CAUSE Bar & Restaurant to Bring Good Times and a Great Cause to the U-Street Corridor in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- If they have ever truly needed a cause for celebration, D.C. residents will have a reason to this fall. Washington, D.C.'s U-Street Corridor is slated to be home to the first-ever "PhilanthroPub" concept known as CAUSE, a bar and restaurant where all profits will be donated to designated charitable organizations. Opening at 1926 9^th Street N.W., CAUSE will offer American cuisine in a welcoming, two-story space that includes a dining room, lounge and full service bar. 

"It is our hope that CAUSE will change the way businesses and customers look at giving back. One of our goals is to bring charitable giving into day to day life by making it easier and more fun," said Nick Vilelle, co-founder of CAUSE. "We believe CAUSE will help break down barriers and bring together those who want to make a difference in communities close to home and overseas."

How It Works

CAUSE will operate like any other bar or restaurant with one key difference – how the profit is distributed. It will be the first bar and restaurant of its kind where simply by eating or drinking at CAUSE, customers will be making a donation to reputable, charitable organizations. All of the profits generated by CAUSE will be donated to local and international organizations with the greatest need.

The People Behind It

Nick Vilelle and Raj Ratwani, co-founders of CAUSE and long-time friends, combined their passion for food and entertainment with their dedication to giving back to the community. The duo has teamed up with restaurant veterans John Jarecki and Dave Pressley. Jarecki is the owner of The Light Horse, a restaurant located in Old Town Alexandria, Va., which is managed by Pressley. Together, Jarecki and Pressley have also been involved with the opening of more than 20 D.C. metro area restaurants, including Tallula, Poste and Eventide.

In addition, former Queen Vic chef and Northern Virginia native, Adam Stein has been tapped as the executive chef for CAUSE. With a deep passion for local farming, Chef Stein will focus on utilizing seasonal local foods in the menu, including a number of vegetarian options. The menu will feature an extensive list of daily specials that will allow Chef Stein to deliver the freshest food to CAUSE patrons. 

CAUSE has also established an advisory board that will offer expertise on selecting the charitable organizations to support as well as overall operations. The advisory board members bring a combined 80+ years of experience to the table. Advisory board members include:

• Hilary Cherner – Senior Director of Consulting Services at Arabella Advisors
• Richard Hall – Senior VP and COO at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Leslie Johnston – Executive Director at the Argidius Foundation
• Michael Pirron – Founder and CEO of Impact Makers
• Michael Wallin – Attorney at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton

For complete biographies on our advisory board members please, click here.

"We are so excited to open the first CAUSE here in D.C. and, we hope to expand to other locations and venues.  From the feedback we have heard, there are a lot of people that are excited by the idea of combining good times with a great cause," said Raj Ratwani, CAUSE co-founder.

Stay in the Loop

• For more information, visit www.causedc.org.
• Keep tabs on new developments at Facebook.com/CauseDC.
• Stay updated on menu updates and opening date by following @CauseDC on Twitter.
• Contact the CAUSE team at (202) 499-9971 or email [email protected].

About CAUSE, The PhilanthroPub

CAUSE, owned and operated by Cause Operations, LLC, is the first-ever "PhilanthroPub" located in the U-Street Corridor neighborhood of Washington, D.C. CAUSE was established in February, 2012, as a full service restaurant and bar based on a revolutionary business model where all of the net profits are donated to designated charitable organizations. CAUSE is located at 1926 9^th St N.W. and will be open for business from 4:00 pm until 1:30 am Sunday – Thursday, and 4:00 pm until 2:30 am on Friday and Saturday. Additional information about the restaurant can be viewed at www.causedc.org.

Media Contacts:
Cindy Rahman
(703) 739-8342
[email protected] 

Nick Vilelle
(202) 499-9971
[email protected]

SOURCE CAUSE