Business Ins and Outs

Out & In: Ubiq to Occupy Bistro Français Space

Sacré bleu! Thanks, Michael Jordan and sneakerheads. A Ubiq sneaker store will be taking over the space which has held Bistro Français. The premium footwear joint sells fancy sneakers for hundreds of dollars. Look for the line outside.

As for owner Gerard Cabrol and his Bistro Français, they will depart after more than 40 years. One of D.C.’s top chefs, beloved in the neighborhood, Cabrol has been featured in The Georgetowner over the decades, most recently in an October 2015 profile.

In: ‘Church’ Coming to Georgetown Park

Taking a space on Georgetown Park’s canal level, Church will be a coffee shop in the morning, an eatery by day and a cocktail bar with food service by night. It’s set to open in late summer to early fall. Building on the sense of community that churches create, rather than the religions they serve, the Church concept from D.C.-based development group Tin Shop — which also operates Iron Horse, Jackpot, Penn Social and Rocket Bar — will feature communal tables and an ever-changing menu.

“It just seems like Georgetown could really use a hangout space that has a coffee program that wasn’t Starbucks and holds more than 15 people,” said Peter Bayne, a Tin Shop cofounder. In collaboration with Union Kitchen, the local “food incubator” will test menus from the start-ups they work with, changing them out every six months to a year at the 7,000-square-foot Church.

In: Bangkok Joe’s

Mama Rouge is set to turn back into Bangkok Joe’s, dubbed D.C.’s first dumpling bar, April 7. The waterfront Thai spot at 3000 K St. NW changed menus and name in mid-2014 to begin offering Southeast Asian and French food. Owner Mel Oursinsini and chef-owner Aulie Bunyarataphan will now return to more traditional Thai flavors and ingredients.

In: Korean Eatery Zannchi Opens
Zannchi, a new Korean restaurant, opened in Georgetown March 29. Located on Wisconsin Avenue between Volta Place and Q Street, the eatery specializes in Korean dishes like bibimbap, a rice bowl topped with vegetables and often meat or eggs, and tapas-style Korean banchan.

The restaurant was started by two Georgetown MBA students, Eunjung Kim and Brian Yu, both of whom will graduate in May. Kim’s family owns a chain of restaurants in South Korea.

1789, Tombs to Close for Renovations

1789 Restaurant and the Tombs will be closed for about eight weeks this summer, mainly for repair of the roof. The work will most likely begin in early July and finish by the end of August. Additional renovations will take place over the course of the year.
Following a permit process, F. Scott’s, now a restaurant specifically for receptions and private parties, will merge with 1789 to add additional dining and bar space. This will alleviate the loss of some seating as the restaurant adds first-floor restrooms. That project will take place later in the year. (Dates are still tentative as the projects move forward.) The three restaurants are part of Clyde’s Restaurant Group.

CORRECTION: The photo that accompanied a story in the March 23 issue about the new Mykita eyewear shop in Georgetown showed a frame that was not a Mykita frame. The Georgetowner regrets the error. The shop, at 3001 M St. NW, is the first Mykita location in D.C. and only the second in the United States.