Steakhouse [Forced] To Close, Ending Tradition For Wounded War Vets

D.C. Channel 9 WUSA ^ | 4/14/06 | Doug Buchanan

[Coop]

A two-year tradition for wounded war vets is about to go by the wayside. A downtown DC steak house that’s catered to injured troops every Friday night is about to close.

Fran O’Brien’s landlord [Hilton] is forcing out the steakhouse of the same name.

“We're not feeling very good about leaving and especially the Friday night dinner,” O’Brien said.

With the restaurant soon to close, so too will go a hang-out spot that troops have been able to call home while healing, if only for a few hours every week.

In a statement from Hilton hotels, a spokesperson writes: "this is a business decision whereby Hilton Hotels is exploring several options to utilize this space."

But the decision impacts more than just the business that's getting the boot.

A Hilton hotel spokesperson say they are -- on some level -- hoping to keep the Friday night alive without Fran O’Brien’s.

[Coop]

Note: There is no longer any Fran O'Brien. He was an early Washington Redskin, who died a few years back. The author was likely quoting Hal, a co-owner with Marty.

[Coop]

Earlier thread on this outrageous decision.

[restornu]

Is this more spite from the Ugly Left?

[theDentist]

I've heard on radio that the Hilton folks said they couldn't keep it open due to the potential lawsuits if one of the soldiers were to injure himself on teh premesis.

Hello? With the various federal access laws via the A.D.A., OSHA, and Health authorities that make sure there is proper ability to enter and leave restaraunts, I'd say it's more likely some 2-bit liberal yahoo in Hilton is puching this.

Anyone have the emails and phone and fax numbers of the upper Hilton Echelon who we can contact??? Maybe Paris too?

[Coop]

Go to the link in post #2. One of the very early posts by hipaatwo has some good contact info.

[theDentist]

early morning, no coffee yet, and I went right past the link. D'oh!

[Chgogal]

Well, the the offices list on the other thread are located in Beverly Hills, the state where every illegal immigrant is taken care of but forget about our soldiers.

We have an opportunity here to give the Left a black eye. Imagine not allowing the "Physically Challenged" a steak dinner. How damned un-American.

[Coop]

The actual Hilton where Fran O'Brien's is located:

Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street NW
Washington, District of Columbia, United States 20036
Tel: +1-202-393-1000
Fax: +1-202-639-5784

[Coop]

Contact Hilton via online form here.

[Red Badger]

That's a poor-ass excuse for pulling the plug on these folks. Anybody, even a homeless street addict or a crack 'ho could walk into their 'ho-tel, stub their toes on a carpet tear and sue them for millions...........

[airborne]

I'm notifying one of my disabled Vet friends.

He knows the ADA expertly, and will most likely jump at the chance to help.

[theDentist]

Yes it is. As someone said, there's a whiff of Code Pink in the air.

[em2vn]

Come on now. The Hilton owns the space not the restaurant. The eatery is being forced to move not close. A decision to not reopen in another location is that of the restaurant owners.
The moving of a restaurants from one location to another is as old as the food business.

[Coop]

I'm not interested in your semantics, Mr. Clinton. Fran O'Brien's is having the rug pulled out from under them. Period.

[JimRed]

Maybe Paris too?

Are photos obligatory when speaking of the hotel ho' ?

[Coop]

I'm notifying one of my disabled Vet friends. He knows the ADA expertly, and will most likely jump at the chance to help.

Thanks, I certainly hope so.

[airborne]

We just got back from an NRA/Beeman shooting competition in Myrtle Beach, and he went right to work filing a complaint against the hotel we stayed at.

He knows his stuff, and, more imortantly, knows which papers to fill out.

[VeniVidiVici]

They've only been given a few weeks notice after Hilton has been stringing them along for months saying the lease renewal was a done deal.

[theDentist]

Not really.

[theDentist]

But I'm beginning to realize that Paris may be the only one in that chain that recognizes the power of publicity, good AND bad.