Chaos Closes
17th Street venue ceases operation
According to a recorded message, Club Chaos, a 10-year-old GLBT restaurant and bar located at 1603 17th St. NW, has closed.
”Thank you for calling Club Chaos, ” the recorded voice says. ”We regret to inform you that at this time we are temporarily closed for business. Sorry for any inconveniences. We are also in the process of relocating to a new location. ”
The message surfaces several weeks after the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the District agency responsible for issuing alcohol-license renewals, ordered owner Carlos Aguilar to stop producing entertainment-based events such as drag bingo and a monthly drag king show because it did not have an ”entertainment endorsement. ”
Rob Halligan, president of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) fought Chaos’ liquor-license renewal after he discovered that the venue had been operating without the proper licensing. DCCA was concerned with the noise Club Chaos generated in the residential street in which it is located.
Owner Carlos Aguilar did not return calls seeking comment before deadline, though in an interview published in Metro Weekly on Feb. 14, he said the halt of entertainment events at Club Chaos had a ”huge impact ” on the clubs finances, adding, ”If something isn’t resolved soon, we may have to think seriously about either closing the business or relocating. ”
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