“Nativo, a Third-Wave Coffee Shop, Opens Today at The Square” Check Out The Menu

photo by Vina Sananikone

From a press release:

“What: Nativo at The Square, 1850 K St NW, Washington, DC
Grand Opening: Monday, March 24, 2024

Nativo, a third-wave coffee shop from two coffee-industry players, is the newest concept to open in The Square. The stall, positioned to welcome guests at the 18th and I Streets NW entrance, brings a full range of coffee and espresso drinks and a menu reflecting the homelands of owners Victor Nazar Navarro and Nakita Reid.

Coffee: The coffee shop will specialize in microfoams, single-origin pours and beans from the award-winning Cafe Unido, a boutique coffee company from Panama with a roastery in the Union Market neighborhood. The slate of drinks includes cortado, cappuccino and cold brew, as well as a sunshine latte (with a housemade turmeric-ginger syrup). The cafe bombon, typically made with espresso and sweetened condensed milk, is vegan at Nativo: the shop makes its own sweetened condensed coconut milk. All syrups here are housemade, as well. Beyond coffee, there are teas, a chai latte and a matcha latte.

photo by Vina Sananikone

Nativo Menu (PDF)

Food: The menu hints at Nazar Navarro and Reid’s life as immigrants here in the U.S. Nazar Navarro grew up in Venezuela, and his grandfather moved to South America from Turkey—his family’s name, Nazar, represents the evil eye symbol in Turkish, which is included in their logo. (Expect Turkish coffee in the months to come.) Reid is originally from Jamaica, having moved to D.C. two years ago, and their food is a blend of Latin and Afro-Caribbean flavors.

The star of the menu is the breakfast arepa with a fried egg, bacon, queso fresco and guasacaca, a Venezuelan guacamole sauce. There’s also breakfast sandwiches on English muffins and croissants, as well as egg white bites, jam and toast and side a hashbrowns.

As the menu develops, Nazar Navarro and Reid hope to bring in more dishes from their homelands, such Jamaican beef patties, plantain dishes and a variety of arepa sandwiches.

Grab and go items include coconut yogurt topped with granola (oats, shaved coconut, dried tropical fruits; fruit salad; assorted pastries (croissants, scones); and cookies. There’s also an array of fresh-squeezed juices.

Owners:

Nazar Navarro and Reid have both worked in the local coffee industry for the last handful of years. Nazar Navarro was a manager at Cafe Unido and Pluma and is a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association.

In Jamaica, Reid was a barista while she was in school studying to become a nurse. After moving to the U.S., she returned to working in cafes. Nazar Navarro is a hospitality lifer, mostly in coffee shops, and also worked a stint as a bartender.

The couple have a perfect, coffee-filled, rom-com meet-cute. They were introduced through Reid’s coffee shop coworker, their first date was at a coffee shop, and now the engaged couple is opening their first business together: a coffee shop.

Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.”