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4w ago

White House Claims D.C. Dining Rebound as Reservation Data Points to Post‑Takeover Slump

OpenTable shows daily declines last week despite a Restaurant Week bump, with restaurateurs reporting fewer diners alongside unease.

Protesters, police, and National Guard troops congregate at the entrance to Union Station in Washington, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance visited Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Overview

  • OpenTable data show seated diners from online reservations fell year over year each day in the week after the Aug. 11 takeover, including a 16% drop on Aug. 11 and a 31% decline on Aug. 13.
  • Reservations jumped about 29% on Monday, Aug. 18, the first day of D.C. Restaurant Week, a timing shift that analysts note complicates comparisons with 2024.
  • President Trump said restaurants were busier than they had been in a long time, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited a 30% rise, narrowing in on the Restaurant Week spike.
  • Burgum also pointed to week‑over‑week decreases in carjackings and robberies reported by the police union, a short‑term metric experts caution can lag incident dates and mislead.
  • Local owners told reporters that reservations remain weak and visible law enforcement has unsettled guests and staff, even as Restaurant Week expands to a record 380 participants and is described as a lifeline.