Restaurant owners and GW officials plan to open the new on-campus bistro TONIC on schedule in January despite construction delays.
Construction on the historic Quigley’s Pharmacy building, which will house the restaurant, was delayed several months as the University and TONIC owners awaited city approval of building permits.
Modeled after a restaurant in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, the three-story campus hangout will be equipped with a bar, a takeout counter, a traditional dining room and a lounge area.
GW announced last November that TONIC would be occupying Quigley’s on 21st and G streets. The University and TONIC owners had hoped to begin construction in January 2006, but permit delays prevented progress until early August.
“This project (requires) two different construction permits,” said Nancy Haaga, director of Institutional and Auxiliary Services. “The first permit is the one GW must obtain to do all the base building work – which is primarily doing all the demolition in the existing building and constructing the new addition.” GW has obtained that permit and the exterior construction has begun.
Jeremy Pollok, a GW alumnus and co-owner of TONIC, said that the initial construction by GW will provide him and his colleagues with “a shell” in which they can install their own design plans.
The owners, who anticipate spending about $1 million developing the interior of the building, have submitted their plans to the city and are hoping to obtain the permit later this month. “Sometimes one thing has to happen before everything else can happen,” Pollok said.
If the permit is awarded this month, as planned, interior construction will begin in October. Both Haaga and Pollok said it is possible that TONIC’s opening may be delayed until February, pending when the permits are given.
Although unable to begin construction of their own, TONIC management is currently working to design staff uniforms, menu layouts and the menu content which will consist of “comfort food with a twist,” said Pollok.
Pollok, who became interested in food service while waiting tables as an undergraduate, said TONIC would consider the student body its main pool of potential employees.
