Downtown Grilled Cheese Bar GCDC Leads a Class Action Suit Against Hartford Insurance | Eater DC

"I describe this downtown grilled-cheese bar near the White House as a contemporary eatery that specializes in a long list of grilled cheese selections alongside loaded tater tots, soups and salads, and local wines, beers, and mixed drinks; it also offers charcuterie and some fried fare. The six-year-old, 2,146-square-foot restaurant at 1730 Pennsylvania Avenue NW seats about 85 diners for lunch and sit-down dinner, did roughly $1.46 million in sales last year, and employs 10 full-time workers, yet carryout and delivery historically made up only about 15% of revenue. During the coronavirus pandemic the business experienced a 95 percent drop in income between early March and April 11, opted to fully close on April 11 for the duration of the dine-in ban (then set to expire May 15), and has subsequently filed a class-action lawsuit in D.C. federal court against Hartford and Sentinel seeking to recover losses after its business-interruption claim was denied; the denial letter invoked a “pollution exclusion,” while GCDC argues the D.C. civil-authority closure triggers coverage. I note the suit is being handled by Cohen Milstein and Gibbs Law Group as part of a wider wave of similar restaurant claims." - Tierney Plumb