A cafe that will serve American and Caribbean food will open in Ward 7 this year, perhaps by early fall.
Restaurateur Caple Green, the owner of the now-closed East River Bagel, has been planning Eclectic Cafe since 2012 when he agreed to lease a part of the Benning Government Center at 4058 Minnesota Ave NE, adjacent to the Minnesota Ave metro stop and better known as the DC Dept of Employment Services (DOES) headquarters.
Numerous delays have held up the project, but Green says that the restaurant should open soon. "Some of the interior is done already; the rest shouldn't take more than about two months to put together," he told Elevation DC.
The 37-seat cafe's menu isn't yet available but Green says that the cafe will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Green is optimistic about the future of Ward 7, especially the growing commercial corridor where the restaurant will open. "I've been over here for 20-something years," he says. "I was on the Great Streets planning [committee]. I know what's happening. It's better to be [here] than on 14th street [NW]; there is room for expansion."
Rachel is the managing editor of Elevation D.C. She also covers tech, business and science for publications nationwide. She lives in Brookland.