Donna’s Debt Increasing On Overdue Meals Tax List

The latest version of Arlington’s meals tax delinquency list was released earlier this month and it looks like bad news for chef Roberto Donna.

Donna, whose Galileo III restaurant in D.C. closed in September, now owes Arlington County $167,366.79, up from $150,715.96 in June, according to the list. The debt stems from the failure of Donna’s Bebo Trattoria restaurant in Crystal City, which closed in 2009 amid a mountain of debt and a federal lawsuit. Prior to the closing of Galileo III, Donna had been making small court-ordered payments on his meals tax debt.

(Meals tax delinquencies are often accrued when restaurants collect a required tax on food from customers but then fail to pay the collected funds to Arlington County.)

While the delinquency list includes many restaurants that have gone out of business, some of the establishments on the list are still open. Among them:

• Extra Virgin in Shirlington: $54,568.51 (down from $65,098.93 in June)
• Quiznos Subs (various locations): $36,095.49
• Las Delicias Restaurant in Nauck: $27,422.02 (up from $23,906.53 in June)
• Caribbean Breeze in Ballston: $22,078.84 (up from $8,419.87 in June)
• Texas BBQ Factory in Pentagon City: $21,080.85 (up from $8,814.02 in June)
• Tortoise and Hare Bar & Grille in Crystal City: $16,794.49
• Village Bistro in Rosslyn: $10,110.26