Modifications to the aging spaces include cosmetic upgrades and wall accents integrating all-inclusive colors. While the walls can’t be knocked down, Kiki will be connected by the beer garden out back.
The landlords of the next-door buildings are cousins, so the option to lease both came to fruition fast once he showed interest. The food partner is TBA, and Fedak notes there’s enough space for a food truck out back.
The team will also build out a backyard beer garden with a dozen beers on draft. “Classic cocktails but nothing too crazy.”īy next May, Kiki will expand into Dodge City’s former address and add a modern lounge and sports-themed bar dedicated to LGBTQ teams (Fedak’s a member of D.C.’s Gay Flag Football League). “We’re not going to have anything too extensive just because it’s the dance floor area,” he says. Kiki hopes to debut in mid-December on the Velvet side, complete with two dance floors, a stage for weekly drag shows, and bar serving margaritas on draft. The new project comes from Keaton Fedak, the outgoing general manager at nearby gay bar Dirty Goose. Kiki will fill in the neighboring buildings left behind by iconic watering holes Velvet Lounge and Dodge City (915-917 U Street NW), which permanently closed during the pandemic. The U Street NW strip will welcome a new LGBTQ-friendly establishment by the end of the year that plans to eventually house a sprawling beer garden out back and four bars in all.
