Operating in a firehouse built in 1855 gave the restaurant gravitas. 

When Kyle Bailey signed on as the chef in 2016 it gave the restaurant a culinary boost.

The stiff drinks, neighborhood feel, and generous happy hour made it a great hang.

After seven years, Long Shot Hospitality Group is letting go of Sixth Engine in Mt. Vernon Triangle.

But the restaurant space already has a buyer. The team behind The Pub and the People scooped up the two-story structure that was the oldest operating fire house in the District until it was decommissioned in 1974.

One of the Long Shot Hospitality partners, Jeremy Carman, says his group, which also includes Bailey, Gavin Coleman, and Paul Holder, is transitioning its focus to new projects. They include the fall 2019 opening of Dauphine’s—a restaurant that will celebrate New Orleans—and a second location of The Salt Line in Ballston, planned for spring 2020.

The restaurant will get a new name now that it’s in the hands of the Pub and The People team. They plan to keep the menu and vibe similar to that of Sixth Engine—expect craft beer and gastropub fare.

The Pub and The People, located at 1648 North Capitol St. NW, is a popular neighborhood gathering place that serves sandwiches and beer mac and cheese paired with brews and classic cocktails. 

No word yet on when the restaurant will reopen. 

Sixth Engine, 438 Massachusetts Ave. NW; (202) 506-2455; sixthengine.com