A sandwich bar (the unification of a cocktail bar and sandwich shop) envisioned by Paul Taylor and Sherra Kurtz. Their recipes are all about combining unexpected flavors, adding in a healthy dose of nostalgia, and bringing it all together into something completely new.
The Beginning
The two of us drank 312 ciders in 2020. How did we do that? Let me tell you.
When service ended at Columbia Room on Saturday, March 14th, 2020, we left feeling anxious and unsettled. On March 15th, as the Mayor of DC closed restaurants and bars for the foreseeable future, our growing concern of a changing world outside our walls became realized. Our instinct was to keep moving; we went to work figuring out a plan to keep the business afloat -- which meant implementing sweeping changes to our pre-pandemic business model. We discovered that the skills we had sharpened over our combined 35 years in the hospitality industry were ready to be put to use in this new world.
We immediately recognized that we were committed to bringing whatever relief we could to those on the frontlines of this pandemic and to those who were in need under exceptional circumstances. We also knew that people in our community were struggling with the weight of not knowing: how long will this last? Can I keep my family safe? We knew that the stress and uncertainty of this moment loomed largely, so we gravitated to the small things that comforted us. We wanted our contributions to make sense in a senseless world, bring comfort where there was little, to bring simple joys to those who needed it the most. The humble sandwich became our vehicle to achieve all of these things. Sandwiches have always made us happy; some of our favorite food memories from a potentially bygone era encapsulated between 2 slices of bread. We hoped that sharing them with our community would help others create new, delicious memories, even in these uncertain times.
Over the past year, when headlines seemed plucked from dystopian film trailers, we were -- one sandwich, one cocktail at a time -- building the future of our “sandwich bar”, Your Only Friend. We donated over 3,000 sandwiches to frontline healthcare workers and community members in need. We contributed over $6,500 to local campaigns like Back to Black, Campaign Zero, and Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry. We knew that these contributions were not only necessary but fundamental in building the better world we envisioned when the pandemic finally loosened its vice-like grip on the country and the world at large. We amassed over 4,000 followers on Instagram, and local media not only took notice but featured us front and center in pandemic business success stories.
So, back to the 312 ciders. At the end of each service, no matter how grueling, the two of us would sit down, finish paperwork, prepare for the next day, crack open a cider each, and clink cans, a small but meaningful gesture that symbolized we had survived another day. We would exchange a look above the rim of our cans each time, and agree, “Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
312 ciders consumed over 270 days.
Our Mission Statement
Your Only Friend celebrates the sandwich as a vehicle to excite and feed the soul. Our cocktails will be fun, nuanced, and celebratory, simultaneously. Together we are a triple-bottom-line business, working to support our employees, our environment, and our economy. Together we provide consistently delicious, thoughtful, and inventive food and cocktails. Together we foster a welcoming, friendly atmosphere for employees and guests through transparency, accessibility, community engagement, and education.
