Capital One Café Opens in Georgetown
By • August 28, 2019 0 10754
Georgetown’s long-awaited Capital One Café — situated at the southeast corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW, site of the legendary Nathan’s Restaurant — opened Aug. 28, with three floors of banking and community interactivity.
Besides the brews and sweets offered by its partner, Peet’s Coffee, the corner spot is a free co-working space: desks, couches, private nooks, meeting rooms and a conference table with a television and screen projector — and, of course, free Wi-Fi, as well as electrical outlets all around for recharging devices. Open, smartly lighted stairways connect the floors. Anyone may use the services — free-come, free-serve or by appointment — not just Capital One clients.
The 3150 M St. NW property, renovated by Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Development, was at first thought to become an Under Armour store. However, it was unexpectedly sold two years ago to Capital One Bank for $50.2 million.
The bank wants to be engaging and fun for the customer. And at its Georgetown location, it looks like it will succeed.
Many in Georgetown were lamenting yet another bank’s arrival, but they may be surprised. Said one one Georgetown resident: “I wanted to hate it, but this place is amazing.”
“Georgetown is home to our 38th Capital One Café, featuring original restored flooring and exposed brick walls,” a Capital One spokesperson told The Georgetowner. “We strive to make each café a part of the deep, interconnected fabric of the communities we serve. We believe strong communities and strong businesses go hand-in-hand. That’s why we partner with local small businesses like Baked and Wired, Bullfrog Bagels and Good Company Donuts, which provide their pastries in our Georgetown café.
“The cafés hum with community events, are frequented by local students looking for a place to study and neighborhood associations hosting networking and development events that give other members of the community the opportunity to grow and prosper. We offer free meeting rooms and nooks that give people a private or semi-private space for making phone calls, having meetings or getting some work done. Another example of how we connect with the communities we serve is through our work with a variety of local community organizations in Washington DC including: Year Up, Goodwill, Project 500, Urban Alliance, BUILD, Plaza West and Byte Back.”
With its Capital One Cafés, the company has said it is redesigning the banking experience: “We want to empower people to feel confident about their relationship with money so their money can ultimately fit their lives … At the intersection of both the digital and physical worlds are the Capital One Cafés — a space that’s intentionally designed for how people live and bank today.”
Chinatown was the first D.C. neighborhood to get the combination coffeehouse, meeting space and bank last year.
The new Georgetown spot will hold a grand opening celebration on Sept. 28.
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One — which considers itself a hometown bank of Washington, D.C. — is a bank holding company that is the ninth-largest bank in the U.S. in terms of assets.
Automatic teller machines in the 24-hour space at Capital One Cafe. Georgetowner photo.
There are lots of spots for sitting at the new Capital One Cafe in Georgetown. Georgetowner photo.
An open air stairway leads to the basement where a conference table and theater sitting are available. Georgetowner photo.
Artwork depicts the up and downs of the financial world. Georgetowner photo.
Second floor windows look out at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Georgetowner photo.
Second floor windows look out at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Georgetowner photo.
The calendar in the back near the register is getting filled in. Georgetowner photo.
Capital One ambassadors Jessi Bossett, Jenny Larios and Matt Frace at the opening day of Georgetown’s Capital One Cafe. Photo by Robert Devaney,
An appealing open-air stairway connects the floor at the Capital One Cafe. (There are elevators, too.) Georgetowner photo.
