During its early years, notable musicians such as Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald performed at the nightclub.
[1] After the burn out of the 60's riots, Republic Gardens closed and remained vacant until 1996, when club promoter Marc Barnes purchased and reopened the nightclub.
During the Marc Barnes resurrection era Republic Gardens catered to a young and professional urban crowd, setting off the momentum of resurgence for the blighted U Street corridor of Washington, D.C. making it colorful national landmark destination of the upwardly mobile African American.
With an international chef as a hallmark of its offerings, and A-list celebrity events, Republic Gardens began to embed into the culture of the new DC social scene as well as the national urban lifestyle epicenter.
After purchasing Republic Gardens from Whitney Family Resturaunts, Marc Barnes went on to springboard into building a 52,000 sq.