A “Right Proper” Brewery Stakes Its Ground In Power City

When Thor Cheston got into the restaurant business back in 2003, he did so with the hope that he would one day open his own brewery and restaurant. This past December, he saw this intention come to fruition in the form of the Right Proper Brewing Company, located right next door to the Howard Theatre in the historic Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. The brewpub is actually in the same spot that once housed Frank Holiday’s Pool Hall, a popular hangout for jazz cats in the early 20^th century (DC’s own Duke Ellington spent some time there during his formative years).

Right Proper’s name has humble beginnings. Thor’s wife is from a small North Carolina town where they say things like “I’ll be there right quick” or “that girl is just right pretty.” “Right proper” is another one of these colloquial sayings, and, as Thor puts it, “Washington, DC neighborhoods have a small southern town kind of feel, where everyone knows each other, everyone’s proud of the neighborhood they live in, they support the local businesses…so I thought it was a nice little kind of tie-in.”

Cheston and his colleagues knew they wanted their venture to be in a DC neighborhood outside of the hustle and bustle of the downtown portion of the city. And with so many up-and-coming neighborhoods to choose from, selecting the perfect location was not the easiest task. If you know the history of a neighborhood like Shaw and you find an opening there, however, you take it. And if it’s next-door to a place like the Howard Theatre, well, it’s a no-brainer.

“I was really drawn to the Shaw neighborhood,” says Cheston. “Just the history of the neighborhood and it being a center of music and culture that is very unique to Washington, DC; we were very pleased when we were able to get the space.”

According to Cheston, the idea of a brewpub in the nation’s capital is very much needed. District residents are extremely fond of local businesses, especially ones that add to the neighborhood’s character, integrity, and allure. And if it’s also possible to have lower-than-average prices in redeveloping neighborhoods – let’s just say it’s a win/win.

“The brewpub prices thing is pretty awesome when you’re living in a city which is pretty expensive,” he says. “I’d love to say it was something restaurants could control but when they’re buying through a middle man, it’s really the distributors that jack up the prices.”

Thor and his Right Proper team pride themselves on being a neighborhood pub that brews “beers that speak for themselves rather than beers that fit solidly into one category or another. We want to bring a sense of comfort,” he adds. “Although we’re a very casual restaurant, an inexpensive restaurant…everything is to support the beer and the beer brand. Although we are a neighborhood-gathering place, we do everything very carefully…We really want people to see a real sense of craftsmanship and come away with a good sense of value.”

Right Proper dispenses six original draft beers at any given time and also has draft wine and a full liquor cabinet. The draft selection is constantly changing and all of their concoctions are individuals. I dig the fact that they don’t want to be pigeonholed as hop-heads, malty maniacs, wheat whackos, or any other ingredient-based nickname. Their product runs the gamut, which I think is very refreshing considering that many breweries these days have a central brewing concept in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the (usually) friendly competition.

As for the future, Thor remains extremely optimistic and believes that DC is and will continue to be a hotbed for craft beer. According to Cheston, Washington DC’s craft beer scene is going, “to the stars, man. There’s no end in sight. The city’s population is getting younger… it’s going to be a long time before DC is anywhere near saturation when it comes to craft beer or local breweries.”

 

 Sounds good to me…

 The Right Proper Brewing Company is located at 624 T Street NW, Washington, DC.