As anti-racist reckoning continues on a national scale, Park View coffee shop Colony Club announces it is changing its name, citing the negative connotations of the word “colony.” A message posted on Monday to the coffee shop’s Instagram explains the rebranding after five years in business, signed by co-owner Max Zuckerman and the Colony Club team.
According to the post, the team made the name change decision after conversations with both customers and staff. Specifically, ownership acknowledges the link between colonialism and the gentrification happening in DC and the cafe’s Park View location.
“There’s no denying that new businesses like ours play a role in that process, along with other businesses and organizations.” says Zuckerman in the post.
The link to colonization wasn’t intentional. The name Colony Club is rooted in the history of Georgia Avenue businesses with “colony” in their name. Zuckerman’s grandparents owned Petworth petal shop Colony Flowers, named after the nearby Colony Theater. But ultimately, Zuckerman decided the explanation could not override the associations of the word. A new moniker has yet to be selected.
Read the full message from Colony Club:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdpSqqjoio/
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
