Washington restaurant maven Don Rockwell is reporting via Twitter that American Flatbread in Clarendon will be closing for good on Christmas Eve.
In an article about the pizza restaurant published earlier today, Rockwell discussed the lack of customers at Flatbread, which sits two blocks away from Clarendon’s main Wilson Boulevard drag.
American Flatbread is too honorable for the Clarendon neighborhood, quite frankly. They walk the walk when it comes to honoring sustainable agriculture, local farming, and quality ingredients. Unfortunately, without a critical mass of customers, American Flatbread itself may not be sustainable.
Flatbread suffered a major setback this summer when the county board denied its request to open an outdoor dining patio (limited sidewalk seating was approved instead).
Reached by phone this evening, owner Scott Vasko refused to confirm or deny Rockwell’s reporting.
Update at 5:30 p.m. — Vasko sent the following email to customers tonight:
Dear Friends & Loyal Guests,
It is with a heavy, heavy heart that I need to let you know that we will be ceasing operations at American Flatbread Clarendon Hearth as of Christmas Eve. The forced closing is the result of a number of factors including, but not limited to: severe issues with the environmental system, the dramatic loss of business from the outdoor seating debacle, and; a poor relationship with a very adversarial landlord.
Unfortunately, we do not have any options. The landlord has forced us out. The fact that they are doing it before Christmas – gives you an idea of what it’s been like to deal with them. We are hoping to get the word out quickly so we can go out with a bang. We are hoping to generate as much revenue for the staff as possible before we close – starting tonight! So please come out and send us out BIG! We plan on maintaining regular hours until we close next Friday. So, please come out to say good-bye, share some stories, share a laugh and share a tear, and a drink or…
Thank you for loyal support.
Janice, Evan, and I are deeply appreciative.
Hat tip to EatMore DrinkMore