Kramers, the 45-year-old bookstore and cafe in Washington, D.C., has expanded, adding a 26-seat bar serving beer, wine and cocktails. The 970-square-foot bar, the Washingtonian reported, offers 18 craft beers on tap, natural and small producer wines and its own food menu, with "chicken and waffle sliders, French onion dip and a spicy carrot chickpea tartine."
The addition of the bar was made possible by Kramers expanding into an adjacent storefront at 1521 Connecticut Ave., NW. The bar resides in what used to be the travel and children's books sections, which have been relocated. The area has "special lighting better suited for reading books," and the bar will be used for tastings and other events.
The expansion comes about a year and a half after Kramers owner Steve Salis announced that the store would be leaving Dupont Circle due to a legal dispute with one of his landlords. That move, however, could be anywhere from three to six years off.
Salis, who took over the store from original owners Bill Kramer and David Tenney in 2017, has made several significant changes to the Dupont Circle institution. He's added barber and flower shops, revamped the cafe and rebranded the store from Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe to Kramers.