Call Your Mother wins fight to stay open in Georgetown
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Photo: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Call Your Mother in Georgetown has won a fight with neighboring homeowners to keep its bagel shop running.
Why it matters: The deli has drawn lots of people and — over time — complaints from neighbors that some customers eat bagels on their stoops and leave trash behind.
State of play: City zoning officials sided with Call Your Mother on Wednesday, saying the business has made improvements to crowd management and trash disposal.
- The business won approval to continue operating as a corner store, a rarity on the corner of 35th and O Streets NW, which is mostly full of rowhouses near Georgetown University.
- One of the conditions requires CYM to have a point of contact for future community complaints.
Flashback: CYM opened inside an old florist shop in 2020 after an initial battle with neighbors. The complaints were eventually taken to court and D.C. zoning officials acknowledged earlier this year they erred in the process of allowing Call Your Mother to operate as a food establishment.
- Therefore, the Board of Zoning Adjustment instructed the shop to apply for a special exception. A hearing in June aired plenty of anger and support for the shop.
But Wednesday's 4-1 vote gave CYM the approval it needs to stay in operation.
What they're saying: "To the extent that the community is torn, it's because it is an attractive neighborhood amenity," said board member Carl Blake before voting in favor. "But it's also a distracting and disruptive neighborhood amenity."
Meanwhile, the brightly colored corner property recently traded hands. An LLC paid $1.7 million in cash for the two-story building, the Washington Business Journal reported last week.
- "We are excited for a new owner who is committed to keeping us there for the long haul," Call Your Mother co-owner Andrew Dana told the outlet.