Chevy Chase Will Get a Co-Working Space on the Third Floor of a Family Restaurant

The Avenue, a spacious American restaurant that opened in upper Northwest last year, plans to use its upstairs events space as a daytime cafe for remote workers in the Chevy Chase.

Owner Tim Walsh, a native Washingtonian who lives steps away with his wife and four kids, opened the Avenue (5540 Connecticut Avenue NW) as a three-part venue: a bar and restaurant; a kid-friendly, downstairs den devoted to Bill Murray flicks and Pac-Man; and a renovated event space with room for 100. Starting Monday, March 4, that upstairs loft — used for rehearsal dinners, reunions, and baby showers — will double as a weekday workspace (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Membership prices are $10 a day, $40 a week, and $120 a month. That includes free WiFi and table service for coffee, tea, and sodas. A morning menu will run 9 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch from noon to 5 p.m. An “adults-only” rule encourages parents to focus while their kids are at school or with a sitter.

The upstairs space already sports a welcoming living room vibe, accented by “Dead Poet Society” posters, plush seating, and some great finds by his Craig’s List-obsessed wife.

Former church pews are used for seating, a library card catalog functions as a table, and a huge magnetic Scrabble board on the wall invites wordplay after a few drinks.

Walsh also owns a roving catering company called Capital Crab. It works with East Coast and Louisiana purveyors to throw parties heavy on corn on the cob, crab mac and cheese, crawfish, and oysters.