New In Town: D.C. Waterfront
Potomac Distilling Co.
While most of D.C.’s distilling companies are in Northeast's Ivy City neighborhood, one distillery is setting up shop on the other side of town.
This summer, Potomac Distilling will bring a fresh taste to The Wharf. The rum distillery will feature three contemporary bars, with one on a grassy rooftop with a fire pit and tiki torches.
Todd Thrasher, the mind behind Potomac Distilling, has big plans for the distillery. In addition to the three bars, Thrasher hopes to expand into a retail shop offering bottles of rum.
MakeOffices
More employees are turning to coworking as an alternative to the traditional office, and the Wharf is reaping the benefits.
MakeOffices, one of D.C.’s leading coworking companies, has signed on to lease the second and third floors of the Wharf’s 800 Maine Ave. SW office building. It is the coworking provider’s eighth location in the D.C. market and its 14th in the U.S. At 44K SF, the space, which opened in February, will also be the largest MakeOffices coworking space in the D.C. region.
"We spent time looking at the unit mix," MakeOffices CEO Zach Wade said. "We found people tend to stay longer in larger offices. We took advantage of that data."
The space, which was designed by Gensler, features several conference rooms, team rooms and call rooms, as well as a recording room and two wellness rooms. The space was designed using aquatic tones and features historic photos of the waterfront.
RASA
Two recent University of Maryland graduates are bringing a new flavor to the D.C. fast-casual scene. Young restaurateurs Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman recently opened Rasa, a new fast-casual Indian restaurant concept. Rasa Indian Grill, which includes creative takes on traditional Indian meals such as “Tikka Chance On Me” and “Aloo Need Is Love,” occupies 2,200 SF of space in Navy Yard’s F1rst building at 1247 First St. SE.
Vinod and Rahman have transformed the space with authentic decor handcrafted by Rahman’s aunt in India. Rasa’s interior is a bit more colorful than the average fast-casual restaurant.
“We want to celebrate the beautiful nature of Indian culture and transport people a bit,” Rahman said to Eater D.C. The restaurant's most distinctive design element is the giant turquoise door, but diners can also eat in swings hanging from the ceiling.
CORRECTION: May 8, 1:15 P.M. ET: A previous version of this story listed the incorrect address of RASA at F1rst. The story has been updated.
