D.C. tax officials are getting ready to auction off kitchen gear, original artwork and bottles of wine seized from two high profile restaurants run by Michelin starred chef Matt Baker, a move that has both dining rooms in limbo and their staffs scattered. What sells, and for how much, could help decide whether the restaurants ever reopen under Baker or whether bidders simply strip away pieces of two of the city’s buzziest spots.
According to the Washington Business Journal, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue has put restaurant equipment, artwork and wine from Michele's and Gravitas on its public sale list, saying the items will be sold to cover unpaid tax debts. The outlet reports that the inventory was seized earlier this year and is being moved through the district’s enforcement process.
The Office of Tax and Revenue first shut down both restaurants in late January after years of liens. The Washington Post reported that Gravitas faced more than $287,000 in unincorporated business franchise taxes plus roughly $222,000 in sales and use taxes dating to 2021, while Michele's had failed to pay nearly $200,000 in sales taxes for 2023 and 2024. At the time, city records and statements framed the seizures as a straightforward attempt to collect long overdue revenue.
Padlocked And Paused
When tax agents arrived in January, city crews padlocked the doors and posted notices halting all business until the accounts were settled. Eater DC reported that Michele's inside the Eaton Hotel had been closed and padlocked, and that Gravitas in Ivy City was similarly shut down as part of the same enforcement sweep.
Baker Says He’s Working With Officials
In the fallout, Baker told The Washington Post that he had been on a payment plan and negotiating with tax officials, but said he missed payments in November and December after business slowed. "We are actively working with their offices now to come to a resolution to get the restaurants reopened as soon as possible," Baker told the paper.
What An Auction Could Mean
Municipal auctions of restaurant assets rarely offer a fairy tale ending. Equipment and wine typically move fast to bargain hunters, while the design touches and branding that give a restaurant its personality seldom sell in one piece. The Washingtonian has tracked Baker’s recent financial troubles and earlier liens, context that helps explain why the city opted for hard line enforcement instead of more drawn out negotiations.
The Washington Business Journal reports that the Office of Tax and Revenue has listed the seized inventory for sale but has not yet specified a final payout figure or who will oversee the bidding. How much money the auction ultimately raises, and whether those proceeds are enough to satisfy creditors and give Baker any shot at regaining control, is still very much up in the air.
