While dining at Olives Friday, my waiter informed me that they’d be closing their doors for renovations after the evening’s service. Staff have been told that renovations, the restaurant’s first in 12 years, will last until at least the end of August, if not into early September. Hopefully these “renovations” are not a signal that the renowned dining establishment is not coming back, an unconfirmed DC restaurant community rumor, but rather that the restaurant is getting a much needed face lift.
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Why start such a negative rumor? Restaurants HAVE to renovate frequently in order for their brand to remain fresh and appealing to the consumer. Not to mention their carpet, walls, and furniture take a beating and aren’t built to last forever. All restaurants have to go through this.
Stace: Of course restaurants like other shops, houses, etc. have to go through renovations. And after 12 years, I’m sure Olives is in good need of it. The point of my piece was to dispel the ongoing rumors with credible insider (waitstaff) information.
Holy defensive, Stace!
This is not the first time Olives has renovated in 12 years. The entire bar section was expanded (roughly doubled) in a months-long construction that was completed about two or three years ago. The walls of the restaurant were moved several feet out (towards the Starbucks / K St) to make room for this and add for several tables in the bar section (as well as the long, comunal table).
I don’t think the rest of the restaurant was renovated but saying that this is the restaurant’s “first renovation in 12 years” is at worst false and at best misleading.
Eric: I haven’t found any information that would confirm a partial renovation that took place 2-3 year.
The waiter at Olives informed me that the restaurant had not be renovated for 12 years. Those were his own words. Although the bar area may have been enlarged and more tables accommodated for, in my opinion this would be more an expansion than a renovation.
Either way, my 12 year comment did not imply that Olives was in shambles.
I hope this clear ups a bit about Olives. I am a regular at the restaurant which is only a few blocks from where I work.
The bar area was renovated a few years ago. I remember because I had to find another place to have lunch for a few months. However, the rest of the restaurant – the upper and lower dining rooms and the private rooms have not been updated since they opened.
I hope this clears it up.
Cindy: Thanks for the info. I walked by the restaurant a few days ago and saw the windows all covered with construction paper.
According to my waiter the renovations were going to heavily address the lower dining room/private rooms, which have been pretty much empty/deserted whenever I’ve dined there.