On Monday, DC mayor Vincent Gray and other city officials will be on hand for a breakfast-time ribbon cutting at the Hamilton, the ambitious new enterprise from Clyde’s Restaurant Group. It’s at 14th and F streets, around the corner from the company’s Old Ebbitt Grill. If Old Ebbitt is Clyde’s on steroids, then the Hamilton is Old Ebbitt on steroids. For one thing, the ceilings are twice as high. It has five bars, five dining rooms, and a live music venue – and it’s open 24 hours, every day of the week.
John Laytham is the CEO of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, and has been its design and expansion visionary for more than 30 years. He became partners with founder Stuart Davidson back when there was only one Clyde’s, the original in Georgetown. The Washingtonian caught up with him to talk about the past, present, and future of the restaurant group.