Business Ins & Outs: Bombas, Alfie’s, Café Tulúm, Flavor Hive, Bizzeria, Uniqlo
By • September 17, 2026 0 285
By Robert Devaney
As previously forecast, we’re seeing an interesting mixture of retail and restaurants making their Georgetown debut: Uniqlo, Beso Besu, Garage, Joe & The Juice, Dayglow, Puree Juice Bar, Spicewalla, East Fork, Jones Road, Pop Mart, Dutch Darlings and Thursday Boot Company, as well as those listed here. Get ready for a busy fall season.
In: Uniqlo
Graphic illustration of the Uniqlo Washington D.C. store
Uniqlo Georgetown at 3262 M St. NW made its flashy debut on Aug. 28. The 22,618-square-foot store brings Uniqlo’s LifeWear philosophy “to one of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic neighborhoods, offering thoughtfully designed everyday apparel alongside unique local collaborations and community experiences,” the company tells us. Opening festivities included Japanese Taiko drum performances. People were seen walking around with Uniqlo bags all weekend.
In: Adriana Hoyos
Adriana Hoyos Washington, DC Store
Adriana Hoyos — high-end residential and commercial interior design, alongside luxury furniture collections — opened at 3328 M St. NW, part of the design-center vibe of the 3300 block of M Street and Cady’s Alley. Founded in 1994 by Ecuadorian interior designer Adriana Hoyos and her husband, Eduardo Pérez, the company is based in Miami with manufacturing facilities in Quito, Ecuador.
In: Bombas
“The comfort-focused apparel brand known for its One Purchased = One Donated mission,” Bombas opened its first Washington, D.C., store at 1400 Wisconsin Ave. NW. on Aug. 14. The socks-and-more retailer was co-founded by Georgetown University alum Randy Goldberg in 2013. To celebrate the opening, Bombas offered opening-day surprises, “including exclusive Crab Socks, available to the first 150 customers.”
In: Alfie’s
Chefs Alex McCoy and Justin Ahn opened Alfie’s — a northern Thai restaurant and natural wine bar — in the alley section of Hamilton Collective at 1228½ 31st St. NW on Sept. 2. Warning: It’s spicy.
“It’s got a bit of that feel of a hole-in-the-wall wine bar in Europe, but it also has the feel of a shophouse in Thailand,” McCoy told Washingtonian. “This wasn’t a restaurant before, but we worked really hard to make this place feel like it had been here for 40 or 50 years.”
In: Flora Pizzeria
Flora Pizzeria, which opened next to Alfie’s on Sept. 14, tells us: “We craft our artisanal pizza dough using a natural leaven, premium organic flour and authentic sea salt from Sicily.” Diliziusu!
Flora Pizzeria 1850 K St NW, Washington, DC 20006
In: Ellizabetta La Strega
Sommelier and restaurateur Elli Benchimol opened Ellizabetta La Strega in the West End on Sept. 9 at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, transforming the former Marcel’s space into a bar, restaurant and private dining destination. Benchimol also owns Georgetown’s Apéro and La Bohème on P Street.
In: Café Tulúm
Bringing beach vibes to Georgetown, Café Tulúm opened last month, offering “the vibrant flavors and lively atmosphere of southern México.” The restaurant joins the Grace Street Collective at 3210 Grace St. NW.
In: Flavor Hive
The popular Northern Virginia food truck Flavor Hive has opened a brick-and-mortar location at 3287½ M St. NW in the former Harmony Café space, offering samples to passersby to celebrate its debut.
In: O Street Collection
O Street Collection at 3213 O St. NW
O Street Collection is a new art boutique at 3213 O St. NW that had a soft opening for Art All Night. It boasts a curated collection of 50-plus original artworks and artist-designed goods from more than 10 contemporary artists, with pieces ranging from $50 to over $10,000. The collection occupies a historic property that once housed the offices of Max N. Berry, Esq. — also a significant art collector — and, before that, a popular café.
In: Delhi Belly
Owned by Vikas Kakkar and Raj Manroy, Delhi Belly, which opened last month at 1560 Wisconsin Ave. NW, brings a casual dining experience inspired by the urban food culture of India. The spot at Wisconsin and Q — the original location of Dolcezza Gelato, now returning to Georgetown — has seen a lot of operators, also including La Jolie Bleue, Bharati and Oakberry.
Returning: Dolcezza Gelato
Once a Georgetowner, always a Georgetowner. Dolcezza Gelato, founded here in 2004 by Robb Duncan and Violeta Edelman, is slated to open in late fall or early winter in the former Pressed Juicery space at 1300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Their return makes this corner spot their seventh location.
Dolcezza Gelato wrote on social media on Sept. 3: “the prodigal son & daughter are returning back to where it all began .. over 22 years ago when we set out on this beautiful titanic journey, it was in a 300 sq ft kitchen on wisconsin avenue & q street nw. we left our georgetown kitchen in 2013 to open our factory in the union market neighborhood .. & now we return .. down the street from where it started & it feels so sweet. we can’t wait to delight you georgetown. we’re coming home.”
Coming: Bizzeria
Michael Rafidi — who owns Albi and La’ Shukran, along with Yellow cafe and its “(not) pizza” on Wisconsin Avenue — is bringing Bizzeria to the back of 3246 Prospect St. NW, the same address as the upcoming Skillette, a cooking school by Kelly Singer. The pizza spot will have an entrance in the alleyway, entered from Potomac Street.
Bizzeria coming to an alley in Georgetown Fall ‘26
Coming: Kith
“Plans filed with the Old Georgetown Board show that Kith, the cult sneaker-and-streetwear label, is moving into 3040 M St. NW, adjacent to Barnes & Noble,” reports Urban Turf, which added: “Kith has built a devoted following since Ronnie Fieg opened his first store in New York in 2011, growing into one of the more prominent names in the streetwear-meets-luxury space through collaborations with brands like Nike, Adidas and New Balance.”
Coming: Edikted
Edikted, the women’s clothing retailer popular with Gen Zers, plans a 3,890-square-foot store in the space at 3135 M St. NW formerly occupied by Allbirds, according to the Washington Business Journal. Founded in Tel Aviv in 2020 by entrepreneurs Dedy Shwartzberg and Zvika Alon, the Los Angeles-based company lists 18 U.S. stores in 10 states.
Coming: Pop Mart
It’s another cult favorite. Pop Mart, a Beijing-based toy company, is heading to 3221 M St. NW. Think Hello Kitty and beyond — toys like Labubu, Harry Potter, the Powerpuff Girls and other pricey designer toys.
Pop Mart Announcement
Coming: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Original Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts is coming to 3270 M St. NW, near Gold’s Gym, downstairs from the primary entrance. Think “discipline, community, self-defense, better humans” — offered at all levels, with private lessons as well.
Happy 1st Birthday to …
Amorino Gelato (3401 M St. NW), Andy’s Pizza (1065 Wisconsin Ave. NW), Flor Coffee + Books (1220 31st St. NW) and It’s a Secret Med Spa (1365 Wisconsin Ave. NW).
Thank you all for choosing Georgetown — you make us better.
