Diners in Washington, D.C., have slowed down on eating out as President Donald Trump imposes a heavy-handed crackdown on the region that many say is unnecessary.
OpenTable’s data shows the difference in the number of seated diners for restaurants that use the platform. It found that restaurant attendance in D.C. dropped 24% the week of Aug. 11-17, 2025, compared to Aug. 12-18, 2024, which was D.C. Restaurant Week. It also saw a 7% decrease from the previous week.
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As a whole, however, dining in D.C. has seen a 5% increase this year so far, according to OpenTable.
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On Aug. 11, Trump, a convicted felon who pardoned hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters, announced that he’d mobilize the National Guard troops and take control of the capital’s police force to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.” That same day, dining out dropped 16% compared to Aug. 11, 2024. It then dropped 27% on Aug. 12, 31% on Aug. 13, 29% on Aug. 14, 25% on Aug. 15, 20% on Aug. 16 and 21% on Aug. 17.
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The research is not all-encompassing, does not explain increases or decreases in the numbers and, as such, cannot directly be linked to Trump’s crackdown. But D.C.’s data from last week stands in stark contrast to data from other regions, which largely saw positive trends.
HuffPost reached out to the White House for comment, but it did not directly address OpenTable’s research. Instead, White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers pointed to an outdated Fox News article from January 2024 that blamed high crime and inflated prices for the closure of 52 D.C. restaurants in 2023.
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“President Trump’s bold leadership will restore our nation’s capital by creating opportunities for businesses to flourish without fear of criminals looting and destroying their property,” Rogers said. “President Trump is delivering on his promise to make D.C. safer, which will inherently make D.C. more prosperous.”
Despite claims from Trump and the White House, the violent crime rate in D.C. has been dropping over recent decades, with a spike in crime in 2023, which then declined again in 2024 and 2025.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) told HuffPost in a statement that OpenTable’s data gives the wrong message to diners as D.C.’s summer Restaurant Week commences.
“We are aware of the recent OpenTable data showing a drop in reservations following the federal takeover announcement last week. Our members are concerned about the perception this creates, but we are cautiously optimistic that reservations will increase during Restaurant Week,” a RAMW spokesperson said. “Restaurants are not just places to eat — they are community anchors, economic drivers, and collectively, one of the largest employers in the District. When seats are empty, the impact is felt by everyone, from servers to cooks, and operators to suppliers.”
“Restaurants are prepared and eager to serve diners, as our city’s leaders continue to keep public safety a top priority. Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Bowser, the D.C. Council, and the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime is at a three-decade low. Federal action should build on our progress, not discourage people from going to work or going out to eat,” they continued, urging residents to dine during Restaurant Week.
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