According to reports, a deal is “done” that will see the iconic District institution that is Hill Country close its doors for the final time before it gets transformed into a… crypto bar..?
Yup, that’s right, the once beloved Hill Country is officially set to close and all signs point in the direction that the space’s newest tenant will be none other than a”vibrant Bitcoin community” bar known as Pubkey.
Is Hill Country closing?
Yes, after 15 years of serving the people of the District of Columbia, Hill Country in the Penn Quarter neighborhood is set to close after Friday, March 28th.
According to a press release from the operators of the popular BBQ and beer destination, they attempted to negotiate an extension to their lease, but the landlord “exercised a 30-day option to terminate the lease, leaving Hill Country with no option to continue operations beyond the end of the month.”
According to an interview with the Washington Post, the founder of Hill Country said that the business was still struggling financially dating back to the pandemic, where it was still paying off owed back rent to the landlord.
Supposedly, the pandemic closures themselves, and then the subsequent exodus of workers in the District moving to the suburbs to work from home, were just too much to overcome and while the restaurant itself did not go bankrupt per se, the landlord was ready to move on to another tenant who was comfortable paying what will likely be a higher rate.
Is a crypto bar replacing Hill Country?
According to sources, it’s a done deal – a bar known as “Pubkey” from New York City is expanding to Washington, D.C., but it’s not clear when as no official announcement has been made.
The ‘crypto bar’ trend is not entirely new, but having an iconic space like Hill Country being converted into a meeting spot for those interested in discussing crypto is definitely noteworthy!
There is some conjecture online that the move to expand the business to the nation’s capital is a strategic step to ensure crypto is a constant topic of conversation where policy surrounding the digital currency’s future is being decided.
What do we know about Pubkey?
Puybkey is a “bitcoin popular hotspot for crypto enthusiasts, traders, and web3 developers – according to their LinkedIn page, it’s become known as “Bitcoin’s Mecca”.
The restaurant highlights its ability to let customers pay with Bitcoin and on their website it states that they accept cash as well, but it’s not currently clear if that same policy would apply to their upcoming Penn Quarter location if they do in fact take over the Hill Country space.
Their menu will feature a lot of classic fan favorites like smash burgers, specialty hot dogs, as other finger foods as well.