Beloved DC restaurant, Sticky Rice DC, has announced it will close its doors permanently after 17 years. The restaurant attributes the closing to the “pandemic, decreased foot traffic, rising food labor costs, labor costs, and the impact of Initiative 82.”
Sticky Rice DC is described as a Restaurant & Karaoke Bar serving American-Pan-Asian cuisine, cocktails, sushi, noodles, sandwiches & buckets of tater tots. The restaurant’s website can be seen here.
Initiative 82, also known as the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2021,” is a voter-approved ballot initiative in Washington, D.C., that aims to gradually eliminate the tipped minimum wage and increase the base wage for tipped employees to match the standard minimum wage. The full message from Sticky Rice DC can be seen below:
“After 17 unforgettable years, Sticky Rice DC is closing its doors. 💔
This decision wasn’t easy. The pandemic, decreased foot traffic, rising food costs, labor costs, and the impact of Initiative 82 have all made it impossible for us to continue. We fought hard—but it’s time to say goodbye.
To everyone who’s ever walked through our doors, ordered late-night tots, had a sake bomb, rocked out on any karaoke night, watched all of the crazy videos or shared sushi and laughs with us: THANK YOU.
Your love and support meant the world. Your love for Sticky Rice has been truly overwhelming, and we’ve felt it every step of the way. And to our incredible staff, past and present who poured their hearts into this place—Sticky Rice was you.🗓️ Our final day of service will be Saturday April 19.� 📍 Come by this week one last time for your favorite dish or sing karaoke, we’d love to see you.�
🚗 If you can’t make it in, we’re offering a 50% discount (up to $50 off) on UberEats to enjoy your favorites one last time. Use promo code: RebelCity50 at: tinyurl.com/DCStickyRiceFrom all of us at Sticky Rice, thank you for 17 amazing years. ❤️
With love and thanks,
The Sticky Rice Team”