Indian Eatery Near H Street Corridor Battles to Keep Patio

An Indian restaurant near the H Street corridor has garnered hundreds of supporters in its fight with a neighborhood government commission to keep its patio.

Indigo at 243 K St. NE is seeking ANC 6C’s approval for a sidewalk cafe, which the eatery has had since it opened in 2013. More than 400 people have voiced their support online for Indigo’s outdoor space since a petition went up on Change.org this week.

Dinesh Tandon, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Nidhi, said he initially thought he didn’t need the backing of the ANC for his eatery’s patio. Tandon said he thought that having a liquor license that supported outdoor seating for 65 people was sufficient.

“It was a learning step for me,” he said.

The ANC approached him about the patio about two months ago when he added a bar and made other updates to the space, he said.

ANC 6C chairwoman Karen Wirt didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tandon said the outdoor seating upgrades are part of his efforts to spruce up the corner of 3rd and K streets NE. In addition to the patio, he said he is planning to add green space for outdoor games and bicycle parking on the east side of his restaurant.

“My sole purpose is to beautify this corner,” Tandon said.

The commission is scheduled to vote on Indigo’s bid for a sidewalk cafe tonight.