WASHINGTON 鈥� D.C.’s restaurant and night life scene has been booming in recent years, and now the newly appointed person in charge of keeping it running is someone who is familiar with the job already.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has named Shawn Townsend as the District鈥檚 new Director of Night Life and Culture. It sounds like a fun, and easy job, until you realize everything that happens after your workday is over falls on his shoulders.
Townsend鈥檚 new job will make him the point person for the District鈥檚 restaurants, bars, clubs, theaters and other after-hours venues, as they try to coordinate with the various agencies they depend on, including the police, public works and transportation departments. He鈥檒l also be the guy that residents go to whenever they have an issue with the various venues operating where they live.
When Townsend officially starts next month, he鈥檒l already have a familiarity with the industry he鈥檒l be overseeing. Right now he鈥檚 an investigator with the city鈥檚 Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration.
In a statement, Bowser said Townsend is 鈥済oing to help us ensure our city鈥檚 growth is benefiting more DC residents and local businesses.鈥�
Several cities around the country have started creating similar positions to this one, often calling the person who takes the job the 鈥渘ight mayor.鈥� But The Washington Post says Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected that term when she announced Townsend鈥檚 hiring at an event in Dupont Circle, telling people .
Regardless of the job title, the role requires understanding the impact businesses have on the city after most other businesses start to wind down.
