Overview
- DC for Palestine led a consumer boycott targeting Shouk for alleged cultural appropriation and ties to Israel, celebrating the shutdown as a local BDS victory.
- Shouk told customers it was on track toward profitability earlier in 2025 before an unusually steep summer sales drop it linked to the political climate around the Israel–Gaza war.
- Co-owner Dennis Friedman described tactics including chants outside, posters glued to windows and seating, and in-store confrontations that he says deterred patrons and staff.
- The company says it hired private security and contacted authorities, yet demonstrations, vandalism, and intimidation persisted at its locations.
- Founded in 2016 and once operating five sites with praise from The Washington Post and Food Network, Shouk’s Georgetown shop closed in 2024 after frequent protests, and its final D.C. and Rockville stores closed in October 2025.