Business

Georgetowner • May 4, 2016

M Street is to receive yet another clothing outlet: & Other Stories, a slightly more upmarket offshoot of H&M. Founded in 2013, & Other Stories describes itself as a fashion brand that aims to help women create “their personal style or story.” While the store aims to appear less “fast-fashion” than H&M, it is positioning itself as more affordable than COS (Collection of Style), another member of the family, which may also be coming to Georgetown (COS has applied for signage approval for the former Benetton space at Wisconsin and M).

Currently, almost all & Other Stories locations are in Europe. The company’s only two non-European outlets are both in New York City (Fifth Avenue and SoHo). The Swedish parent corporation is the world’s second-largest clothing retailer.

With a planned opening this fall, the Georgetown location of & Other Stories will be at 3245 M Street, the former home of Mexican restaurant Bandolero and seafood restaurant Tackle Box.

Georgetowner •

IN: Cava Grill Opening in Dupont Circle

Popular fast casual Mediterranean restaurant, Cava Grill, has opened the doors at its newest location, in Dupont Circle. The long-requested eatery will feature a dedicated space for online order pick-ups, an interior green installation and the exclusive new Green Harissa dressing, which features flavors of jalapeños, lemon and herbs. The new location will be at 1222 Connecticut Ave. NW, near the south side of the circle.

IN: New Nordstrom Rack in Penn Quarter by Fall 2016

Between a thriving political and business scene, it looks like the District is making more room for its fashion scene as well. This fall, Nordstrom Rack will open in a new Penn Quarter location. The new location will be two stories and approximately 37,000 square feet of discount shopping. The much-anticipated new Nordstrom Rack store will be located at 555 12th St. NW.

IN: Jo Malone London Coming to CityCenterDC

British boutique Jo Malone London, known for their classic ivory and black aesthetics, is slated to open at CityCenterDC on May 31. This will be the first of the brand’s stand-alone store in the D.C. metro area. Jo Malone London is known for their fragrances, candles and other beauty and home products. The new address for Jo Malone London will be 875 10th St. NW.

IN: EatBar Returns to the District

Despite originally closing in October 2014, EatBar is back and better than over in their new Barracks Row location. The restaurant features unique decor made from gathered cassette tapes that which spell out the word “EAT” across an entire wall. New menu choices are grouped as “snacky things,” “bready things,” “meat + cheesy things,” “beastly things” and “green things,” which range from stuffed olives to flatbread to salads (and so much more). EatBar also has over 100 bottles of wine, 18 beers on tap and a 30-bottle list. EatBar can be visited at 415 8th St. SE.

OUT: Iconic Bar Millie & Al’s Closing on April 7

Popular Adams Morgan bar Millie & Al’s, known for their revered $1 Jell-O shots, will be locking up its 18th Street location one last time on April 7. To commemorate its final day, the bar will be opening early, at 4 p.m. on April 7, to celebrate its business and have one “final hoorah,” said owner Barbara Shapiro. To stop by before closure, visit the bar at 2440 18th St. NW and enjoy a drink or two.

OUT: Poste Closing in Penn Quarter

After 14 years, French restaurant Poste Moderne Brasserie will close the doors to its Penn Quarter location on May 31 for construction. Poste will discontinue its lunch service on May 25 before full closure the following week. [gallery ids="102221,130552" nav="thumbs"]

Chuck Baldwin Percy Metcalfe •

Rosewood Takes Over Capella

It’s official: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been appointed by CTF Georgetown Hotel LLC, new owners of Capella Washington, D.C., to take over the management of the hotel, which opened in 2013 on 31st Street NW, next to the C&O Canal.

“Effective April 21,” according to Rosewood, “the hotel, formerly owned by Castleton Hotel Partners I, LLC, has been renamed and is now known as Rosewood Washington, D.C. Rosewood and Capella Hotels are working closely together to ensure a smooth transition for guests, associates and partners.”

New to town is the Rosewood’s managing director, Pascal Forotti.

Meanwhile, Castleton Hotel Partners I, LLC, also announced the $65-million sale of the 49-room Capella, an office building transformed into a hotel by Castleton. The Capella quickly garnered high praise from travel experts.

“Rosewood Washington, D.C., is an exciting addition to Rosewood’s collection of properties and strengthens our presence in North America,” said Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. “The hotel draws on the capital’s rich culture and history to express Rosewood’s trademark philosophy of ‘A Sense of Place’ in innovative and memorable ways.”

In: Men’s Clothier Ledbury Opens

With two showrooms in the company’s hometown of Richmond, Virginia, the men’s clothing store Ledbury opened a third showroom on April 30 in Georgetown, at 3319 A Cady’s Alley NW. With the philosophy, “A few well-made items are better than many that are not,” cofounders Paul Trible and Paul Watson began with shirts, eventually expanding to a full line of menswear.

In: Cuyana Pops Up on Wisconsin Avenue

Cuyana, a chic San Francisco fashion brand, will temporarily occupy the storefront at 1249 Wisconsin Ave. NW, formerly an Ugg Australia location. Cuyana’s mantra, “Fewer, better,” captures the company’s minimalist philosophy (Cuyana means love in Quechua).

