The Doctor’s Office turned out to be quite a name for a Capitol Hill bar opening in February, 2020 just as the world was beginning to face a modern day pandemic.

“I’m a full time practicing physician and for a long time the nickname of my home bar was “The Doctor’s Office”, based on the running joke that friends could theoretically leave work early saying they had an appointment at The Doctor’s Office and then come over and hang out,” owner Matthew Powell said. “When we decided to open an actual bar, it was the obvious choice.”

Who better to check in with, then, as Capitol Hill food and drink venues prepare to move out of the vaccination check-up business with the end of vaccination card requirements starting March 1st?

What does the good doctor have to say about it?

“I think it’s premature given that community spread, while dropping appreciably, is still high,” Powell tells CHS. “It strikes me as political expediency given that rates are still higher than they were for much of the pandemic, especially when accounting for how many home tests are positive but aren’t reflected in official numbers.”

So, will The Doctor’s Office still ask you to show proof of vax or a negative test when you visit in March?

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“We will at least for a while,” Powell said. “We were amongst the first to require it, I suspect we’ll be amongst the last to give it up. I’ve seen too many people firsthand die needlessly to feel otherwise.”

The decisions like this that have shaped the bar are just part of the challenges small business owners across Capitol Hill have face. But Powell found himself in a unique position.

“The lockdown was incredibly challenging financially, but from a medical standpoint was absolutely necessary,” he said. “We had just opened, so we didn’t qualify for a lot of the support programs that almost all asked for 2019 receipts, which we obviously didn’t have. We did some takeout, but the sales were barely enough to cover paying the staff to be there and didn’t dent the rest of our expenses of rent, insurance and the construction loans.”

Knowing the seriousness of the situation, but also wanting to keep his bar open, Powell took it upon himself to shoulder some of the financial burden. “To be completely forthright, we’re only still open because as a physician, I was able to pick up extra shifts and work 90 hour weeks on a COVID ward in Yakima over the winter. That was the most stressful work I’ve ever had, but I consider myself fortunate to be able to keep the bar afloat since a lot of other business owners didn’t have another option like I did.”

Powells’ hard work saving lives kept his bar afloat, but it is because of his customers that the bar is thriving now.

“The neighborhood has been so fantastic and supportive. We opened four weeks before the lockdown and many people — ourselves included — weren’t sure if we’d make it through, so the support and encouragement when we were able to reopen last summer was fantastic.”

There are also challenges ahead, of course. Neighbor Glo’s is lined up to leave the block and reopen later this year at Capitol Hill Station as the remaining neighbors including The Doctor’s Office and Captain Black’s face  the prospect of their home parcels being put up for sale by the family trust that owns the block.

The entire staff, including Powell, is six people, and the budget for marketing is small and they rely on word of mouth. “All of our success has been because we have created a unique experience and people have spread the word on our behalf,” Powell said.

The vibe Powell and his partners were searching for had less of a doctors office feel, “it has all the hospitality and comfort of being in a good friend’s living room, just one that happens to have a truly world class spirits selection and amazing cocktails.” The all gender restroom though, will leave you seeing spots.

The Doctor’s Office will also feed you. Its menu focuses on the touch of chef Scott Goldyn with fresh, locally sourced, grill items. Signature cocktails are also on the menu. Keeping it local, The Doctor’s Office partnered with Boon Boona coffee over the winter for a hot drink menu and according to Powell, will be working on future collaborations.

On E Olive Way, squeezed between Glo’s and The Stumbling Monk, are two rusted panels and a wooden door. A cutout reads “The Doctor’s Office.” It could be easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention, but this two-year-old “tasting bar” is already well known despite its pandemic shrouded start. Powell says the small, approachable style is intentional, “Some of my favorite bar experiences in my world travels have been these little hole in the wall spots, with walls of incredible spirits and an intimate setting that allows for genuine interaction, so I sought to create that unique experience here at home.”

Surrounding himself with industry veterans like the bar director and day to day operations manager Keith Waldbauer, Powell made industry connections after traveling to Oaxaca in 2013. Working with a mezcal brand as a part-time representative, Powell met the people he would work with to help shape the bar.

Over the years, his friendships bloomed into help and generosity of time and spirit when it came to crafting a business plan for his own bar.  “I kept saying that if someone opened this bar five years ago I wouldn’t have opened one, I’d just go to that bar,” Powell said. “But no one else did.”

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