Joseph A. Englert (January 29, 1961 – August 20, 2020) was an American

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...

. He and his partners were instrumental in the transformation and revitalization of the

Atlas District The Atlas District (also known as the Atlas or the H Street Corridor) is an arts and entertainment district located in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington, DC. It runs along the resurgent H Street from the outskirts of Union Station t ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In total, they opened 30 well-known bars and restaurants in Washington, D.C.

Early life and education

Englert was born in

New Kensington, Pennsylvania New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is situated along the Allegheny River, northeast of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Penns ...

to William and Sylvia (Chitti) Englert. He attended St. Joseph Grade School and Valley High School in New Kensington. He graduated from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

Career

After graduating from college, in 1984, Joe moved to Washington D.C. to write for the Pentagon newspaper. In 1988, while he was a bartender and a struggling writer, Englert bet a friend that he could throw a raucous club party in

Adams Morgan Adams Morgan is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., centered at the intersection of 18th Street NW and Columbia Road, about 1.5 miles (2.54 km) north of the White House. Notable establishments in the neighborhood include the ...

despite the dead scene. In the 5 years that followed, Englert opened several themed bars: Insect Club, a creepy space slung with a gigantic spider's web; 15 Mins., a neon rock dive; the Big Hunt, with a

safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an importa ...

theme; Zig Zag Cafe, a retro romance coffeehouse; and State of the Union, an

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

eatery that served Cossack salads and Marx burgers (none of these was in Adams Morgan). In 2004, Englert purchased 8 properties in the

on H Street after the city announced plans to renovate and reopen the long defunct

Atlas Performing Arts Center The Atlas Performing Arts Center is a multiple space performing arts facility located on H Street in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington, DC. Housed in a renovated Art Deco movie house, the facility is home to several arts organizatio ...

. Englert spent $3 million to buy and renovate the properties and opened 8 restaurants: The Argonaut, The Palace of Wonders, The Rock and Roll Hotel, The Red and the Black, Granville Moore's, Sticky Rice, and The H Street Country Club. Although he is often credited with opening the beloved H St dive bar The Pug, he was not involved. The Pug is owned and operated by Joe’s long time friend and colleague, Tony “Tony T” Tomelden. Some of his other establishments included Lucky Bar, DC9, Trusty's Full-Serve Bar, the Capitol Lounge, Pour House, the Politiki, and McClellan's Retreat, named for civil war soldier

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

Personal life

Englert lived in

Cleveland Park Cleveland Park is a residential neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is located at and bounded approximately by Rock Creek Park to the east, Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues to the west, Klingle and Woodley Roads to the so ...

with his wife. They had 2 sons. He played tennis every weekday morning. He wore a toupee since he started balding in his early 20s. Englert died from complications of surgery on August 20, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Englert, Joe 1961 births 2020 deaths People from New Kensington, Pennsylvania People from Cleveland Park Pennsylvania State University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Washington, D.C.