop becomes something a little more compatible to the neighborhood. A Domino's Pizza parlor is a half-block away, next door to the venerable Booeymonger.
Mayor Adrian Fenty, DCRA Director Linda Argo and D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles joined with neighborhood residents and businesses to celebrate the pizza joint victory. Nickles kind of turned it into a political rally for the mayor's reelection this fall, saying the Fenty administration has gone after illegal businesses ranging from auto shops to massage parlor brothels to slum landlords and, now, illegal pizza operations.
"We are going to continue to go after businesses that fail to comply to the law, it's that simple," Nickles said.
First Published: Mar 10, 2010 5:40 PM EDT
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