A Luxe Members-Only Lounge Fueled by José Andrés Is Coming to Capital One Arena

Got $52,000 to blow over the next few years? Then there’s a club for you. The newly announced Signature Club & Lounge at Capital One Arena opens this fall with superstar chef José Andrés headlining the food and beverage program. Promising the “most exclusive sports and entertainment experience” in the area, the 5,000-square-foot club off the main concourse level fills the hole where Chipotle and McDonald’s formerly sat along 7th Street NW. The incoming project will augment Andrés’ Penn Quarter restaurant row, which includes Oyamel, China Chilcano, and Jaleo. It’s unclear which “José Andrés Group-inspired” dishes and drinks the exclusive hangout will showcase. Members have a required three-year commitment ($15,000; $18,000; and $19,000), and perks include lower-level tickets to 40 Capitals and Wizards games each season.

Monumental Sports/official photo

Monumental Sports/official photo

Cracking down on D.C.’s erratic restaurant service fees

D.C.’s attorney general is addressing widespread customer confusion related to restaurant service charges when the check arrives. On Wednesday, August 9, the AG’s office released explicit guidelines requiring restaurants to disclose the reason for the fee and the amount, and businesses that don’t will face up to $5,000 in fines and $10,000 for subsequent offenses. The new rules aim to encourage transparency and standardization across the restaurant industry in the face of recently passed Initiative 82.

A new speakeasy drops downtown in September

A dimly lit cocktail lounge is coming to the depths of I Street NW on Friday, September 1. Tucked under chic new Southern eatery Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, Kanvas takes tips from the restaurateur’s favorite after-dinner hangouts in the heart of Paris. The upscale drinking den plans to serve drinks in lavish glassware, bottle service, and bar bites. The 3,500-square-foot speakeasy features five private and two semi-private sections, bar seating for 21 and additional general seating, plus 11 flat-screen TVs and a projector (1300 I Street NW).

Kanvas by Kevin Kelley

Kanvas by Kevin Kelley

District Industry/Facebook

Snag a piece of Estadio

Fans of Estadio, the Spanish stalwart that closed in Februrary after a 13-year run at the foot of Logan Circle, can take a part of the restaurant home. The team behind Bar Chinois plans to replace the space with a stylish new izakaya called Bar Japonais in early 2024. To make way for the renovation, all of Estadio’s ornate chairs and wooden tables must go. Some pieces will live on at Dupont’s Tabard Inn, but some furniture remains up for grabs (contact Bar Chinois partner Margaux Donati).

Crunchwraps could be coming to H Street NE

The old home of local chicken chain Farmbird could be filled out by a Taco Bell, reports WBJ. Citing plans obtained from Construct Connect, Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands Inc. is looking to fill the 1,700-square-foot vacancy at the foot of the Anthology apartment building with 14 seats. This would be Taco Bell’s third location in D.C., joining a Union Station outpost and a boozy Taco Bell Cantina in Columbia Heights (with another en route to Chinatown). H Street NE was the first of three fast-casual Farmbirds around D.C., and all shuttered suddenly in 2022.