WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Just this week, three businesses across D.C. have announced plans to close up shop.
Thursday morning, Brine Oyster & Seafood House owners Aaron McGovern and Artuas Vorobjovas released a joint statement saying they'd be closing both their District locations permanently.
The news was not necessarily surprising, but definitely disappointing to their neighbors along H Street in Northeast.
"It's heartbreaking," said Tony Temulden, the owner of The Pug on H Street. He says he understands the concerns about crime in the District.
"If you look at Twitter or social media, it's like 'Hey here's my kid, and here's another carjacking.' It's not being overstated, but I think there are a lot of factors in play," said Temulden.
He tells WUSA9 it's not easy to run a small business in D.C.
"Before COVID and before this crime wave, owning your own restaurant was a tough road on its own. It's just very hard to run a business in D.C. even under the best circumstances. Every little punch at us slows us down even more."
"It's a combination of so many issues that is causing these businesses to close down, but crime is at the top of the list," said Anwar Saleem, the Executive Director of H Street Main Street.
"We have to really get a handle on it. We're doing a number of health checks to find out what businesses are dealing with, what challenges there really are. We have some work to do, some homework to really stabilize this. We are at the point where we have to reset," he said Friday night.
He tells WUSA9 they're working with local police, but also want the other agencies to step up and help with behavioral and mental health issues, as well as homeless housing needs. They're also coming up with new ways to try and help the local business owners.
"We're looking at profiling businesses to show what they have to offer on the H Street Corridor. We're working with the police department to show how safe H Street is. I think it's perception for H Street. When you look at hard crimes, I think if you look at other neighborhoods, they have a tougher time when it comes to crime," said Saleem.
He says the issues they're facing on H Street stretch far beyond their corridor.
Buttercream Bakery in Mount Vernon Square announced on Instagram Thursday that they'd also be shutting down.
Friday afternoon, WUSA9 confirmed that both the Hotel Harrington and Harry's, which is located inside the hotel, are planning to close soon. A person who answered the phone Friday afternoon, told WUSA9 they plan to close December 12.
Back on H Street, Saleem believes things are about to get better.
"We have attracted since the pandemic, over 15 new businesses. That story is not being told. So, we are doing some great things on H street, but we have to calm down the perception that H street is not safe, It's really not as true as many people think," said Saleem.
As for Temulden, he says he's not giving up and The Pug is not going anywhere.
"I'm not leaving. I've been here too long and I'm not giving up. It's my city. It's our city. It's my hometown and I'm not giving up on it," said Temulden.