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11h ago

D.C. Restaurant Reservations Plunge After Federal Policing Takeover

OpenTable shows a sharp weeklong drop, with industry leaders warning that August seasonality clouds any direct link to the troop deployment.

Members of the Drug Enforcement Agency and Police patrol the Lincoln Memorial on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Overview

  • OpenTable data show D.C. seated diners fell 24% for Aug. 11–17 versus the same 2024 week, including daily declines of 16% Monday, 27% Tuesday, and 31% Wednesday.
  • The pullback follows 11 straight months of year-over-year reservation gains for D.C., while nearby Baltimore logged smaller August drops, generally under 10% most days.
  • Restaurant Association leaders say increased visibility of federal forces may be weighing on demand but caution it is too soon to quantify causation and urge patrons to support Restaurant Week.
  • Trump deployed about 800 National Guard members and hundreds of federal agents to the capital, GOP governors pledged 750 more troops, and the White House says roughly 300 arrests have been made, with The Washington Post reporting more than 40% were undocumented immigrants.
  • Residents staged protests on Aug. 16 against what they called a takeover, others voiced support for tougher enforcement, and experts note violent crime has trended down, reaching a 30-year low this year.