“The coffee shop at The Roost, opening early 2020, will be called Cameo.”

Nazia Khan, courtesy Cameo

From an email:

“The coffee shop at The Roost (1401 Pennsylvania Ave, SE), opening early 2020, will be called Cameo. Nazia Khan – formerly of The Wydown – has been tapped by Neighborhood Restaurant Group to come on board in a newly created role, Director of Coffee and Counter Service. Nazia will lead the charge on the development of Cameo, while also working closely with Greg Engert and Michael Babin to elevate the coffee programs across all NRG properties. Cameo will remain open all-day, while business like Hi/Fi Taco, Shelter, and Red Apron will be open at night to start.

When it opens early 2020, Cameo will feature a diverse selection of roasters – with plans to partner with one (this roaster partner still in the works) as a constant offering, while rotating in 1-2 varieties of espresso beans and 4-5 drip coffee offerings and pour-overs. Honoring the culturally-rich and globally-minded community of DC, Cameo will feature coffee and tea produced from around the world, taking guests on a global journey of flavors and stories in their own neighborhood. Coffee and tea options will range from well-rounded and approachable to fruit-forward and bright, aiming to meet guests where they are in their coffee journey. To complement Cameo’s focus on a wide selection of offerings, Nazia will source dairy from local grass-fed farms. She’ll also tap into NRG’s diverse pool of chefs and tastemakers to create scratch-made seasonal syrups and milk alternatives – including a house nut milk.

It’s important to NRG as a group to not only bring a destination coffee shop to the neighborhood in which The Roost sits, but to also target coffee as an area of growth. While NRG properties (including Buzz Bakeshop cafes) have always placed an importance on working with local roasters, Nazia will work to elevate all existing coffee programs to meet the high level of standards the group has established on the beer and spirits side.”