New Additions to Meals Tax Delinquency List

by ARLnow.com September 10, 2010 at 12:02 pm 2,671 6 Comments

McGinty’s Public House, Tortoise and Hare Bar and Grill and Bob & Edith’s Diner have piled up tax debts to the county over the course of the summer.

McGinty’s (3650 South Glebe Road) owes the county $25,226.64 in unpaid meals taxes, according to the latest list from the County Treasurer’s office, published on August 31. The owner of the Potomac Yard bar opened the massive P. Brennan’s pub on Columbia Pike earlier this year. As recently as July, McGinty’s was not on the delinquent list

Tortoise & Hare (567 South 23rd Street) was also not on the July list, but now owes the county $19,508.46. The Crystal City bar opened three years ago, and regularly hosts live music acts. It is also a popular football destination on Saturdays and Sundays.

Bob & Edith’s Diner (2310 Columbia Pike) is a bit of a surprise, considering that it seems to attract a crowd at all hours of the day. A second B&E’s location further down Columbia Pike shut down a couple of years ago, and the shell company for “Bob & Edith’s Diner II” has been listed on the delinquency list ever since. But the granddaddy Bob & Edith’s is now listed as owing $12,841.15 (B&E’s II owes $36,370.58).

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

BrownFlipFlops

As we’ve learned with other good restaurants that have met their demise, it doesn’t matter if you have big crowds, but you’re not willing to sit down and PAY YOUR RESTAURANT TAX. The restaurant business is tough. If you get in a pinch, and succumb to the temptation to view that money as free cash flow, it’s the beginning of the end.

String your suppliers along, float a check or two, substitute the Sysco stuff for the fresh, but don’t mess around with the County. They WILL get their money. Since it’s on gross receipts, you’re not going to be able to hide it from them, either.
ArlRes

I’d rather directly pay the county their outrageous (9%) tax then give it to restaurants that steal this money.
- Anthony
  
  The 9% tax you pay is 5% state sales tax and 4% County meals tax. Of the 5% sales tax, the County gets 1% returned by the state.
GK

B&E better get on the stick. It would suck to lose this Arlington institution. B&E II, I believe, shut down because. they lost their lease… some grand building was going to be built there and then… it didn’t. Shame because it was a great place for greasy spoon brunch without any pretentious attitude found in most places in the area.
Googla

It seems as though some of the businesses that were listed in the last list are not on this one. Some were restaurants that had gone out of business. Did the County actually collect or did they write it off as bad debt? As a data freak, I would like to see the side-by-side comparison. Who dropped off and why? Who is new to the list?
Katie

Bebo is the big daddy on that list.

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