PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2025 620 Maine Street SW Urban Roast, the beloved family-owned restaurant and cocktail bar known for its festive atmosphere, is opening its second location at The Wharf early next year. Urban Roast aims to elevate the dining experience with its renowned "Rose Room." The new venue will feature an expansive indoor/outdoor bar and boast the largest patio at the Wharf, spanning 1,600 square-feet. Nestled within “The Green,” one of the neighborhood's lush parklets, the outdoor space includes a charming marble fountain and stunning waterfront views. Guests can enjoy a communal fire pit for s’mores and cozy gatherings while the interior showcases Urban Roast's signature decorative greenery, hanging roses, and vibrant neon signs. For more information, click here. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Winter 2024 2301 M Street NW Life Alive Organic Café is expanding into D.C.‘s West End this Winter as the brand’s first-ever location outside of Massachusetts. This marks a significant milestone for the beloved concept known for its invigorating, made-from-scratch food. Life Alive cafe’s aim to provide a warm and inviting environment for guests to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, and the D.C. location will be no different. Guests can expect an elevated design with eclectic art, cozy nooks, ample plugs, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hope is for the light-filled, spacious cafe to provide the West End neighborhood with an uplifting gathering place for guests to meet, linger, and simply feel at home.As part of the company's "Eat Positive. Live Positive."  vision, Life Alive is committed to providing guests with food that not only tastes amazing, but also leaves them feeling energized, uplifted, and fully alive. The chef-inspired menu offers a wide variety of options, including hearty warm grain bowls, salads, ramen-style noodles dishes, soups, açaí bowls and smoothies. All dishes are artfully prepared from scratch daily prioritizing whole, organic ingredients. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 20251700 K Street NW Partners Nasr El Hage, Nellie Elana Gebrail, and Dany Abi-Najm will be opening a new concept, Barbouzard, next year. Inspired by the glamor of the Mediterranean seascape and Cote D’Azur, the new dining destination will blend sophisticated tastes with an alluring day-to-night ambiance. The 180-seat, 6,493 square-foot space will feature a bar and lounge, expansive main dining room, piano and DJ booth, champagne lounge, and lush outdoor veranda. Striking architectural and design plans include large-scale glass and steel structures complemented by luxurious, layered textiles. Barbouzard will draw culinary inspiration from the vibrant summer destinations along the Mediterranean Sea, with a focus on the buzzy scenes reminiscent of St. Tropez and Cannes. The menu will highlight highly seasonal ingredients, exquisite seafood and luxurious cuts of meat, plus charcuterie and cheeses, and an in-house bread and pastry program. An expansive beverage program with Old World wines, a deep champagne list, and a cutting-edge cocktail program will complement the dining experience. In addition to the culinary offerings are plans for  large-scale music programming, to include an in-house resident DJ as well as pianists, saxophonists, and violinists. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Late Fall 2024 600 H Street NE Industry Veterans Dante Datta and Chef Suresh Sundas will be opening their newest concept, Tapori, in DC’s H Street Corrdior this Fall. Tapori will celebrate Indian Street Food with the power to bridge communities through culinary prowess with regional dishes and cocktails from their native homeland. The restaurant is inspired by the street foods, taking inspiration from regions in India- the South: Kerala (coconut, spicy, seafood) Mughal-influenced Hydrabad, Center-west like Mumbai, and Eastern regions like Sundas' native Nepal(influenced by both India and China). Guests can get excited for dishes like innovative street food such as Pani Puri, Vada Pav and Dosas, as well as recipes inspired from Chef Suresh’s single mom where he grew up in the impoverished rural village of the Pathari village of the Morang district in Nepal. Cocktails include an “Indianish” take on the classic Pornstar Martini, and ingredients that include indigenous spices and fruits like chaat masala, jackfruit puree, kashmiri chili and hibiscus. Photo by Calvin Kim

PROJECTED OPENING: 2027 3000 M Street NW José Andrés Group and Thor Equities are joining forces to create the renowned hospitality company’s first hotel: The Bazaar House by José Andrés. The 67-room luxury hotel will feature an exclusive private membership club, multiple food and beverage venues all curated by José Andrés Group, events space, an expansive dedicated wellness center, high-end retail offerings and more, slated to open in 2027 in Georgetown. The private club will be a focal point of the project, featuring exclusive benefits and venues for members, including The Bazaar Club—a penthouse club with a signature restaurant with breathtaking views of Georgetown. For more information, click here. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2025 14385 Newbrook Drive, Chantilly, VA Farmside Kitchen, a new fast casual Americana-style eatery that aims to bring together a love of great-tasting, farm-fresh foods with a thoughtful and sustainable approach to the health of the planet, will be opening in the space formerly home to Farm Truck Pizza & Greens in Chantilly early next year. This new Virginia Location will be Farmside Kitchen’s second location, after initially opening in North Carolina. The grains and greens bowl-forward menu is crafted with wholesome, fully customizable menu items that meet a range of dietary considerations, from keto to vegan and everything in between.   Farmside Kitchen will feature Americana-style fresh foods made with nutrient rich, locally sourced ingredients from trusted partners and farmers, at an affordable price. For more information, visit their website here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Late 2024 1155 Dahlia Street NW Giulio Adriani will be opening a second location of his concept, Slice & Pie, at the Parks at Walter Reed later this year. Guests can get excited for an expanded menu at this new location, with menu options such as paninis, pizza, smash burgers, and more. This new location will have 26 seats for guests to sit and enjoy their food, making it larger than it’s U Street predecessor. For more information, visit Slice & Pie’s website here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Late 2024 7730 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, VA Sisters Thai will be opening its fifth and largest location in the DC metro area adjacent to Capital One Hall later this year. The menu will include a mix of authentic Thai street-food dishes, specialty curry bowls, a developed drinks menu, and an outpost of the group’s Magnolia Boutique Dessert Bar & Coffee. For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: October 2024 3950 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria, VA La Tingeria, Northern Virginia’s beloved taqueria, will be opening its third location at Port City Brewing Company this October, making it Port City’s first time partnering with a full time restaurant. The menu will feature Chef David Peña’s signature items, as well as brand new items for guests to enjoy. La Tongeria aims to create a natural pairing between tacos and craft beer. For more information, visit Port City Brewing Company’s Website here.

PROJECTED OPENING: Fall 2024 333 G Street NW Chef Pepe Moncayo will be opening his latest culinary venture, Arrels, at Arlo DC this Fall. Arrels, meaning "roots" in Catalan, will be a modern Spanish restaurant deeply connected to Moncayo's heritage, celebrating ties to Barcelona, Sant Celoni, Blanes, and various Spanish regions. The menu will offer a contemporary take on classic Spanish dishes, including tapas, composed plates, and signature beverages like sangria and gin and tonics. Featuring a state-of-the-art Spanish oven and grill fueled by charcoal. Arrels will showcase a variety of dishes from whole fishes to charred vegetables, enhancing natural flavors with traditional Spanish techniques. Chef Moncayo aims to create an inviting space where guests can savor the essence of Spanish cuisine.Photo by Leading DC