50 Wine Restaurants We Love 2021

This pan-Latin restaurant quickly became a D.C. favorite when it opened in mid-2019. Over the course of the pandemic, it rehired a majority of staff while also encouraging chefs to host independent pop-up concepts out of the Seven Reasons kitchen.

Recognizing the tenuousness of salaries at the time, the owners raised wages above industry averages and instituted a bonus program.

The team also started the Seven Reasons Career Development Program, which hosts lectures, classes and workshops with topics like food, personal finance and leadership for Seven Reasons staff, as well as employees of other restaurants. A section called “The Path Forward” on their website details these initiatives for the public.

“Transparency and communication are key, both internal and external,” says Co-owner Ezequiel Vasquez-Ger. “Let people know what you are doing and why you are doing it.”