Washington D.C. Restaurants Are Embracing Donald Trump-Themed Scandals as a Business Model
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty
Nothing sells newspapers faster than a scandal. In Washington, D.C., where scandal is quickly becoming the new (and inflating) currency, restaurants and bars are asking whether Americans will want to eat a scandal as badly as they want to read about one.
Last week, after Buzzfeed published pages from an unverified dossier that suggested President-elect Donald Trump might have deep and sordid ties to Russia, a diner in Bethesda jumped on the scandal train. Playing off one of the meatier allegations in the dossier-that Russia might have R-rated and incriminating footage of Trump-Community Restaurant & Lounge released a special Golden Showers burger for the day.
Less than 24 hours after the speculative furor began, Nevin Martell, freelance food writer and co-creator of the Golden Showers Burger, announced the dish on Instagram. The burger was “drenched with self-tanning cheddar and yellow mustard leaking down the sides, and topped with a very small pickle.” If you happened to visit Community on the 11th, $20 would have bought you the sizeable Golden Showers Burger, fries, a lemon-glazed doughnut, and a five-dollar donation to Planned Parenthood—the latter is likely the explanation for Martell’s promise, “Happy ending included!”
Perverse gastronomic references to political controversies—namely ones that concern Trump—may be taking over the D.C. area. In the weeks before the election, a popular whiskey bar just down the street from the Capitol gained massive popularity off its “secret” Trump-themed basement bar. Barrel’s basement area, Elixir Bar, featured wall-to-wall Trump/Pence posters, enormous menus (to make customers’ hands look small), and drinks named after the various appalling things Trump has said throughout his presidential campaign. Bar director Brad Ingwell told the Independent Journalism Review that the “Grab Them by the P*ssy” vodka-based cocktail was the most popular menu item.
No matter the message or movement, the prime beneficiary of an exclusive and upsold experience will always be the upseller. In the case of Community, the business owners have at least tried to extend this benefit to people and organizations directly affected by Trump’s abusive statements and backwards policies. But charity isn’t always a top priority. Barrel gained more publicity in the past months than its pop-up peers, and hasn’t donated any of the basement bar’s profits to causes that it deems worthier than the Trump presidency.
Bar manager Parker Girard complained to Washington City Paper that Barrel had received harsh criticism about the pop-up from Capitol Hill locals. While he insisted that the bar was satirical, he also told the Paper that the popular “P*ssy” drink featured Civic Vodka from Republic Restoratives, a local, woman-owned distillery. “If we’re going to promote this kind of language, the main beneficiary should be the company that sells the liquor,” he said.