Tenleytown is home not only to Wilson High School and many of its students, but also to a large variety of enterprises. With the exception of several mattress stores, a CVS, Tenley Liquor, and Middle C Music, the majority of businesses on the Tenley stretch of Wisconsin avenue are restaurants. In recent months it has become evident that several new eateries will be added to the already extensive list, including a District Taco, a Beefsteak, and a Chick-fil-A. In exchange, Guapos will be leaving the Tenley stretch of Wisconsin that we all know and love, and re-locating to the former Ruby Tuesdays just a few blocks down.
Local restaurant chain District Taco will be opening up its fourth DC location in the new Tenley View building, located on the corner of Wisconsin and Brandywine, just in time to fill the fine Mexican cuisine void that Guapos will be leaving behind. District Taco will serve breakfast all day along with a variety of Yucatán-style Mexican options. The chain has yet to announce an opening date, but in the meantime, you can visit their other locations at Dupont Circle, Metro Center, and Eastern Market.
The fast-casual restaurant Beefsteak, which specializes in flavorful veggie and grain bowls, will also be opening up another location in the Tenleytown area. The vegetable-based local chain, named after the beefsteak tomato, will be moving into the space previously occupied by Radio Shack, right in between Tenley classics Angelico Pizza and Crisp & Juicy. Beefsteak was created by the famous chef José Andrés, and has other locations in Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom. According to the website Washington D.C. Eater, the Tenley location should be opening its doors sometime later this month.
Chick-fil-A, the American fast food chain specializing in chicken sandwiches, also has plans to open a Tenleytown location. They will be moving into the empty slot between Panera and Starbucks, which has been vacant ever since Payless ShoeSource closed back in November 2014. According to their website, the Tenley location will open on June 30, and will be equipped with an outdoor seating area similar to its neighbors on either side.
Chick-fil-A is known for being a very conservative and primarily southern-based company, and closes all locations on Sundays. The company also has a history of being anti-gay, donating money and chicken sandwiches to anti-gay organizations such as the Family Research Council, a noted hate group. Per these issues, news of Chick-fil-A’s new location sparked controversy among the Tenleytown community. A petition against the chain’s opening was created on Change.org and now has over 150 signatures, and any news of the restaurant garners loads of unfavorable comments on the website D.C. Urban Moms.
While a few other restaurant rumors are still going around, including exciting news that a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins is replacing the recently closed Bloo Moo Yogurt, these three appear to be the only confirmed restaurant openings as of now.
