[This provides details that did not fit into the author’s stories found in “How A Man Not Named Dan Came to Own Dan’s Cafe for Six Decades,“ published June 10th in the Washington City Paper. For a deeper dive into who Dan was, click here. For a deeper dive into the story of the restaurant immediately before Dan’s, click here.]

More about the Dickens Family

• Dickie was born in Roseneath Township in Halifax County, NC
• When Helen Martin started working at 2315 18th St. NW in 1948 as an 18 year old, it was called Charley’s, one of the first Black-owned restaurants in the neighborhood, according to Dickie Dickens
• Helen was called as a witness to testify in front of grand jury that indicted her boss John Suber for killing her boyfriend/customer Charles Henry Watson
• Helen proposed marriage to Dickie
• Helen died in 2006 at the age of 76
• Pictures:
  • Dickie as a teenager
  • young Helen & Dickie
  • Cool pictures of Dickie at Dan’s Cafe in early years and later on
  • Older picture of Dickie (unclear year)
  • 1999 picture taken by Bill O’Leary of Washington Post

More About Dan’s Cafe

• 1990 LA Times article about Adams Morgan & Dan’s Cafe
• in 1990s, Dan’s was an after-party bar for teams from co-ed intramural kickball
• Picture of Exterior of Bar From 1990s by Toby Hayman
• Was open 5 days a week (Tue-Sat) as late as 2008
• Before ~2012 or so, only chilled shots/shooters (e.g., SoCo Limes) were sold in squirt bottles, so if you talk to people who went a lot before, they talk about making their own drink, not squirt bottles
• November 4, 2015 ABRA Hearing Transcript for Dan’s Cafe
• December 2, 2015 ABRA Hearing Transcript for Dan’s Cafe (squirt bottle defense)

More About Property

• July 1910: Cesar Casanova got building permit to build a 20′ x 59′ one story building as a store/grocery store. Architect: M.T. Vaughn. Builder: Howard Etchison
• Names of stores: Elphonzo Young’s, John Kracke’s, Mid-City Market, Central Market
• 1922: Louis Browdy (and wife Celia Browdy) who opened grocery stores all over DC, sells building to Sara Friedman
• Offered for rent in 1924 for $125/month ($2350 in 2025 dollars)
• Sanitary Grocery
  • opened in March 1926
  • chain started in 1909, bought by Safeway in 1928 to create east coast presence, brand phased out in 1941
  • Sept 1938: burglar stole 18 pounds of cooked ham, 35 cartons of cigarettes, 4 boxes of chewing gum, and a case of ginger ale
• Dec. 1939: space leased to Mary Gustafason for restaurant
• 1942: restaurant operated by Hassan Amin
• July 1942: burglar entered through skylight and stoke $28.65 ($565 in 2025 dollars) from cash register
• Today, property assessed at around $800k