A pair of DC hospitality veterans are bringing a hip and welcoming new neighborhood bar to U Street next year. Monisa Fisher and Reginald Eliacin of RegMoPromo are opening Everyday People DC in 2024, reports local media outlet PoPville.
The cozy and casual tavern will be able to comfortably accommodate up to 75 patrons at its 1013 U Street NW location. Co-founder Monisa Fisher explained to What Now DC how she and Eliacin chose that space, stating “We actually didn’t choose this location intentionally. There was a fire about a year ago and the bar was closed indefinitely. Months go by and it never reopened. One day in July 2023, Reggie is bartending at his job on U Street and one of his regulars says he has a friend that owns a commercial building on U Street and is looking for someone to rent it out.”
Fisher adds that Eliacin has history with the building, saying “Ironically that building was 1013 U Street. We met with the building owner and it went well. After a month of negotiations, the deal was made. The irony is that Reggie was the first bartender at 1013 U Street back in 2009 when it opened and was called Lounge of Three. He started the Hip Hop concept which became the staple of that spot for over a decade. Still to this day, a bond of friendship and family remains amongst the patrons of that bar.”
Fisher and Eliacin are hoping to create a welcoming venue with great music and warm vibes. “Good music (especially 90’s Hip Hop) has always been a huge inspiration for us. Throughout the years we’ve met amazing people who in turn have met other amazing people and many times, the music that we play and the DJ’s that spin at our bars has been the catalyst.” he states, adding “Another thing is that we’ve always been fans of that neighborhood bar vibe where there’s no pretentiousness and you can always walk in and see a familiar face and the bartender knows your drink. Even if it’s your first time, you still feel like you’ve come here for years. That’s the feeling that we want to continue at Everyday People DC.”
The pair chose the name as a reflection of the kind of community and environment they plan to develop. “ The name was suggested to us by a good friend. We were at dinner with them when the news came that we acquired the lease. After celebratory shots, he said our concept reminded him of his favorite neighborhood bar in PA that closed when he was younger named Everyday People. We loved the name and thought it fit our vibe and what we were trying to bring, so Everyday People DC (EPDC for short) became official.”
Fisher and Eliacin are currently restoring the space and awaiting permit approvals. The duo’s journey to opening Everyday People DC has been long and winding. Fisher details the experience, saying “After owning 2 bars on 9th Street in the early 2010’s with little to no capital, we transitioned into promoting events under the name RegMoPromo. We grew exponentially from that throughout the years throwing music themed bar crawls at many venues along U Street and Boat Parties out of Georgetown. Even with the success of promotion, we still had that urge to one day reopen a bar that we can call home. Well when we found out that we had the opportunity to acquire the 1013 U Street location and with all of the history that we had over there, it was a no-brainer.”
Everyday People DC does not yet have an official opening date, but Eliacin estimates the debut could be anywhere between 3 and 6 months. “It’s still too early to guarantee a date so let’s just go with some time in 2024” he explains, concluding “For now you can follow us on IG and FB @EverydayPeopleDC to track our progress and be the first to hear about any further developments.”
Everyday People DC is certain to become a local favorite when it does begin serving guests. Fisher and Eliacin are working hard to ensure the bar provides visitors with a welcoming reprieve from the daily grind. Fisher assures future regulars: “We hope that EPDC will be like an urban Cheers. A chill space that provides great service and brings in a consistent cool and diverse crowd. Great conversations, great events, great food, great drinks, and to top it all off… great music!”
