Washington, D.C., March 14, 2011 – Pound Coffee has closed its NoMa location and moved operations to Pound the Hill, a new larger spot with expanded kitchen at 621 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The Second Street, NE, location is now up for lease.
When Pound Coffee opened in April 2008, it was the first retailer in the NoMa neighborhood in nearly a century. It quickly became a neighborhood favorite, offering high-quality coffee, locally made pastries, and a unique lunch menu based on global recipes – often personal concoctions from the kitchen of founder Khalil Ghannam. Now Ghannam and co-owner Karl Johnson have decided to focus their efforts on a larger location near Eastern Market.
“It is with great regret that we close our NoMa location,” said Johnson. “It was our expectation to keep both locations open, but at this time due to capital constraints, it is just not feasible. We loved working in NoMa, and will always be looking to return to the neighborhood in the future.” Johnson said he hopes some of their regulars will stop by the new Capitol Hill location for lunch and their Pound fix.
“Pound was a pioneer in NoMa, and a critical first step in bringing high-quality retailers to DC’s fastest growing neighborhood,” said NoMa Business Improvement District Liz Price. “They will be sorely missed.”
Since Pound opened in 2008, NoMa has seen an explosion of retail options, with 17 retailers choosing to open here. Eight new shops and restaurants opened in NoMa in 2010, and 2011 will bring the next slew of shops and restaurants:
- DC’s largest (50,000 SF) Harris Teeter opened in December, marking First and M Streets, NE, as the new heart of the neighborhood.
- CVS opened in January at 1200 First Street, NE.
- The family-owned The Perfect Pita opens at 1300 Second Street, NE, in April, adjacent to the Pound space.
- Two well-known local chefs will open unique, full-service restaurants this spring. Todd Gray’s Watershed, featuring seafood from the Eastern seaboard, opens in April with the Hilton Garden Inn, NoMa’s second hotel.
- Chef Gillian Clark of Colorado Kitchen fame, will open Kitchen on K Street in the Loree Grand in late spring.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the last five years, private developers have invested more than $3 billion in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID, and have plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. In 2010, more than 6,000 people moved into NoMa to live or work; and eight new retailers opened for business. NoMa has 15 modes of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in DC, with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Met Branch Trail, and six Capital Bikeshare stations. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID; or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nomabid.
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