Business Ins & Outs: Clubhouse, Hobo, Wolford, Alo Yoga, Georgetown Wine
By • August 22, 2022 0 3291
In: Clubhouse, Instead of Church
No kids allowed. Church, the former beer hall at 1070 Wisconsin Ave. NW, has transitioned to a 23-and-up bar during the evening and, in a few days, will operate a cafe, opening at 8 a.m. Still owned by hospitality group Tin Shop, the 9,000-square-foot Clubhouse looks to be for real grownups after being tagged as an college hang-out.
“We’ve had problems with ABRA [Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration], and fake IDs are crazy good these days,” Tin Shop co-founder Geoff Dawson told DC Eater. “We’re not fighting students. We want them to be of age and a little more grown up than ‘this is my first night out drinking.’ ”
The more sophisticated menu will include wine, cocktails and fancy pizzas and burgers, along parmesan truffle fries, burrata and caprese salads and oysters. As it is called Clubhouse, operator Tin Shop is offering a new Social Club for regular patrons to get free drinks or food. The morning cafe opens Aug. 25.
New owners for Georgetown Wine & Spirits
New kids on the block. Georgetown Wine & Spirits at 2701 P St. NW — opened in 1934 as a neighborhood market and has been run as a liquor store since the 1950s — has a new owner. Nate Smith, a consultant whose family has been in the hospitality industries, purchased the business for about $400,000 from the Kapoor family. The property is owned by Bob Enzel, native Washingtonian and Georgetowner, who lives nearby, and also owns the former 7-Eleven building. Smith lives near the Navy Yard, while his wife, Sana Bokil, will continue to work as a cancer specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Store manager Pascal Valadier will remain.
Alo Yoga to Take Over Banana Republic Space
Another fallen retail icon. As first reported by UrbanTurf, “Yoga clothing and accessory company Alo Yoga appears to be taking over the prime Georgetown retail space currently occupied by Banana Republic at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW. Plans filed with D.C.’s Historic Preservation Review Board outline a series of changes to the exterior of 3200 M Street NW to make way for the new tenant.” It is uncertain when Banana Republic will close.
Coming: Wolford, Austrian Skinwear, Apparel
Exquisite hosiery. Founded more than 70 years ago, Wolford, the Austrian Apparel and Skinwear brand, will open its first Washington, D.C., boutique in Georgetown this fall. The brand signed a ten-year lease with EastBanc for nearly 1,000 feet within the redevelopment of 1238 Wisconsin Avenue NW, bringing sophisticated ready-to-wear, athleisure, knits, legwear, lingerie, accessories and more to the neighborhood. It will be Wolford’s 23rd store in the U.S.
“Wolford is evolving, and we’re opening retail stores that allow us to showcase both our heritage category offerings and where we’re headed as a brand. Our customers will experience the three pillars of Wolford — from iconic hosiery and lingerie to ready to wear and athleisure, along with designer collaborations. It is vital that our clients have the opportunity to discover these new product lines — to touch and feel the quality, experience the lifestyle,” said Tina Gershoff, President of Wolford Americas.
“Wolford is a brand we have been seeking to bring to Georgetown for quite some time,” said Philippe Lanier, principal at EastBanc. “Particularly as an Austrian as well as a fan of all the quality retailers we have helped introduce into this market, I can’t wait to see the store open, in particular in such a prominent corner. We look forward to announcing additional tenants later this year to join Wolford on Wisconsin Avenue as we continue to bring fresh and notable brands to this neighborhood.”
Coming: Hobo Bags
Hobo Bags, founded in 1991 by mother-daughter duo Toni and Koren Ray, will be setting up shop at 1265 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the former John Fluevog space in October. “Crafted for a long-term relationship and made better by use and wear,” as the company says, Hobo’s purses and wallets have achieved iconic status in the industry — and with millions of women.
Coming: Naadam on M Street
The world’s fairest cashmere. Naadam will be arriving at 3003 M St. NW, in the former i-Thai restaurant space. The company notes: “NAADAM was founded in 2013 by Matthew Scanlan and Diederik Rijsemus. The college friends traveled to remote parts of the Mongolian Gobi Desert, became friends with the local herders and saw first-hand how traditional cashmere traders and brokers drive up prices and take the profits. By cutting out these middlemen, Matt and Diederik realized they could pay their herder friends more while selling premium-quality clothes for less.”
