PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2025 1301 South Joyce Street, Arlington, VA This summer, the team behind El Mercat Bar de Tapas in Rockville, Maryland will be bringing their vibrant Spanish flavors to Arlington with a brand-new location opening in late July. Located in West Post at National Landing, the new outpost combines bold culinary technique, an open kitchen format, and an ambitious beverage program to create a high-energy, welcoming dining experience. A signature highlight of the new Arlington location will be tableside service featuring a Jamónero cart—adding an interactive and authentic touch to the experience. Guests can expect the same beloved menu as the Rockville location at launch, with plans to debut a refreshed lunch menu and a reimagined brunch offering about four weeks after opening. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2025 1309 5th Street NE Chef Giulio Adriani will be opening a second location of Slice & Pie and Taste of Lucy, an abbreviated version of his popular Italian cocktail bar, Lucy, in DC’s Union Market this Summer. Slice & Pie is known for its NY and Detroit-style slices. Taste of Lucy, will serve highlights of the original location’s menu including Neapolitan pizzas, a rotating pasta option, and select appetizers. An edited selection of Lucy’s cocktail menu, featuring about five cocktails and four to six wines by the glass will also be available, and the new location will offer a Happy Hour menu daily from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. The two concepts will be separated by a wall spanning the 800 square foot space, with Slice & Pie featured on the left and Taste of Lucy on the right. Taste of Lucy will accommodate roughly 20 guests at booths and a bar covered by an Italian-style awning, and Slice & Pie’s space will offer guests a direct view into the kitchen where pizzas are prepared and cooked in the pizza oven. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: June 2025 1925 14th Street NW Wonder, a new kind of food hall, with will be expanding to the DMV with seven new locations. The first to open will be the DC location this June in the popular 14th Street corridor followed by locations in Rosslyn, West End, College Park, Cleveland Park, Reston, and Franconia. In the DC market, Wonder is partnering with DC Central Kitchen, the city’s iconic nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. Founded by entrepreneur Marc Lore, Wonder represents both next-gen food hall and groundbreaking delivery service. The brand is revolutionizing mealtime by making incredible food from the likes of Bobby Flay, José Andres, Nancy Silverton and Marcus Samuelsson, as well as award-winning eateries from across the country like Tejas Barbeque, SriPraPhai, Di Fara Pizza, and Fred’s Meat & Bread, widely accessible for the first time, all under one roof.  Photo Courtesy of Wonder

PROJECTED OPENING: Late 2025 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD Uchiko will be opening in Bethesda later this year, making it Maryland’s first location of the concept. Uchiko will bring a taste of elevated Japanese cuisine to the suburb from its James Beard Award-winning Chef Tyson Cole. Guests can expect Uchiko’s signature smoke and char grill alongside hot and cold tastings, sushi, sashimi and a seasonal omakase. Uchiko’s space 9,000 square-foot space features a 200 -seat dining room with a dedicated sushi bar where guests can watch master sushi chefs work, a separate cocktail bar, and two private dining rooms. The menu will emphasize shared plates and robust flavors – from freshly flown-in fish to wood-grilled branzino, wagyu beef ribs and yakitori-style skewers – alongside a refined selection of nigiri, hot and cold tastings, and an omakase offering. The beverage program will complement the menu with a notable collection of Japanese whisky, sake and seasonal cocktails. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Fall 2025 3504 Connecticut Avenue NW Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts, owners of Cork Wine Bar, will be the expanding their wine bar and market to Cleveland Park this Fall, making it Cork’s third location. Cork Cleveland Park will have 20 seats in its street-level wine bar and retail area, a mezzanine-level tasting room with an additional 15 seats for wine classes, tastings, and private events, as well as storefront outdoor seating for 8. While this location will be a smaller operation than its 14th Street predecessor, Cork Cleveland Park will still have approximately 350 retail bottles of wine, and guests can enjoy any bottle on the shelf on site, plus a weekly revolving list of wines by-the-glass, an extensive curated selection of cheese, charcuterie, tinned fish, and small plates, and wine centric programming such as tastings, classes, pairing dinners, and special events. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2025 1802 14th Street NW Pitango Gelato, known for artisanal Italian gelato in the DC region, will be opening its eighth gelato and coffee shop along DC’s 14th Street corridor this Summer. Guests will be able to enjoy coffee, Italian baked goods and fresh, hand-spun, gelato made with high quality, organic ingredients. The 1,027 square foot space will also feature indoor seating for up to 10 guests. Pitango has prided itself on making gelato with organic milk from grass-fed cows and sorbet from fresh fruit. Every batch is made from scratch with simple, natural ingredients and all products are free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Unique to many gelato or ice cream stores, each flavor at Pitango is churned on-site at each location to ensure peak freshness. In total, the 14th Street store will carry 20 flavors, 10 of which will be dedicated to sorbets and other dairy-free options. The shop will also offer a rotating selection of Pitango’s house-made gelato flavors. The new Pitango outpost will also offer an extensive coffee menu with custom blends from local roaster, Vigilante Coffee, and a selection of sweet and savory baked goods.

