Opening
two Sundays ago officially on April 15, the restaurant that’s been under
construction for nearly a year and a half finally makes it mark on the
residents of Georgia Avenue and Petworth. Chez Billy’s interior design is jaw
dropping, exuding an ambiance that is definitely new to the neighborhood. Its
atmosphere Chez Billy will have its patrons and critics raving about their
experience.
The dynamic Hilton brothers, Ian
and Eric were behind the successful launching of Chez Billy’s, a French bistro
located at 3815 Georgia Avenue, a block away from the Georgia Ave/ Petworth
Station. Chez Billy is just another addition to the slew of restaurants the
Hilton Brothers have created. They also oversaw the construction of Eighteenth
Street Lounge, American Ice Company, Blackbyrd, and etc., all which are
dispersed in the North Western region of Washington, DC and are doing fairly
well.
For
years the space at 3815 Georgia Ave remained vacant. In the mid 90’s this lot
was home to the Billy Simpson House of Seafood and Steak. And in just 2009
Simpson’s House of Seafood and Steak was named a National Register of Historic
Places. Even though the restaurants layout has completely changed, its significance to the African American
community is still known. During, its twenty year run Simpson’s restaurant
served as the regularly meeting place for community leaders and activists to
discuss civil right events while being served exquisite food. With a resume
such as that it was only right that the Hilton Brothers were inspired by its
history and named their bistro after the historic eating place that paved the
way for the black community.
According
to Chief Marketing Officer of Chez Billy’s, Sheldon Scott the Donatelli
Development Company which is responsible for the development of the apartments
right next to the bistro negotiated a l
contract for Simpsons former House of Seafood and Steak to be remodeled and
brought the Hilton brother on board to see through this new business venture.
The
location of the bistro is out of the element of the Hilton’s and his teams.
Scott mentioned that because the area is more residential late at night there
isn’t much “flow traffic” as their other restaurants in Dupont Circle, U
Street, and etc.
Chez Billy’s French Bistro operates
seven days a week starting at 5:30pm. Equipped with a bar anyone under 21 must
leave the vicinity at the ten o’clock dinner service. And with prices ranging from nine dollar
appetizers to thirty dollar entrees Chez Billy appeals to the middle class residents
of Ward 4.