Shoppers who select “lean shipping” when checking out on their online retail site will be sent a reusable bag, to be filled with unwanted used clothes. These are then donated to women in need of a fresh start. A $10 store credit is provided for every donation.

The pop-up shop runs through May 22. The brand’s only other locations are on the West Coast, one in San Francisco and one in Los Angeles.

In: Resource Furniture

Offering a “unique, curated collection of high-end furniture designed to transform any space with both beauty and functionality,” Resource Furniture will open a showroom on May 12 at 3340 Cady’s Alley NW, with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served from 6 to 8 p.m.

Out: Tenleytown Safeway Fades Away

At 4203 Davenport St. NW since 1981, Safeway decided to close the place “on or around April 30,” according to the grocery store company, which added that the store, locally nicknamed the “secret” Safeway, “was simply underperforming.” Its landlord is Georgetown Day School.

H&M’s COS, & Other Stories Coming in Fall

M Street is to receive yet another clothing outlet: & Other Stories, a slightly more upmarket offshoot of H&M. Founded in 2013, & Other Stories aims to help women create “their personal style or story.” While the store aims to appear less “fast-fashion” than H&M, it is positioning itself as more affordable than COS (Collection of Style), another member of the family, which may also be coming to Georgetown (COS has applied for signage approval for the former Benetton space at Wisconsin and M).

Currently, & Other Stories only two non-European locations are both in New York City (Fifth Avenue and SoHo).

With a planned opening this fall, the Georgetown location of & Other Stories will be at 3245 M St. NW, the former home of Mexican restaurant Bandolero and seafood restaurant Tackle Box.

Juliana Zovak • April 21, 2016

Zannchi, Georgetown’s new Korean restaurant, was a long time coming for owner Eunjung Kim, though she hadn’t always planned for it. Her family owns a chain of restaurants in Korea, and that experience helped her successfully launch Zannchi, which opened March 29.

Growing up with the family business — and having spent many years in New York with its rich food scene — Kim, an MBA student at Georgetown University, was surprised to find that Korean restaurants were scarce in the District, especially in the Georgetown neighborhood.

“I think there’s a high demand, but the supply of the food scene was not meeting expectations,” she said.

Kim realized that, given her family background, she was well equipped to fill that void. And so Zannchi was born. She partnered with fellow MBA student Brian Yu and received guidance from the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Club advisors, who answered the many questions she had about starting a business.

Located on Wisconsin Avenue between Volta and Q Streets, Zannchi definitely has the look of a Georgetown restaurant. Part of the wall is made up of exposed brick original to the building. The rest of the interior is a dark wood, with bright lanterns strung overhead. The combination gives the restaurant a rustic and natural feel with a modern twist.

Zannchi’s specialty is bibimbap bowls, rice topped with vegetables, meat and eggs, with the spicy pork the most popular dish so far. Tapas-style items like dumplings and bulgogi (barbecued beef) are also on the menu.

Everything is prepared fresh in the restaurant; Kim suggests that diners share the bachan (tapas) before ordering their own bibimbap bowls.

The food, and its freshness, is definitely a hit. Though the restaurant opened only recently, Kim said they have already seen neighbors returning and have had a line out the door for dinner.

It’s a nice addition to the Georgetown dining scene. One neighbor came in during lunch to grab a menu, expressing excitement about Zannchi and promising to return soon for a meal.

Kim looks forward to seeing Zannchi grow as people become familiar with it. She even hopes to expand in the future, though she is not looking too far ahead, preferring to focus for now on graduating from Georgetown with her MBA next month.

“It’s a lot of work. I’m glad it finally took off,” she said. [gallery ids="102406,122243,122247" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner • April 20, 2016

In: Carol Joynt Bounces to ‘Hardball’

Author, journalist, Georgetowner and businesswoman Carol Ross Joynt has landed on her feet yet again. Last month, she joined MSNBC’s “Hardball” as a guest producer for Chris Matthews. Joynt has worked for CBS News, NBC News, Larry King and other programs, as well as for Washingtonian magazine. She and Charlie Rose won an Emmy for an interview with murderer Charles Manson. Joynt currently writes a Washington column for New York Social Diary and since 2001 has hosted a TV interview program, “The Q&A Cafe.” She was the owner of the famed Nathans, now closed, after the sudden death of her husband, J. Howard Joynt III. Her restaurant experience and financial problems (due to her husband’s actions) led to her writing “Innocent Spouse.”

IN: Marriott Acquires Starwood, Finally

Following a last-minute bidding war with a consortium of investors led by Chinese-based Anbang, which pulled out at the end of March, Bethesda-based Marriott International finally sealed its deal to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, making it the world’s largest hotel chain with more than a million rooms.

Marriott had been in a tentative agreement to acquire Starwood for $12.2 billion when the consortium upped its offer to $14 billion, forcing Marriott to raise their bid to $13.6 billion before the consortium withdrew. The stock-based deal fluctuated from $13.6 billion, when struck, back to $12.2 billion. Marriott and Starwood shareholders voted on April 8 to approve the deal, in which Marriott will pay about $13.3 billion, or $77.94 per Starwood share.

