The former Phase 1, at 525 8th Street, SE. (photo credit Google maps)
RedRocks Owner to Bring New Japanese Pub to Barracks Row
by Larry Janezich
The former Phase 1 and Anxo Cidery at 525 8th Street on Barracks Row will become a new Japanese restaurant run by RedRocks Pizza owner James O’Brian, Washington Business Journal reports. The news will be welcome to other retailers on the street which has suffered a significant decline in foot traffic in recent years.
O’Brian has leased the property and reportedly has plans for a neighborhood Japanese ramen and izakaya (an informal Japanese pub serving variety of small dishes and snacks to accompany alcoholic drinks). The new restaurant will require an extensive $1 million dollar build out which O’Brian hopes will be complete in time to permit opening in December.
The former iconic lesbian bar was purchased and developed into retail space by Chris Martin of Martin-Diamond Developers. The firm is partnered with an international investment company specializing in developing retail properties targeting Millennials. Martin is also developing the Shakespeare Rehearsal space into retail space and in July will start construction of a three story mixed use building in the Shakespeare parking lot across the street (presided over by Barracks Row’s landmark mural on the side of Nooshi.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Will be so good to have a Japanese place (still miss the one that was on Penn Ave) back on The Hill.
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I would suggest that the decreased foot traffic is not so much due to some vacancies but mostly relative to the conditions, street environment and tenant mix on Barracks Row. The sidewalks are in embarrassing, filthy & dangerous conditions,the vagrancy on some blocks is intimidating, the 7-11 is an attractive nuisance, the plantings and tree boxes are in deplorable shape. It has reverted back to some of the same conditions that were a curse upon it before the renovations.
What’s more we now have a strip solely of restaurants and bars of which many are mediocre at best. Several under the same ownership keep changing paint color, names and menus but don’t address their underlying problems. Compounding the matter is the Waterfront and the Yards have supplanted Barracks Row with better options, better amenities and a better environment. As for the tenant mix, I’ve been here long enough to remember that before the remaking of 8th Street, there was actually a better mix of businesses. Hardware store, flooring store, florist, paint store, auto parts store, small office supply store, barber shops, pet grooming, imported furniture, lighting store……
I’m sure to receive blow-back for this posting but so be it. The BID and the Barracks Row Mainstreet officials should be living in Charles Allen’s and DDOT offices. It seems as though whoever is in charge of the BR Mainstreet office is asleep at the wheel and the community at large is suffering the consequences. Tip Tipton’s vision and leadership are sorely missed.
I am with you and agree Jim
Completely agree. Not just the ambience, but the mediocre establishments as well. 400-500 blocks are wastelands.
Totally agree. It’s a shame what’s been allowed to happen to Barracks Row in recent years. Why they are allowing the mess to take place between the 7/11 and Starbucks is beyond me. They’ve destroyed the businesses on that block (except 7/11) and even into the next.
The quality of restaurants has gone down too and I completely agree about them just re-opening with a new coat of paint.
Barracks Row Main Street — your tax dollars at work!