BIG CHIEF
BIG CHIEF
“Hey, after you hoist those two air conditioner units up to the roof, how would you like to make an Airstream trailer fly up there too?””
We fell in love with this building on Fenwick Street in Ivy City DC. It stood in the shadows of the Hecht Company Warehouse, formerly the hub of a huge mid Atlantic department store chain and now a Douglas Development apartment building in DC’s version of Brooklyn. We all loved New Orleans, so we searched for brass bands and bead suppliers, and made sure we could get plenty of Abita beer.
Ivy City was the closest thing DC had to Brooklyn. There were empty warehouses and loads of opportunity. In hind sight, we were too early to the show, but that didn’t stop us from building a gorgeous spot with two bars and an Airstream trailer on the huge roof deck. The difference between the cramped working warehouse and the comfy Big Chief was shocking. Graphic artist Billy Colbert brought his take on Big Chief and New Orleans and delivered another masterpiece. Having Billy’s talented vision on so many projects has been a dream come true.
Once again, our team of builders came to the rescue. Electrician Jerry Thomas and plumbing contractor Jason Bradford wrangled the project into shape while welders Chris Bebell and Edgar Martinez built the bar, glad doors and two massive sets of stairs to the roof. And big props to the crane operator who hoisted the Airstream up just for the fun of it. Craftsman-supreme Jimmy Fowler made the sign that hung out front for years, now owned by a couple who were married at Big Chief. Cheers!