Moved: Chichie’s Grooming Spa

Chichie’s Grooming Spa, hand-coiffing canine clients for over 35 years, has moved to 1742 Wisconsin Ave. NW from its longtime P Street location. Many Washington residents have taken their dogs there. Clients have included the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog, Bo. “Our canine clients are ethically groomed,” reports the spa. Look for an upcoming profile in The Georgetowner.

Out: After Peacock Room Shuttered

The little restaurant that seemed like it could — and even got a “good-to-excellent” review from the Washington Post’s food critic Tom Sietsema — could not. Opened in 2014, the local favorite at 2622 P St. NW, After Peacock Room, never reopened after its Christmas break. The restaurant was named after Whistler’s Peacock Room, now closed for renovations, at the Freer Gallery of Art. It remains available for small private events; email info@afterpeacockroom.com.

Delayed: EagleBank Relocation to N Street

The Georgetown branch of EagleBank at 1050 Wisconsin Ave. NW, near Grace Street, will close at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 29. The new Georgetown location at 3143 N St. NW, set to open the following Monday, has been delayed. The nearest EagleBank is at 2001 K St. NW. Check EagleBankCorp.com for updates about the new N Street location. Branch Manager Philomina Gomes can be reached at 202-481-7012 or PGomes@EagleBankCorp.com.

Richard Selden •

Urban Pace, a D.C.-based firm that provides real estate developers with sales, marketing and advisory services on new residential projects, will become part of the Long & Foster group.

The partnership, representing an investment in Urban Pace by the Long & Foster Companies — the parent of Long & Foster Real Estate, the nation’s largest privately owned real estate firm — was announced today.

“In regions like Washington, D.C., urban developments — whether they’re high-rise or townhouse-style condos — are thriving, and our team at Long & Foster recognized the opportunities for our company’s and our agents’ growth by partnering with a firm like Urban Pace,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and COO of the Long & Foster Companies.

“In addition to our base office in Washington, D.C., we now operate in New York City and Philadelphia as well,” said newly appointed CEO of Urban Pace Lynn Hackney, previously the firm’s president. “We’ve noticed that several successful firms using our business model — working directly with real estate developers — have been strengthened substantially by their affiliations with large residential real estate brokerage firms.”

Urban Pace will continue to operate under its same brand and team at the current office location at 1919 14th St. NW.

Nicole Cusick • April 11, 2016

A lifelong love of flowers turned into a career opportunity for former international relations consultant Tobie Whitman.
Whitman recently launched Little Acre Flowers, D.C.’s first and only locally sourced, online based florist. All bouquets and arrangements come from farms in the D.C., Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland area, bringing the ever popular “farm to fork” experience from the garden to vase. Every order is unique to whatever is freshest that day to guarantee a more fragrant, natural arrangement than other commercial offerings.

“A lot people don’t think about where their flowers come from– it’s an extension of the local food movement,” Whitman said. “People are thinking about where their food is grown and we are making them aware of where their flowers come from now.”
During her her part-time policy work she found time to work in the floral industry and realized how much she enjoyed working with her hands in a more creative and colorful profession.

After reading “Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful” and the “Fast Food Nation” of the floral industry, Whitman learned the history of flowers, what goes into importing them and how it affects the quality of the product. The books served as part of her inspiration for pursuing local products. She also has a personal connection to flowers. As a child she loved to visit her grandmother’s garden and one of her first memories is visiting the Kunkenhof tulip garden in Holland.

Before launching Little Acres, Whitman visited farmer markets in search of partnering with local farmers in her new business venture. She also plans to return to markets like the DuPont Farmers Market and conduct floral arrangement demonstrations to make more of a presence in the community. Little Acre Flowers does not have a brick and mortar store, but is a thriving web-based shop.

Little Acre Flowers’ web-based business has been booming since its launch in the last month. According to Whitman, Valentine’s Day orders were rolling in and this time of year is a busy one. Currently, Little Acre delivers to the area they source from. Exact zip codes of delivery can be found on their website.

Each arrangement is one of a kind and comes wrapped in reused burlap from Mayorga coffee or reusable glass vases. The arrangements come in a variety of sizes and price points.

A great amount of detail at Little Acre is put into sustainability, an effort Whitman feels passionate about. Her husband owns Opower, an energy efficient software company and has made her very aware of the options a company has to be green. One example is the personal notes that can be added to arrangements written with soy based ink on recycled paper. Not having a store front also saves a lot of energy since the floral industry is conveniently online based.

“There’s so much growing in the Mid-Atlantic region as a whole and it seems like there is a need for a locally grown and sourced florist,” Whitman said.

Little Acre Flowers provides flowers for events and weddings and is looking to be represented at local wedding expos soon.
Learn more about the company and their products at littleacreflowers.com or call 202-524-0812. [gallery ids="101634,146073" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

Olivia Macarons celebrated its grand-opening this weekend. It is across Dean and Deluca’s and along the west side of Georgetown Park.

Robert Devaney •

Designer Tory Burch will open an accessories boutique Nov. 21 at 1211 Wisconsin Ave., NW.