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After 20 years of feeding Cleveland Park spring rolls, lemongrass chicken, and restorative bowls of pho, family-run Nam-Viet is closing its lone outpost in the District due to a decrease in business that’s also affected neighboring restaurants.
“In recent years as the District of Columbia has grown, we have seen new neighborhoods sprout up almost monthly, and commerce move from one end of the city to the other,” management wrote in a farewell letter posted online and first reported by Washington City Paper. “Competition to remain significant and relevant in this fast-paced DC restaurant market has presented a challenge to Cleveland Park businesses the past few years.”
The Vietnamese restaurant, which also has a location in Arlington, Va., is expected to remain open through dinner service on Sunday, June 25. Next door neighbor, Ripple, announced earlier this month that it would closing on Saturday, June 24 because of similar financial pressures. The area has lost a number of independent restaurants in recent years, including James Beard Award-winning chef Frank Ruta’s Palena, and restaurateur Dean Gold’s neighborhood spot, Dino.
