The Tombs, a beloved local campus bar and restaurant, revoked its $5 weekend nightclub fee after Georgetown University students rallied in opposition.
The restaurant recently instituted a new “cover charge,” which charged all patrons a $5 entry fee after 10:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, when the restaurant features a DJ and dance floor and is restricted to guests over the age of 21. Clyde’s Restaurant Group, parent company of The Tombs, temporarily removed the fee after a student-led petition calling for a boycott of the restaurant garnered over 700 signatures.
In a statement about the decision to pause the cover fee, John McDonnell, the president and owner of Clyde’s Restaurant Group president and owner, said the restaurant imposed the fee to cover the high costs of running a nightclub.
“This decision was driven by the increasing costs associated with operating as a nightclub after 10 p.m., including the expense of hiring a DJ and the additional security now required,” McDonnell wrote to The Hoya. “Unfortunately, offering this experience at no cost is no longer financially sustainable.”
McDonnell added that the company paused the fee because of the student boycott and is evaluating whether or not to reinstate the cover charge or cancel the late-night programming altogether.
“We’ve heard the feedback from the student community and take it seriously,” McDonnell wrote. “As a result, we have decided to pause the cover charge while we further evaluate the situation. In the coming weeks, we will assess whether to reinstate the cover or, alternatively, shift back to a traditional restaurant model on weekend nights without the DJ component.”
Julia Swerdin (CAS ’26), who signed the petition, said The Tombs is an important part of the Georgetown community and she is happy to see students come together to bring about change.
“I think it’s inspiring that the Georgetown student body was able to unite around this issue to make real change!” Swerdin wrote to The Hoya. “I think The Tombs is emblematic of our Georgetown tradition and is a real staple of the neighborhood, which wouldn’t be the same without it.”
Emily Eppel (CAS ’26), another signatory, said the cover charge made The Tombs less accessible.
“I didn’t agree with it because I think the cover charge makes it exclusive in a sense and takes away from it being a college bar, where you can just go in without having to pay a cover like other clubs or bars in the city,” Eppel told The Hoya.
Sasha Likhachev (CAS ’26) said she was pessimistic about another boycott being effective if they reinstate the fee.
“I see myself frequenting Tombs less if other people frequent Tombs less,” Likhachev told The Hoya. “I like it because all the seniors go there, and it’s so convenient; it’s right next to my house. So I get the whole boycott thing, but if they reinstate it, I have a feeling that a boycott is not going to do anything the second time.”
Likhachev added that the cover charge is less than the cost of going to another restaurant or bar.
“At that point, no, I’m not going to avoid The Tombs because I’m going to spend five times the amount of money Ubering to downtown, not see any of my friends there, and have to pay double the price for all the drinks and double the price for entry,” Likhachev said.
Eppel said The Tombs has better alternatives to raise money than the $5 cover charge.
“They could raise prices, I am sure, if they asked for donations from alumni or had some sort of fundraiser that they could get support,” Eppel said. “There are student DJs who, I am sure, would be willing to DJ here and there. So I think there are alternative ways besides a cover charge to offset whatever costs that they might have.”
Swerdin said she would still go to The Tombs with a cover charge, but she would be disappointed that The Tombs did not prioritize accessibility.
“If the cover charge is reinstated, I wouldn’t necessarily stop going, but I would definitely be annoyed because Tombs has always been a free and accessible option for students, especially since D.C. is so expensive otherwise,” Swerdin wrote.
Likhachev said she thinks it would be unfortunate for people to stop going to The Tombs, given its significance to Georgetown’s social scene.
“I think it would be a shame if they added a cover and people stopped going, because I think it’s one of the only places seniors have a community that’s athletes combined with regular students, with people that don’t even go out and are only there because of Tombs nights,” Likhachev said. “I think it would definitely change the social dynamic of Georgetown.”
