image uploaded by Rukasu1 on Flickr
We have some happy news for the dive bar lovers in the neighborhood. The Tune Inn, which has been closed since a kitchen fire on June 22nd, will re-open for business on Friday afternoon after a final inspection.
Originally, it was reported that the bar and diner would open on Friday morning at 8 a.m., but the opening will be delayed — hopefully by just a few hours — and doors will open as soon as the bar passes final inspection, said owner Lisa Nardelli.
Visitors will notice new lighting, exposed brick and ceiling and new skylights, which make the bar feel open and brighter.
The Tune Inn also spent painstaking effort to keep the original bar and back bar. There’s a new finish applied to the wood and a new draft system. There are eight beers on tap, including the addition of some premium drafts like Flying Dog, Fat Tire and Turbodog.
Sneak peak slideshow and grand opening information after the jump…
“We wanted to make the bar look more like it did ten or fifteen years ago, back when my father owned the place.” Nardelli said.
Stone masons helped to restore brickwork and the wooden wall panels were stripped and refinished. Even the mounted animals and bar memorabilia received a thorough scrubbing.
Nardelli said the bar and food menu will largely remain the same, but the Tune Inn has added to their staff, including some kitchen and wait staff who previously worked at the Hawk ‘ n’ Dove.
The Tune Inn is the second oldest bar in Washington, DC. The bar opened in 1947 and has been family owned for three generations.
The bar has been closed for four months undergoing fire clean-up and renovations. A local community group, Friends of Tune Inn, banded together and raised nearly $40,000 to offset salaries lost during the renovations.
“The community and firefighters played a big role in saving us,” Nardelli said.
And, in true Tune Inn form, there will be a special thank you event on Sunday, November 6th, from 10 a.m. to Noon for the fire fighters from the DC Fire Department who responded to the blaze and saved the bar from being completely destroyed.
Stop by to show your support and to welcome back one of our favorite Hill institutions.
From the press release:
Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar to ReopenFour Months After Fire Destroys Kitchen the Capitol Hill Staple ReturnsWhat: Four months after a kitchen fire closed the Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar, the Capitol Hill landmark is reopening its doors and kitchen. On Friday, November 4 the Tune Inn will reopen at its regular time of 8 AM after significant rehabilitation. On June 22, 2011 a large fire in the kitchen caused the immediate closure of the Tune Inn. While the restaurant and bar area was mostly spared from the flames, there was significant smoke and water damage that needed to be repaired in addition to the complete rebuilding of the kitchen. In July, nearly $40,000 was raised by The Friends of the Tune Inn at an event to support the staff of the Tune Inn who were without work while the restaurant was closed for repairs.A special Thank you event will be held on Sunday, November 6 from 10 am to Noon for the brave fire fighters from the DC Fire Department who responded to the blaze and saved the Tune Inn from being completely destroyed.When: Friday, November 4, 20118:00 AMWhere: 331 ½ Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Additional reporting and photo slideshow courtesy of Tim Ebner, The Hill is Home
That’s it: this calls for a grilled cheese sandwich, Claudia.
Definitely — their grilled cheese with bacon is one of the best ways I can think of to to celebrate their re-opening. I cannot wait to stop in again! THIH party may have to be in the works…
That’s it: this calls for a grilled cheese sandwich, Claudia.
Definitely — their grilled cheese with bacon is one of the best ways I can think of to to celebrate their re-opening. I cannot wait to stop in again! THIH party may have to be in the works…
Jennie, who worked there in the 1970s, pushed the West Virginia (her home), which was as I recall a was a grilled ham & cheese on rye, something like that. If you asked for desert, she replied, “honey, the only thing sweet here is me.”
Speaking of lost in the ozone, now that we’re nostalgia mongering, in the 1960s there was a seedy bar next door, the space is now part of Roland’s, called Jennie’s. Something like that. I recall a large man sitting on a kitchen chair atop a small stage playing rockabilly on a Fender.
Dan
Jennie, who worked there in the 1970s, pushed the West Virginia (her home), which was as I recall a was a grilled ham & cheese on rye, something like that. If you asked for desert, she replied, “honey, the only thing sweet here is me.”
Speaking of lost in the ozone, now that we’re nostalgia mongering, in the 1960s there was a seedy bar next door, the space is now part of Roland’s, called Jennie’s. Something like that. I recall a large man sitting on a kitchen chair atop a small stage playing rockabilly on a Fender.
Dan
Jennie, who worked there in the 1970s, pushed the West Virginia (her home), which was as I recall a was a grilled ham & cheese on rye, something like that. If you asked for desert, she replied, “honey, the only thing sweet here is me.”
Speaking of lost in the ozone, now that we’re nostalgia mongering, in the 1960s there was a seedy bar next door, the space is now part of Roland’s, called Jennie’s. Something like that. I recall a large man sitting on a kitchen chair atop a small stage playing rockabilly on a Fender.
Dan