Here’s Why There’s a Fast Food “Ban” on Barracks Row

The outline on the map delineates the Barracks Row “overlay” created by the Zoning Board where fast food restaurants are technically banned.  

Here’s Why There’s a Fast Food “Ban” on Barracks Row

by Larry Janezich

Posted January 12, 2026

DC Board of Zoning regulations ban or restrict fast food outlets on certain commercial corridors like Barracks Row, Georgetown and Ninth Street, NW near the Convention Center.  The purpose is to prevent over-concentration and to limit adverse livability issues such as trash, rodents, and traffic.  The regulations also provide that restaurants can apply for an exception to the ban. 

The application for an exception is first considered by the appropriate ANC during which neighbors have an opportunity for input.  The ANC then makes a recommendation to the Board of Zoning: the recommendation is advisory only – ANC stands for Advisory Neighborhood Commission. 

The regulations state a number of criteria for the ANC to consider regarding whether the applicant is a fast food outlet and needs an exemption, including payment before eating, disposable tableware, production line food preparation, and pre-prepared food. 

During consideration of the application, the ANC will often require the restaurant to agree to a “Settlement Agreement” on the outlet’s operational procedures regarding trash, rodent, and odor management as well of hours of operation, as the price of their support.  The ANC can protest the exemption if a Settlement Agreement is not reached, which can result in an administrative delay, sometimes for months.  In the final analysis, however, a restaurant is whatever the Board of Zoning or Board of Zoning Adjustment decides it is.

ANC6B has recently begun planning to hold a Barracks Row stakeholders’ roundtable to discuss ways to promote economic diversity.  That issue has been discussed periodically on Barracks Row since at least 2012.  Taco Bell recently received an exception and opened the first week of 2026 – Popeyes has received an exception to open next door – and WingStop across the street has an application pending before ANC6B.  All three are on the 400 block of 8^th Street, SE, Barracks Row which already hosts the fast food spot Boli Pizza and the less restricted “fast-casual” outlets like &Pizza, Ledo Pizza, Dunkin’, Chiko, Chipotle, Maman Joon’s Kitchen, and Union Kitchen. 

In addition to some corridors and Zoning Board overlay areas, fast food outlets are banned in MU-4, MU-17, MU-24, MU-25, MU-26, MU-27 Zones.Here’s DC’s Zoning Map: https://maps.dcoz.dc.gov/HistoricZoning/