OUT AND ABOUT
Business Briefs by Sarah Payne
Visit Qui Qui for Puerto Rican Eats in Shaw
Bright, colorful walls, Spanish music and tropical vibes welcome neighbors to Qui Qui (1539 7th St. NW ), Shaw’s destination for creative Puerto Rican cuisine and cocktails. Ismael Mendez, the owner and chef, was formerly an IT programmer at Barclays. He landed a similar opportunity in programming in Maryland after being laid off, but found himself unhappy. “My boss pretty much said, ‘What do you want to do?’,” Mendez remembered. “So, I pretty much got severance pay, went to L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg and went to school. The rest is pretty much history.” When he visited the District before moving Father and daughter Andy and Vi Vo, owners of Gloss Bar at City Market at O in Shaw. Photo by Alexander M. Padro, Courtesy Shaw Main Streets.s.
Gloss Bar Offers Inventive Salon Services
If you’re looking for a modern space for a manicure, pedicure or waxing, then look no further than Gloss Bar (825 O St. NW) one of Shaw’s popular new additions. Owner and nail technician Vi Vo said what sets Gloss Bar, her family business, apart from other nail salons is their cutting-edge products. She said that when they first opened, Gloss Bar was “the only one doing the dip powder,” a long lasting and safer alternative to acrylic nails. They are also one of few salons carrying Dazzle Dry polish, a natural, vegan quick drying polish that lasts 7-14 days. Vo said they will soon also be carrying Japanese Gel manicures, a high-quality gel polish, in addition to offering many other more traditional nail services. The family’s other salon, Enchanted Nails, opened in 2011 in Adams Morgan. Vo said she was excited about the Shaw neighborhood despite the nearly two years it took to open Gloss Bar amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were noticing that a lot of our clients were moving to the Shaw and Navy Yard area,” Vo said. “It took us almost two years to actually open up Gloss Bar, and we almost had to shut down
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Enchanted Nails just to try to get Gloss open, but thankfully, we were able to keep both afloat.” Since they opened, Vo said Gloss Bar has been well received by the Shaw community. “We felt very welcome by all the residents at City Market and the neighborhood,” Vo said. “At the beginning, it was just me sitting in the salon trying to get a client and now we’re up to eight full time technicians and we’re still hiring.” Even with the addition of several nail technicians, Vo said they stay extremely busy throughout the day, and she recommends booking an appointment in advance. “Clients book so far in advance, and we fill up so fast,” Vo said. “If there is room, we can fit a walk in, but most of the time, I would say we are booking 80% online.” Gloss Bar is also known for its nail art. Their Instagram (@glossbardc) features some of their most creative designs. Services range in price from $26 for a classic manicure to over $100 for the Gloss Signature Manicure and Pedicure. Gloss Bar is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. You can read more about their services and products and book an appointment at glossbardc.com.
Ismael Mendez is chef/owner of Puerto Rican restaurant Qui Qui on 7th Street in Shaw. Photo by Alexander M. Padro, Courtesy Shaw Main Street