PROJECTED OPENING: Summer 2025 1325 5th Street NE Chef Meherwan Irani will bring his James Beard Award–winning Indian street food to DC’s Union Market District later this summer. In Asheville, Meherwan and Molly Irani created a totally new genre of Indian restaurant in America, by showcasing everyday Indian culture and its underestimated street food with their downtown chaat house, Chai Pani. Later this summer, it debuts in the nation's capital helmed by two of the South’s most influential chefs: Chef Vishwesh Bhatt, will helm the kitchen at Chai Pani DC. At Chai Pani DC, guests can expect exclusive menu items, inspired by Vish’s upbringing in Gujarat and decorated tenure at Snackbar, as well as "mindblasting" Chai Pani greatest hits including chaats like Okra Fries, Sev Potato Dahi Puri (SPDP), Bhel Puri, and Kale Pakoras, as well as Meherwan's signature Sloppy Jai, Vada Pav, and homestyle thalis. For more information, click here.

11886 Grand Park Avenue, North Bethesda, MD bartaco will be coming soon to North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose development, to offer an upscale, yet relaxed dining experience inspired by the beach culture of Brazil, Uruguay and Southern California. The restaurant will deliver a fresh take on upscale street food with a coastal vibe——tacos, rice bowls, poke, soups, salads, and desserts—as well as an extensive beverage menu with specialty cocktails made with fresh, juiced-to-order citrus. bartaco aims to provide the perfect spot for guests to escape and enjoy globally inspired tacos and bold flavors in a welcoming atmosphere. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2025 1337 Connecticut Avenue NW Renowned hotelier Jason Pomeranc will be unveiling his latest venture, SIXTY DC, a destination poised to revolutionize the city's hospitality scene with SIXTY’s commitment to defying the ordinary, this Spring. SIXTY DC promises to be more than just a hotel; it aims to be a dynamic hub where culture, cuisine, and community converge. To create the unparalleled food & beverage offering for SIXTY DC, Pomeranc partnered with renowned restaurateur Hanif Harji. SIXTY DC will feature Casamara, a gorgeous restaurant capturing the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean, and Reynold's, a stylish, electric cocktail bar elevated by intricately crafted cocktails and impeccable beverage knowledge. At SIXTY DC, guests will embark on a journey through internationalism, with echoes of New York, Paris, and London woven seamlessly into the hotel rooms and food & beverage offerings. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Fall 2025 1150 17th Street NW James Beard Award-Winning restaurant from Chef Tyson Cole, Uchi, will be making its DC debut this Fall in the 17xM building. The restsurant will boast 185 seats including 18 at the bar, 14 at the sushi counter, and two private dining rooms. The menu features hot and cold tastings, sushi, sashimi, makimono, yakimono, tempura and a seasonal omakase experience, all delivered with exceptional service in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Uchi DC’s interior will reflect its Asian roots, referencing the acclaimed 2000 Hong Kong film In the Mood for Love. It will also take inspiration from the location’s neighboring National Geographic Museum of Exploration. For more information, click here.