Sprig and Sprout Closes Permanently

Sprig and Sprout, a Vietnamese pho and banh mi restaurant that has operated at 2317 Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park for 13 years, has closed its doors permanently as of Sunday July 27th. Owners Jen Hoang & Marc Farmer do not plan to open in another location and their personal future plans are uncertain. Other restaurants that vacated Glover Park, such as Heritage India, Surfside In Bocca al Lupo and others, either moved to another advantageous location or had other restaurants to focus on.

The owners voiced publicly their frustrations with their landlord on much-needed repairs and the situation of operating without a formal written lease. They lamented the “crushing silence” from the landlord and the resulting “constructive eviction.” Constructive eviction is a legal term where the landlord has not taken legal action to evict, but takes action – or fails to act - which interferes with the tenants use and enjoyment of the premises. The owners did not wish to explain further, as they might be considering formal legal action in the future. It’s possible that the economics of a small independent restaurant in DC in the current environment also had something to do with their decision not to open elsewhere, but that is speculation.

The owner of the building is Remy Esquenet, a real estate investor living in Bethesda Maryland. He also owns 2319 next door and recently leased that to the illegal marijuana operation (see recent article). Mr. Esquenet got into financial difficulty in recent years. In 2012 he had a joint venture with businessman Jeremy Landsman, when Landsman got indicted on marijuana trafficking and money laundering charges. Mr. Esquenet sued Landsman for fraud to extricate himself from the situation. He was counter-sued by Landsman for doctored financial documents. Eventually the two settled out of court. In 2017 another illegal pot operation he leased to at 2319 Wisconsin was raided by the police and shut down (see prior article).. As far as I can tell, he was not implicated in the crime, though landlords now can be implicated and are being sued for rental income from illegal pot operations by the Alliance of Illegal Cannabis Entities of DC (see article)

In March of 2024, Mr. Esquenet faced foreclosure on the Sprig and Sprout building, with City First bank demanding $807,000 in payment immediately (see article). Sometime prior, Mr. Esquenet got into financial difficulty on a Jiffy Lube property in Illinois when costs and taxes rose precipitously, resulting in a petition to the city for relief. The 2317 Wisconsin foreclosure notice was canceled in April 2024 and the City First loan satisfied in October 2024. His 2319 Wisconsin property has not been encumbered since a purchase loan of $1,050,000 in 2013. The Sprig and Sprout building was purchased in 2012 for $1,050,000. Mr. Esquenet did not respond to requests to provide his side of the story of the Sprig and Sprout controversy.

Jen and Marc were filled with gratitude in the final days of operation after their announcement due to the outpouring of support and thanks from Glover Park neighbors, in addition to their overwhelming patronage which resulted in the restaurant selling out of most of its final inventory. Many neighbors have wished them well, and now we hope for a new and positive chapter for the space next to the pot shop.

Chris Jones