Earlier this week, I noted that Gillian Clark and Robin Smith finally got their certificate of occupancy from Montgomery County, which cleared the way for them to (finally) open the General Store as a sit-down restaurant. Which is great. I was really tired of eating fried chicken in the car.

But what about the Store’s downstairs partner, the Post Office Tavern?

The small subterranean operation, which will seat no more than 18 people, is expected to serve late-night pub food such as individual pizzas and wagyu hot dogs (though that could change, since Clark is still building out the menu). So when does Clark expect to open the Tavern?

During a phone interview this afternoon, she says she thinks it’ll open next week. Then she turns to Smith, whom Clark suggests has a more conservative take on the opening date. In the background, I can hear Smith yell, “Two months!”

Clark laughs uproariously. “Let’s say five weeks,” she says as a compromise. “Maybe less, but we’ll see.”