Since the sudden closure of Smokehouse at The Strand, Marctre Freeman has spent much of his time helping the dozens of residents who worked in their neighborhood’s only sit-down restaurant find employment elsewhere.
As Freeman explained, he’s also taken several moments to reflect on what the venue many know as The Strand DC meant to Deanwood community members who are, once again, without a proximate dining and entertainment space.
“They don’t want to go all the way to Maryland. They don’t want to go all the way downtown,” said Freeman, who served as The Strand DC’s general manager. “They treated us with open arms. We never had any violent incidents at all. It was the first sit-down place in that area in a long, long time and they were happy for us to be there.”…