This is a sad note. Dino’s is one place I had hope to visit at some point. Hopefully Dean will open another restaurant.
It’s almost the platonic ideal of a great neighborhood joint. I was living in a POS apartment across the street back when it first opened and spent much of my then-meager income on hearty and completely satisfying meals there. I’ll always remember how bewildered/delighted I was the first time I flipped through the wine list, as I’d never seen one quite like it in DC. Best of luck to Dean on the new venture!
I love going to Dino’s and am very sad to see it is closing. I hope that when he opens a new place it has parking nearby. Maybe he should open in Montgomery County rather than Shaw. Everyone is opening around that area.
I am also sorry to see Dino’s going though perhaps his new place will be closer to where I live and get me there more often. I actually knew Dean in grad school and when I first went in I realized he was indeed that Dean Gold I had been in class with those many many years ago.
Yep.
anyone up for dino’s this saturday after domaine? hahaha
FYI … a friendly reminder that Dino’s is closing on January 12 
… But also to share this link they sent out to their e-mail list. It includes more info about “Dino’s Grotto,” their new concept that they hope to open March 1 at 9th and U… but they’re looking for some help with funding. More info and ways to contribute are here:
(p.s. i have absolutely no affiliation with Dino’s, just a fan of the restaurant.)
Can we discuss why he’s trying to raise $50k off the backs of his fans? Did they not make any money in the 8 years up until this one? And if he is as beloved as his customers and the media says he is, presumably he would have no trouble putting together a business plan and getting a loan from a bank. Maybe it’s just me, but these efforts to get free money in exchange for a happy hour or a mention on a website seem pretty tacky, especially from established businesses (unlike a Kickstarter page for a new product or concept).
Scott - I would agree this does seem odd. However, your comment about getting a loan from a bank is not reality. Banks simply do not lend to restaurants as they are far too risky. On the other hand if an individual wants to borrow from a bank, has appropriate collateral and chooses to invest in a restaurant then that is another story. Most restaurant capital that I am familiar with comes from individual investors. Maybe they are having a difficult time finding large individual investors so they are trying this avenue. Based on their previous track record I would think finding a couple of interested individuals would not be an issue.
Russ is correct. Bank’s generally don’t give b loans to restaurants. You can get an SBA loan but you have to put up your house as collateral and you cannot avoid collection through bankruptcy. Almost every restaurant is now financed by wealthy individuals not in the business. Even if you are successful but not lucky enough to have a few super wealthy clients it’s hard to attract capital. I’m considering a new venture myself and discussed this possibility with one of my partners to raise a little extra $$ on the back end if need be. You can offer services of course. Didn’t Dino this ?
I don’t know why a restaurant having a kickstarter campaign or similar would be a bad thing. Most restaurants don’t have huge profit margins and Dino’s wine markups weren’t outrageous.
I wish him luck. Stopped there a week or two ago for some wonderful '04 Brunello.
Yep x 2.
Pardon my ignorance regarding bank funding of restaurants. Just change my point to “wealthy individual investors.” A new restaurant seems to open in DC (especially in Shaw/Logan) every other week, so there are clearly no shortage of people willing to bankroll these small businesses. I guess my problem with Dino’s plan is that it seems to be saying, “Hey all of you people who loved my pasta and burgers and quirky wine list, put your money where your mouth is and help me open a new place in a trendier neighborhood so I can make more money off of you without seeking real investors.”
Six weeks reprieve for the original Dino:
Today is the last day for the Indiegogo campaign, which looks like it could use more support. I had a spectacular meal at Dino last week which reminded me why we need this place so much! Get your perks here: Dino's Grotto Come to Shaw | Indiegogo
Thanks for the reminder Keith!
We love Dean and Kay.
We were in there recently and my wife said it was the best meal she has ever had there.