One of Park View's only sit-down restaurants, Mothership, is preparing to close. The last day of service will likely be brunch on Feb. 22.
"I just don't have deep enough pockets," says chef and owner Stephan Boillon. "Business just isn't where I need it to be, and I just haven't made any money. For a while there, I was breaking even and it was doable, but I think everybody's taking a little downturn lately, and I don't have the money to keep it going."
While Boillon emphasizes that neighbors have been very good to him, "I was kind of like this island in the middle of nowhere." He says when he signed the lease, there were plans for 700 condo units nearby. "And none of them have broken ground yet," he says. "That critical mass of customers just wasn't there."
Mothership was one of the first D.C. restaurants to use Kickstarter to raise funds for its buildout. It opened in early 2013.
Boillon says he will take a few weeks off after the closure and then bring back the sandwich food truck he ran before opening Mothership. The truck will be pretty much the same as it was except with a few additional items. And yes, it will still be called El Floridano.
"I have that tattooed on my arm," he says. "That's not going anywhere."
Photo by Darrow Montgomery