The bad news that Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós Steakhouse, located in the basement of the Capitol Hilton, would be closing on May 1 spread across the military blogosphere like rolling thunder.
For about two years, Fran+óGé¼Gäós had been serving up free Friday night steak dinners for wounded veterans who were bused into downtown DC from Walter Reed Medical Center. The disabled vets, most missing limbs, on crutches, or in wheel chairs were treated to steak dinners and limitless drinks in a private room at the dark, wood paneled, pricey downtown restaurant that usually caters to an upscale crowd of power brokers.
The dinners were hosted by Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós owners Hal Koster, a Vietnam veteran, and Marty O+óGé¼GäóBrien, the son of the restaurant+óGé¼Gäós founder and former Redskin offensive tackle. Koster and Jim Mayer, one of his former war buddies who works at Walter Reed, started the Friday night dinners, which were also attended by former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who listened to the men+óGé¼Gäós concerns, comments, and gripes, often taking notes as they talked. It also attracted Gary Trudeau, who just happened to be having dinner there one Friday night when he saw what was happening and put it into his Doonbsury comic strip. Trudeau+óGé¼Gäós meetings with these young men and women led to a continuing story line in Doonsbury, with returning Iraqi veteran BD, who is being treated for continuing war-related psychological problems.
The one problem with the dinners was Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós location. The restaurant is situated in the basement of the Capitol Hilton on 16th Street, NW. To get to it, you have to navigate a steep stairway. Many of the vets have to be carried down by volunteers. To better accommodate the vets, Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós owners have been imploring the Hilton to put in an elevator or, at least, a ramp to make the restaurant ADA compliant. Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós is a renter so they can+óGé¼Gäót just do it themselves. Their restaurant is the property of the Hilton. And the Hilton has decided not renew the lease.
For months Hal and Marty have been phoning and emailing the Hilton about the lease renewal. At first they were assured that everything was fine and on track for the lease to be renewed. Then as the time drew nearer, the Hilton stopped answering their calls or returning their email messages. And finally, suddenly, in the middle of April, Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós received an eviction notice, effective May 1.
The speculation is that the Hilton didn+óGé¼Gäót want the expense of making Fran+óGé¼Gäós ADA compliant and also that they were uncomfortable with the sight of the wounded vets in their lobby every Friday night. They, of course, denied that and claimed that they were even willing to take over hosting the dinner themselves in their own restaurant, Twigs.
As the WaPo and others have pointed out, Twigs has a very different ambience from Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós. One that the veterans would not necessarily feel as comfortable in. Also, many of the vets on the MilBlogs expressed cynicism that the Hilton is trying to dump the Vietnam vet who co-owns Fran+óGé¼Gäós and, at the same time, get the favorable public relations of hosting the vets for themselves. Indeed, it would be a way to also get rid of a rival restaurant that gets more business than Twigs.
Others doubt that the Hilton would actually continue the tradition. And in any case, the vets themselves are devastated at the Hilton decision. MilBlogs, such as Mudville Gazette , have posted the name, email address, and phone number for the Hilton+óGé¼Gäós New York corporate office and also the name and phone number of the Capitol Hilton+óGé¼Gäós general manager, Brian Kelleher. In addition, they+óGé¼Gäóve been flooding the Capitol Hilton+óGé¼Gäós website and the email box for its Honors Program. And they+óGé¼Gäóre talking about a general boycott of Hilton Hotels.
For more on the closing of Fran O+óGé¼GäóBrien+óGé¼Gäós, watch Bob Schieffer+óGé¼Gäós Monday Night News tomorrow at 6:30 on CBS+óGé¼Gäós Channel 9 locally in DC and Northern Virginia.
Also, if you+óGé¼Gäóre so inclined, here+óGé¼Gäós some contact information from Mudville Gazette and other MilBlogs, if you want to contact the Hilton yourself:
Dan Boyle 212-838-1558
daniel_a_boyle@hilton.com
Brian Kellaher (202) 393-1000.
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/dining.jhtml?ctyhocn=DCASHHH
And a petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mistake/petition.html