A politically themed bar in Washington, DC, is facing criticism after just a few days, largely over its logo: a Democratic donkey and a Republican elephant.
Political Pattie’s, a new three-story bar on U Street in northwest Washington, D.C. — a predominantly liberal city — quickly stirred controversy after many locals took offense to the GOP elephant on the bar’s exterior logo. Fox News reported.
A wave of woke retaliation on social media followed shortly after. Some called the bar’s theme “dangerous.” Others called it “tone deaf.”
However, owners Andrew Benbow, 41, and Sydney Bradford, 40, opened the bar with the hope of creating a space for bipartisan political debate.
Political Pattie’s, a new bar in Northwest Washington, DC, has already faced criticism just days after it first opened its doors — specifically over its logo
Owners Andrew Benbow, 41, and Sydney Bradford, 40, opened the bar in the hope of creating a space where both sides of politics can be discussed.
“Because DC is such a political city, it seemed logical to me to have a political bar… but we didn’t know that wasn’t the case,” Benbow told Fox.
Because they voted for different parties themselves, they wanted their organization to be a safe place for conversations, where everyone would feel included.
“It represented our partnership and what we were trying to do with the space,” Bradford said The Washington Post.
Benbow, a moderate Republican, and Bradford, a Democrat, saw their own relationship as living proof that people can still connect, no matter which side they choose.
“If we can have different political views and still fall in love, then two people with completely different worldviews can still come together, have a conversation and get to know each other,” Benbow told Fox.
The couple vote for different political parties themselves, but they feel their relationship is living proof that people can connect despite political differences.
Political elements are woven into the space – including a DJ booth on the second floor that resembles the presidential lectern
Their slogan? ‘Bringing the ‘lit’ into politics.’
“We try to bring people together and get to know each other without making judgements,” Bradford said Washingtonian.
But these are highly partisan times — especially in the months leading up to Election Day. And the current divide was made all the more apparent by the objections to the bar, both from D.C. residents and online users.
The complaints initially surprised the couple.
“People are taking sides and entrenching themselves on both sides,” Benbow told The Washington Post.
“And they don’t care about the other person’s values. They don’t care about learning about them. All they care about is, ‘This is what I believe. And I don’t want to have anything to do with you if I think you believe something different.'”
Framed portraits of presidents hang throughout the three-story bar
After social media users asked the couple to “read the room,” they had an idea: they wanted to install a library of different types of political books that customers could borrow, keep and contribute to.
But the couple tried to keep their heads high, joking about the situation and hoping that “any publicity is good publicity,” the Post reported.
Jokes among online users inspired the couple’s staff uniform: khaki pants and a blue T-shirt with a red tie, all meant to evoke the standard Hill uniform.
Social media users asked the couple to “read the room” and gave them another idea: books.
Bradford and Benbow installed a library of various political books in the bar that customers can borrow or keep for their own use. Bringing your own favorites to add to the collection is also encouraged, the Washington Post added.
While politics defines the bar’s essence, Benbow says it doesn’t define him.
“I don’t walk around with an elephant on my forehead,” he said.
The couple has an extensive background in politics and law, which served as a blueprint for the project.
They met at Hampton University as political science students. Bradford is now a lawyer who has worked on Capitol Hill, and Benbow is a retired Army Reserve officer and attorney with experience working with multiple federal agencies, Washingtonian reported.
The bar is intended to be a safe space where different opinions are accepted and not judged, even though DC is a predominantly liberal state
The politically themed bar also has quotes on the walls that fit both parties
After years of experience in their own official positions, they hoped to integrate what they had learned about compromising across ideological divisions and share it with others in their own environment.
The decision to open the bar felt like an easy one. The couple regularly spend their weekends together in the city, enjoying live music and sipping cocktails.
The only thing missing from their city was a bar with good prices, a vibrant happy hour atmosphere, and polite discussions.
Still, the outrage over the logo was taken into account, as people realized how powerful certain images can really be.
Bradford and Benbow decided to change the logo and removed both political animals to avoid further controversy. They also didn’t want to feel like they were hurting their community.
Benbow (far right) considers himself a “moderate Republican,” while Bradford (not pictured) considers himself a Democrat
The couple eventually changed the bar’s logo in response to the outrage, but plan to give the bar a political theme in the hopes that people will give the place a chance.
“Some people might just see it as a GOP elephant, but others might react really strongly to it and feel unsafe,” Bradford told Fox.
“What we want to do is create a safe space where people can come in and have a political debate, or whatever conversation they want to have,” she added.
“But it’s important that people know that we don’t support debates about anyone’s existence or discrimination of any kind. That’s not tolerated here at Pattie’s.”
The couple believes the situation has made it clear that this is exactly what Washington needs: a place where all opinions are welcome.
But despite the change of logo, the name of the bar remains the same.
The bar also aims to maintain the space’s “political vibe,” serving cocktails with names like the “Filibuster Fizz” and the “Gerrymander Martini.”
The walls are still covered with political quotes and framed portraits of numerous presidents, including Kennedy, Obama, Bush (the son) and Lincoln, according to The Washington Post.
There’s even a DJ booth on the second floor that resembles the presidential lectern.
“Political Pattie’s aims to be a fun, inclusive place that makes fun of politics, not the pain that politics often causes,” the couple told Washingtonian.
“Pattie’s will continue to strive for better. And we ask that you do the same.”
Ultimately, the duo hopes people will give their bar a chance, despite initial backlash.
And with Election Day fast approaching, we might all be in need of a drink.