U Street

1301 U Street, NW

Opening spring of 2017 in the former Mocha Hut/U Street Cafe space.  Check out their menu here. The placard says:

“New Class “C” Tavern with 42 seats and a Total Occupancy Load of 55. Applicant has also applied for a Summer Garden with 4 seats. Tavern will serve Asian-inspired taco combinations.”

Hours listed as Sunday through Thursday 7 am – 2 am, Friday & Saturday 7 am – 4 am. Updates as they get closer to opening.

Florida Avenue Grill cannot catch a break!! From their Facebook:

“WTF! Yesterday’s high winds got the best of our beloved sign @FloridaAveGrill. WE ARE (and will always be) OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Check out our Winter Hours (closing at 4:30p Tues, Wed, Thurs and Sunday; 9p Fri and Saturday)”

11th and Florida Avenue, NW

1405 T Street, NW

From a press release:

“Renowned forerunner in the beverage industry Juan Coronado and partner Daniella Senior are proud to announce the opening of Colada Shop in Washington, DC, a concept that blends together the contemporary lifestyles of Washingtonians with the Cuban traditions of starting and ending the day. Paying homage to this Caribbean way of doing coffee, food, cocktails and social lifestyle, Colada Shop is a casual café and eatery where guests come for the quality of offerings and the unmatched hospitality. The second location of Colada Shop will open on Wednesday, February 1st, at 1405 T St NW, Washington DC.

“We are very excited to come to DC and to this incredible and dynamic neighborhood”, said Senior. “This second outpost will be a much cozier interpretation of our sister location in Loudoun County but will have the same energy, vibrancy, and – of course – incredible Cuban bites and drinks.”

Photo by Brian Oh

Seating around 15 guests indoors (and additional 16 patio seating starting in the spring), guests will be able to delight in an ingeniously crafted menu by Executive Chef Mario Monte and an exceptional beverage program conceived by Juan Coronado. (more…)

1946 New Hampshire Ave, NW just south of U off 16th

Thanks to a reader for sending word about Yamas closing their other DC location. They closed their Adams Morgan location over the summer (now home to Ben Tre Vietnamese Cuisine. Yamas opened at 16th and U back in May 2014. Updates when we learn who takes over the space.

11th and Florida Avenue, NW

Not such a gloomy morning after all!! Nice update from Florida Avenue Grill:

“We are very grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from the DC Community since the news broke that the Grill was facing foreclosure. You may have heard that we were forced to sue our lender for deceptive practices aimed at forcing us into foreclosure and that the Attorney General of New York is suing the same folks for allegedly defrauding tens of thousands of people. The NY AG said of them: “We will not allow companies to hold small businesses for ransom using lies and forgery.”

We are happy to announce that we were successfully able to fend off the foreclosure sale that was scheduled for the Grill. Unfortunately, even that comes at a cost as we incurred tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and accelerated our mortgage to a payoff in a year. We settled because the reality is that, even though we are right, we are not in a position to fund skyrocketing legal costs and survive a long court battle with a lender as litigious and deep-pocketed as theirs. These folks are responsible for 25% of all the general or consumer debt cases in New York and hold a whopping 40% of all the default judgments against people in New York County! Part of why the NY AG is going after them is that one of their alleged practices is to get default judgments against tens of thousands of people, many of whom don’t even know they are being sued until they find out their credit is messed up. (more…)

11th and Florida Ave, NW

Thanks to all who sent emails about the Post’s follow up article on the foreclosure sale scheduled for the Florida Avenue Grill.

“Imar Hutchins, owner of Florida Avenue Grill, sued his New York-based financier on Monday, alleging “predatory lending” and “deceptive practices,” and will ask a D.C. Superior Court judge this week to issue a temporary restraining order to stop a foreclosure auction of the oldest, continuously operating soul food restaurant in America.”

You can read the full story here.

Another reader notes: “Doesn’t this read almost exactly the same as the NYT article?”

In August 2009 the New York Times reported:

“In his briefcase, Imar Hutchins carries a certified check for $25,000. It is a crazy amount to walk around with, but for the last nine months, a series of banks have refused to take the money, even though Mr. Hutchins owes it toward a mortgage on a small apartment building in Harlem.”

You can read that full story here.

Updates on all fronts as the story develops.