New Report: 900 Jobs Lost as DC Restaurants Close at Record Rate of Two per Week

As DC Council prepares to take up Initiative 82, latest data show new District restaurant openings are down 17% from previous year as jobs report reveals net industry loss

WASHINGTON (July 23, 2025) — New midyear data from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) reveal that the District of Columbia is losing restaurants at a historic pace, averaging two closures per week so far in 2025.

As the DC Council prepares to take up Initiative 82 on Monday, July 28, the latest data reveal that in the first half of this year, 53 restaurants have closed — nearly double the 28 closures during the same period last year. The District is on pace to exceed 100 closures by the end of the year, far surpassing the 2024 record of 73. This rapid decline is occurring as owners are struggling to sustain operating costs as the minimum tipped wage has increased with the phased implementation of Initiative 82. 

The closure rate is especially alarming when considered in the context of just-released jobs data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. An analysis by the National Restaurant Association reveals that full-service restaurants in DC have cut more than 900 jobs since March 2025, representing a 2.8% drop in staffing. The industry is now experiencing a net job loss since Initiative 82 took effect, with 300 fewer jobs than in May 2023.

The post-Initiative 82 trend stands in stark contrast to the 12 months leading up to the law’s implementation when the industry added 4,000 jobs — a 16% increase in jobs, which signaled healthy growth and a clear bounceback from the pandemic. 

“These aren’t poll numbers or opinions. They are hard data that show the devastating impact of Initiative 82 in the District. You can’t claim to be on the side of workers by supporting a law that causes them to lose their jobs. Nor can you claim to be a champion of our small business community by defending a policy that is accelerating the collapse of our local restaurants,” said Shawn Townsend, RAMW President and CEO. 

“We appreciate that members of the DC Council have committed to finding a lasting solution by the second budget vote on July 28 that will put the District’s restaurant industry and its workers back on a path to growth.”

For more information, go to savedcrestaurants.org. 

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About Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) 

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is the regional trade association representing restaurants and the food service industry in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area. Established in 1920, RAMW is an advocate, resource and community for its members. The Association works to promote and sustain the growth and development of the industry while providing its members legislative and regulatory representation, marketing and small business support, programming and events. RAMW strives to serve its members with professionalism and integrity and provide them with the training, education and support they need to grow a successful business.