PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2026 5334-9 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD Chef Takeshi Nishikawa will be opening his modern Japanese ice cream and tea shop in Hyattsville this Spring. Snow Crane will reimagine ice cream through the lense of Japanese tradition, drawing from the flavors and techniques of Central Japan. Until the opening, you can find them at various pop-ups in the area! For more information, click here.

PROJECTED OPENING: March 2026 1636 17th Street NW Owners Rob Van de Graaf and Steve Kim will be expanding their restaurant, The Commodore, to Alexandria this March, making it the second location overall. The Alexandria outpost will bring The Commodore’s signature “Five-Star Dive Bar” approach to Old Town, offering the same pub fare, drinks, and nightly programming like trivia and bingo that guests know from the D.C. original, along with the addition of Chicago tavern-style pizza. More information to come!

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2026 4100 Monuments Corner Drive, Fairfax, VA Ruthie’s All-Day will be opening their second location in Fairfax, Virginia this Spring. With a menu that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Ruthie’s has something for everyone—whether a hearty breakfast biscuit, a signature meat-and-three plate, or a delicious dessert. Committed to creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant’s mission is to bring people together over great food and memories. Ruthie’s All-Day Fairfax  will seat 210 guests and feature an outdoor patio, a coffee bar, a take-out counter, a wood-burning hearth, a smoker, a full bar, and expanded specialty menu offerings (including gluten-free and vegetarian options).

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2026 1003 Wisconsin Avenue NW Dutch Darlings Stroopwafels & Sweets, from father and daughter duo Hans and Maaike Ravesteijn, will open its first brick-and-mortar shop in early next year in the heart of Georgetown. Dutch Darlings Stroopwafels & Sweets will serve freshly baked, made-to-order stroopwafels, coffee and espresso drinks, and acurated selection of candy and sweets from the Netherlands and other European countries. The small store will be a cozy, family-friendly space where customers can experience a moment of warmth and sweetness during their day. Dutch Darlings aims to blend the nostalgic aroma of stroopwafels with a modern, playful ambiance that is welcoming and memorable. 

PROJECTED OPENING: Spring 2026 1827 Adams Mill Road NW At the end of the year, Jill Tyler and Jon Sybert will close their critically acclaimed restaurant, Tail Up Goat, to make way for Rye Bunny, a new rigorously seasonal and hospitality-forward counter-service restaurant opening next year at the same address. Drawing from folk craft traditions, the 84-seat space will be revitalized by EDIT AT STREETSENSE, featuring a warm, layered design anchored by rag rugs, patchwork tile floors, vintage chairs, and an eclectic art collection, all illuminated by string lights and paper lanterns. Inspired by time spent staging at genre-bending, fine-casual restaurant Birdie's in Austin, TX, Tyler and Sybert are bringing the innovative model to their hometown, setting a new bar for elevated counter-service dining in D.C. Rye Bunny will showcase hyper-seasonal, craveable dishes with an unexpected twist—Sybert’s culinary hallmark. Drawing on relationships with the farmers and purveyors he has worked with over two decades, Sybert’s weekly-changing menu will highlight ingredients from the very food system he has helped shape, working closely with producers to fine-tune what they grow. While Rye Bunny’s counter service model primarily prioritizes walk-ins, two tables per night will be available to reserve through OpenTable.

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2026 600 Howard Road SE Café Cino, a locally-owned boutique café brewing specialty coffee and tea, will be opening its first brick-and-mortar location at the Bridge District. Owned by husband-and-wife duo Ron Collins and Carolina Meurkens, the 1,100-square-foot space will offer full-scale espresso drinks, pastries and smoothies, with plans to provide additional food and beverage offerings and host community-centered events at the Bridge District. Café Cino is known for its curated pour-over program featuring single-origin beans from local partners like Others Coffee and Southeastern Roastery, as well as direct relationships with family-run farms in Colombia and Brazil.

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2026 4828 St. Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD After coming and going from Bethesda with their mobile trolley, Call Your Mother will be opening a permanent Bethesda location next year in the space formerly home to Hardwood Artisans in Woodmont Triangle. Guests can get excited for their coffee, bagels, sandwiches, and much more.

PROJECTED OPENING: Early 2026 304 Carroll Street NW Phia will be opening early next year on the Takoma Park/Takoma DC border, bringing Appalachian tradition and cooking to DC and Montgomery County. Founded by Brad Feickert, Phia is named after his grandmother and her story serves as the inspiration for the new restaurant. Feickert hopes to make the concept not only about food, but a place where people feel at home.

PROJECTED OPENING: 2026 713 8th Street SE This Fall, acclaimed restaurateur Rajiv Chopra is set to debut Taki Taki and Rumba Rumba, two new concepts, in the heart of Capitol Hill in Crazy Aunt Helen’s former space. The vibrant two-level dining destination will showcase two distinct culinary experiences under one roof: Taki Taki, a modern South Asian restaurant on the first floor, and Rumba Rumba, a stylish global tapas and cocktail lounge on the second. Taki Taki will offer a fresh interpretation of Southeast Asian cuisine, where time-honored flavors meet modern technique. Diners can expect a menu driven by vibrant spices, refined ingredients, and imaginative plating. Upstairs, Rumba Rumba will deliver a completely different—but complementary—experience. This chic cocktail lounge and tapas bar is designed for sharing and socializing, with an eclectic menu drawing inspiration from global cuisines.

PROJECTED OPENING: 2026 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.