Interview with Matt Krim, September 15, 2021

Okay, could you tell me your name and about your connection to the neighborhood Petworth?

Sure. I'm Matt, I'm one of the owners at Cinder Barbecue. We opened in spring of 2019. But I moved to the neighborhood in the summer of 2015, right over on Georgia Avenue and, you know, kind of started going out in the neighborhood. Came to this place when it was a former restaurant. Then unfortunately it fell on some tough times and became available, and I grabbed a couple of my business partners and said, hey, we should open a barbecue and bourbon beer place and we did, the spring of 2019.

So, looking back on your time in Petworth. Could you tell us about some of the more memorable celebrations you've been involved with?

Well, the first one was the shock of the first Fourth of July in 2015. We had no idea the neighborhood was so festive and excitable for for celebrating the fourth. And it was just, it was amazing to see the fireworks throughout the whole neighborhood, up and down all the streets from our rooftop. We could see probably six or seven different, like, real fireworks displays and then the neighborhood was just crazy. So my parents were up and they were like, wow, we've never seen anything like this. And, and since then, every Fourth of July, we had people over, get up on the rooftop, cookout, have some drinks and and celebrate the Fourth, Petworth style.

Has it changed at all? The way people celebrate the Fourth, since you first arrived?

No, I don't think so. It's—I thought it might be different during during the pandemic but still people got out, fired off all the local fireworks had their yard parties. Although they were a little little bit smaller. The fireworks displays were still great. The neighborhood just was was vibrant. This year was was even a little bit better than last year because we were in a Covid lull. And just seeing people all over the streets was great again. Hopefully 2022 will be back to pre-pandemic times of just yard parties and everybody just having a good time.

That gets to my last question, but let's say five to ten years from now, how would you like to see the neighborhood and celebrations going on in the neighborhood?

I'd love to see, you know, some of these developments get finished with like the one right across the street from from us, with—would bring you some more people into the neighborhood, you know, a couple new businesses coming in, you know, who knows? This neighborhood could use a few more things and a little bit more density to support to support any of the new businesses. And I think the the Main Street designation we're getting here on Upshur is fantastic, which will allow us to promote the area even more and and promote all the businesses up and down Upshur Street.