Biz Boom: Everything’s Coming Up Georgetown
By • June 12, 2024 0 125
After the uncertainty of the last few years, Georgetown has emerged triumphant. From new businesses like Elon Musk’s Teslas to Kim Kardashian’s Skims, gourmet ice cream and cozy restaurants, British bike shop Brompton Bikes and chic clothing boutiques, one can say everything’s coming up Georgetown.
Opened in 2024, So Far
La Bonne Vache, “The Good Cow,” opened at the corner that for 50 years was home to Booeymonger. Georgetowner food writer Olga Boikess wrote: “Vibrant restaurant pros Claire and Ari Wilder (Chaplin’s, Kappo DC) are transforming the space at 3265 Prospect St. NW into an imaginative, French-accented wine bar/bistro, with a menu highlighting burgers dressed up with a Gallic touch.”
Pure Sweat + Float Studio, “a community-focused retreat for health, healing and connection within,” opened at 3345 Prospect St. NW, formerly a corner dry cleaners.
Omar Masroor opened Afghania at 2811 M St. NW.
New Balance, the sports footwear and apparel manufacturer, opened at 3139 M St. NW — in the former Old Glory BBQ and, more recently, José Andrés’s America Eats Tavern.
The first Greco location in Washington, D.C., opened at 1335 Wisconsin Ave. NW. The Greco Truly Greek concept made its debut in 2017 in Boston.
Catbird, a 20-year-old jewelry business from New York, opened in the former space of Lush at 3066 M St. NW.
Founder and CEO Sarah LaFleur opened her women’s clothing store, M.M. LaFleur, at 1344 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Another women’s clothing store, Argent, opened at 1250 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Brompton Bikes recently opened its doors in Georgetown as part of a recent business boom. Photo courtesy of Instagram.com/bromptonbicycle.
Smoothie King opened its first location in Georgetown at 3122 M St. NW.
Another retailer of West Coast apparel for women and men has set up shop in Georgetown at 3239 M St. NW.
The Italian luxury furniture and kitchen group opened a 7,149-square-foot showroom at 3306 M St. NW, Molteni&C’s sixth “flagship store.”
Christopher Boutlier Interiors
Interior designer Christopher Boutlier recently moved to Georgetown — both his residence and his interior design business. His interior design and art consultancy is at 3214 O St. NW.
Founded by Clare Vivier, the clothing store Clare V. opened at 1238 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Chef Johnny Spero’s Reverie returned after a major reconstruction. An August 2022 fire shut down the intimate Michelin-starred restaurant at 3201 Cherry Hill Lane NW.
Ice Cream Jubilee opened at 3333 M St. NW (in the old Sweetgreen location) — offering “ultra premium ice cream, vegan sorbets and vegan soft serve.”
Founded by surfer Kelly Slater, another cool, sustainable clothing store has opened at 1240 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Founded in 1975 by Andrew Ritchie in London, Brompton Bikes opened its Georgetown shop at 1214 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Wingo’s finally reopened in its original location at 3207 O St. NW. The popular carry-out was shuttered for years after a June 2018 fire.
Olfactory NYC opened its first retail boutique in Washington, D.C., at 3242 M St. NW, in the space which once held Godiva Chocolatier.
Fitted into 1257 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Definition Studio is a pop-up occupying one of the avenue’s narrowest storefronts. It describes itself as “an Istanbul-Washington DC based studio that creates and curates products that combine style and function with focus on sustainability and zero waste.”
Grace Street Coffee has reopened its flagship at 3299 K St. NW — also known as Water Street — just down the lane from its original Grace Street spot. It is an independent, locally owned coffee company that roasts its beans onsite.
Now open at 3210 Grace St. NW, HRC by Emissary updates the High Road Cycling store and cafe.
Poliform, a leading Italian company for contemporary and modern furniture, opened its flagship store in Washington, D.C., at 3304 M St. NW. Located near Lake Como, Poliform was founded in 1970.
Sézane opened at 1211 Wisconsin Ave. NW, in the former Tory Burch store. The 10-year-old French fashion brand is known for its timeless, elegant designs.
