Dr. Dremo’s

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

First bloom of the season (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Wounded Marine’s Golf Clubs Stolen — Retired Marine Lt. Col. Justin Constantine had a couple of his beloved, custom-made golf clubs stolen from Arlington’s Army Navy Country Club after accidentally leaving them at the driving range. Constantine was shot in the face by a sniper in Iraq in 2006. So far, one of the clubs has been returned while two remain missing. [Marine Corps Times]

Video: iPads in Use at APS — Arlington Public Schools has posted a new “#digitalAPS” video that shows iPads in use in a middle school science class. [Arlington Public Schools]

APS Community Engagement Juggling Act — Arlington Public Schools is planning a community engagement blitz as it seeks to keep up with rapidly rising school enrollment by building new schools. This comes in the wake of the County Board putting the brakes on a plan, unpopular with some residents, to build new elementary school next to Thomas Jefferson Middle School. APS is trying to juggle getting community consensus with the need to build new capacity quickly. [InsideNova]

Dremo’s Owner Dreams Up ‘BeerDisneyLand’ — The owner of the late, lamented Dr. Dremo’s in Rosslyn is proposing to build a two-acre “BeerDisneyLand” on D.C.’s Anacostia River waterfront near Navy Yard. [Hill Now]

Flickr pool by Kevin Wolf

Bardo Rodeo to Return… in D.C.

By ARLnow.com

Bardo Rodeo, the Courthouse-area brewpub that eventually became Dr. Dremo’s Tap House (closed in 2008), is now being resurrected — in the District.

Last year we reported that co-owner Andrew Stewart had been raising money for a possible new Clarendon location for Dremo’s. That fell through, and almost exactly one year ago Stewart told Urban Turf that he was looking to open a “huge bar in DC with an in-house brewery.” Today, several news outlets are reporting that Stewart and his brother, Bill, will indeed be opening a Bardo Rodeo location at 1200 Bladensburg Road in Northeast D.C.

The Washington Post reports that Bardo will brew its own beer, using brewing equipment mothballed after the Arlington location ceased brewing operations.

“Everything’s going to be the same,” Bill Stewart, Jr. told the Post. “Same recipes, same equipment.”

Prince of Petworth has photos of the tire store and two adjacent buildings that Bardo will be replacing.

According to a liquor license application cited by Titan of Trinidad, the brewpub will have 98 seats inside and 251 seats at an outdoor “summer garden.”

The new Bardo is expected to open at some point early next year.

Photo by Patrick Kennerly via cizauskas/Flickr

Morning Poll: Dr. Dremo’s Gives Up on Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Dr. Dremo’s has given up on trying to reopen in Arlington, reports Rebecca Cooper in the Urban Turf Neighborhood Eats blog.

Dremo owner Andrew Stewart says he will no longer try to find a new Arlington home for the beer-centric dive bar. Instead, he’s now focused on opening a new venue — with a new name — in D.C.

How do you feel about what is perhaps the final nail in the Dremo’s coffin?

Dr. Dremo’s Still Raising Money for Possible Clarendon Location

By ARLnow.com

Andrew Stewart, owner of the late, lamented Dr. Dremo’s Taphouse, is still raising money for a possible new Dremo’s location in Clarendon.

Stewart tells ARLnow.com that he has raised about $175,000 of the $400,000 to $500,000 he needs to bring the watering hole back to life. Having already sold interest-bearing investments, Stewart is now selling ownership shares in the new bar.

Stewart says that he has negotiated a purchase price for an existing business in Clarendon, and now just must raise enough money to get the new Dremo’s off the ground and running.

In June, the Washington Business Journal first reported that Stewart was eying a 6,000 square foot space somewhere in Clarendon. Stewart says he’s not going to reveal the exact location until he signs a lease.

Dr. Dremo’s Seeking Investors for New Location

By ARLnow.com

The former owner of Dr. Dremo’s is once again seeking investors to help secure a possible new location for the late, lamented dive bar.

The Washington Business Journal first reported that Andrew Stewart is eying a 6,000 square foot space somewhere in Clarendon. The exact location has not been revealed.

Stewart has come close securing a new location for Dremo’s several times, but to no avail. In an email to potential investors, Stewart says he hopes this time will be different.

Dr Dremo’s is trying to raise $350K to open a new spot in Clarendon. Investment opportunities are available… For more info, please contact: [email protected]. Financial statements and documentation available upon request.

It has been almost 2 years since we last tried to round up investors. We have looked at many places, spoken to many real estate agents, and actually came close a handful of times. It is only now that we are close enough to having a deal, that it is again time to round up investors and try to raise the funds.

The old Dremo’s location in Courthouse was razed shortly after it closed in January 2008. The development that was supposed to take its place has been delayed since then, although construction is reportedly set to begin soon.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Dremo’s Coming to the Pike? — The owner of the late, lamented Dr. Dremo’s Tap Room is in talks with the landlord of the former Ski Chalet store at 2704 Columbia Pike. The building would give Dremo’s a spacious new home in a funky old building, complete with parking, room for outdoor seating, and access to plentiful bus routes. We’re pretty sure an ARLnow.com commenter was the one who first floated the idea. [Pike Wire]

Dozens Testify At Budget Hearing — More than 75 people spoke at last night’s annual County Board budget hearing. Representatives and supporters of various local human services agencies asked the Board to increase funding for their causes. Also present at the hearing were supporters of increased funding for arts organizations, bicycling infrastructure and Arlington Public Libraries. [Sun Gazette]

One Hurt in Motorcycle Accident — A motorcyclist suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries last night after a collision with a pickup truck at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive. The accident happened around 10:15 p.m. The motorcyclist was taken to George Washington University hospital for treatment.

Flickr pool photo by Allee574

Dr. Dremo’s Still Looking for a New Location

By ARLnow.com

Some may call it quixotic, but the quest to bring back Dr. Dremo’s Taphouse is still going strong.

Former Dremo’s owner Andrew Stewart says he has gotten tantalizingly close to securing a new location for the former Arlington landmark, but to no avail. In previous interviews Stewart said he would like Dremo’s to remain in the Courthouse or Clarendon area, but the cost has been prohibitive.

“We have come close a couple of time,” Stewart wrote in an email. “The large companies that lease these spaces don’t take a mom-and-pop, like us, seriously.”

The search, Stewart says, is “ongoing.” Even if the bar can’t find a new home, however, one part of its history may return.

“[I’ve] been considering starting a brewing company with all of the old (award winning) Bardo recipes,” Stewart said, referring to Dremo’s predecessor Bardo Rodeo. In its heyday, Bardo was as “the largest brewpub on the east coast.”

Dr. Dremo’s closed in January 2008 (the photo above is from its last night) and was razed to make way for a condo complex that was never built, thanks to the downturn in the economy. Construction at the site is reportedly set to get underway this year.

Dream of Dremo’s Delayed, Not Dead

By ARLnow.com

Many an Arlington resident is longing for the return of Dr. Dremo’s, the character-building, frathouse-like home of beer, abandoned vehicles, and totem poles. Dremo’s closed down two years ago, as its landlord planned some grand new development that never came to fruition thanks to the recession.

Last year we heard that a new Dremo’s was in the works. Apparently, the Clarendon location that was settled on has fallen through, but now investors are looking at another possible location, according to DCist.

Shiny new brasseries are great, but here’s hoping for the return of an old-fashioned, grungy Arlington hangout.

Here’s our favorite comment from the aforementioned DCist story.