November 1, 2011 | 10:01 AM | By

Cupcakes and Bulletproof Glass

FILED UNDER: History, Restaurants, Bulletproof Glass, Cupcakes, East of the River, Gentrification, Small Business

lamantin / Flickr

Nothing says neighborhood change and gentrification like a cupcake shop. But what if such a shop has bulletproof glass inside? The Washington City Paper reports that the first cupcake shop east of the Anacostia River, Olivia’s Cupcakes, has a “thick sheet” of bullet-resistant glass behind the counter:

“It broke my heart to do that, but it’s a deterrent,” says proprietor Cindy Bullock, who runs the cupcake shop alongside her husband, Bob Bullock, and their daughters, Kristina, 20, and Alexis, 18.

“Several people asked (about the glass) and said, ‘It’s a beautiful shop, its unfortunate that you have it up,’ but we had to have it,” Bullock says.

“I have owned several business in this area and we have been robbed several times,” she explains. “We wanted to make [the shop] elegant and beautiful, but because of the teenagers and having my children here we wanted to protect them.”

D.C.’s bullet resistant glass initially appeared in stores in the wake of the 1968 riots, and became much more widespread at the height of the crack epidemic. Like the Bullocks, many store owners have installed glass after bad experiences.

In gentrifying neighborhoods, the glass barricade coming down is a turning point. It’s also sometimes necessary to appeal to a wealthier clientele. Take Logan Circle, where most liquor and convenience stores had the glass for decades. Then Whole Foods opened on P Street, NW in 2000. Property values rose, and Amare Lucas, owner of Best-In Liquors on P and 15th streets NW decided to take down his glass. The more inviting atmosphere, along with new stock he brought in, attracted more customers, new and longtime residents alike. “Some [customers] told me they had been in the neighborhood for 15 years, kind of passing the store by because of the glass,” Lucas told Washington City Paper‘s Dave Jamieson in 2005. “They’re in my store now. It really gives you a satisfaction.”

  • http://twitter.com/anc7c04 Sylvia C. Brown

    When Thai Orchid opened a few blocks away they were not allowed to put up a bulletproof barrier.  How did she get by that requirement? 

    What were the businesses Ms. Bullock owned?  There can be a correlation between the business type and “necessity” of bulletproof barriers.  With a new business type, what is her security plan to prevent/deter being robbed?  We’ve got to stop allowing businesses to make excuses and broad generalizations about a community.  Change happens on a parallel track.  The business needs to have deterrents, there need to be different business types, increased community standards (for ourselves and businesses), and a more attentive law enforcement process (police patrols through the judicial process).  

  • http://twitter.com/anc7c04 Sylvia C. Brown

    When Thai Orchid opened a few blocks away they were not allowed to put up a bulletproof barrier.  How did she get by that requirement? 

    What were the businesses Ms. Bullock owned?  There can be a correlation between the business type and “necessity” of bulletproof barriers.  With a new business type, what is her security plan to prevent/deter being robbed?  We’ve got to stop allowing businesses to make excuses and broad generalizations about a community.  Change happens on a parallel track.  The business needs to have deterrents, there need to be different business types, increased community standards (for ourselves and businesses), and a more attentive law enforcement process (police patrols through the judicial process).  

  • Incognido13

    Thai Orchid wasn’t allowed a bulletproof glass and was robbed.  I think she has every right to have the glass like she said its for the safety of the teenagers working in the store not herself.  I think this shows that although SE is changing there are still problems that are in the community that will take more than a few new, expensive condos to change. I went there and it is lovely place I never thought twice about the glass.

  • Incognido13

    Thai Orchid wasn’t allowed a bulletproof glass and was robbed.  I think she has every right to have the glass like she said its for the safety of the teenagers working in the store not herself.  I think this shows that although SE is changing there are still problems that are in the community that will take more than a few new, expensive condos to change. I went there and it is lovely place I never thought twice about the glass.

  • http://twitter.com/monkeyrotica monkeyrotica

    I would TOTALLY shop at a store called “Bulletproof Cupcakes.”