Coming Soon, Expected This Year
Gone from Georgetown since 2011, the United States’ largest bookstore chain will return to its original location at 3040 M St. NW, having signed a 33,754-square-foot lease for the same three floors last year.
Restaurateur Stephen Starr is partnering with Michelin-star chef Nancy Silverton to bring an Italian restaurant to the former Dean & Deluca space at 3276 M St. NW. “I am confident that what we create together will knock the socks off of D.C.,” said Starr.
Osteria Mozza will include an Italian market, a mozzarella bar and a restaurant, spanning more than 20,000 square feet within the historic Georgetown Market building. The Starr Restaurant Group’s Washington menu includes Le Diplomate, St. Anselm, Bread Alley, El Presidente and Pastis.
The long-shuttered Paolo’s Ristorante at 1303 Wisconsin Ave. NW, most recently High Street Grill, will become Alara, a Mediterranean-style restaurant by Hakan Ilhan, who hopes to have an August debut.
Ice Cream Jubilee recently opened in the old Sweetgreen location. Photo courtesy of instagram.com/icecreamjubilee
The luxury electric carmaker will open a 4,500-square-foot showroom at 3307 M St. NW — curiously enough, on the same Georgetown block that boasted a car dealership for decades. (The more things change …) The car dealer — like retailer Zadig & Voltaire — relocated from CityCenterDC.
Gold’s Gym — with 700 fitness studios worldwide — will open a 24,000-square-foot facility in Georgetown Park, located at 3270 M St. NW, Suite C100.
Sam Shoja will open a seventh location in the Washington area when he brings Jinya Ramen to 1525 Wisconsin Ave. NW, formerly home to Via Umbria.
Tatte Bakery is getting ready to open in the former Capital One Bank building at Wisconsin Avenue and Q Street, with parking in the back.
A Club Pilates will open soon in the former Paddywax Candle Bar space — the second floor above South Moon Under — at 1065 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Green Almond Pantry at 3210 Grace St. NW is getting a sister restaurant. The popular spot in the Grace Street Collective, briefly closed for a kitchen renovation, reopened recently and announced an addition to its culinary family, My Little Chamomile.
Co-founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian, shapewear brand Skims is getting ready to open a store at 3300 M St. NW. Selling loungewear, undergarments and other apparel, for women as well as men, Skims is a brand valued at $4 billion last year.
Ornare, a high-end Brazilian furniture brand, will open at 3340 Cady’s Alley NW in July. The luxe brand will take a 2,100-square-foot space and join the other stores of Georgetown’s Design District — including B&B Italia, Boffi, Bo Concept and Thos. Moser — along with Kafe Leopold and Kyojin Sushi.
Brat Pack nostalgia is real. A new restaurant is being planned at the corner of M and Potomac Streets. The space, part of the Eton Court complex, has been empty for years. Billy Hicks looks for a summer debut at 3277 M St. NW. Some may recall the 1985 Georgetown-centric film “St. Elmo’s Fire” and the character Billy Hicks, played by Rob Lowe.
At Washington Harbour, River Club will succeed the shuttered Bangkok Joe’s Restaurant (at the corner entrance for decades). The Residents Cafe firm — with a restaurant just south of Dupont Circle — expects to open the new place in the summer.
Restaurateur Stephen Starr is partnering with Michelin-star chef Nancy Silverton to bring an Italian restaurant to the former Dean & Deluca space. Photo courtesy of instagram.com/osteriamozza.
Glowbar, the facial company whose 30-minute custom treatments for members have made it a beauty editor favorite, will open its 17th studio, the brand’s first location in the Washington area, at 1533 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Replacing Havana Smoke Shop, the Louisiana chicken restaurant Raising Cane’s plans to open at 3249 M St. NW, next to Sephora.
Citibank Center will open at 1258 Wisconsin Ave. NW, in the former Gap space next to Martin’s Tavern. The historic building will contain, among other amenities, a Citigold lounge. The top floor will reportedly be residences.
