A mint-green cafe with a cult following among coffee-and-matcha drinkers has finally opened its doors on the northern edge of George Washington University's campus. Blank Street Coffee is now serving espresso and matcha drinks at 2200 Pennsylvania Ave., near Washington Circle, at the corner of 22nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
A Long-Awaited Debut in Foggy Bottom
The opening was reported by The GW Hatchet, whose contributing news editor Isaac Harte, a sophomore from Chester County, Pennsylvania majoring in political communication, covers the metro beat. The new shop marks the company's first Foggy Bottom location. GW Dining's own list of off-campus dining partners already includes the address, per GW Dining, which names 2200 Pennsylvania Ave NW as the site.
The storefront wasn't always open for business. A sign reading “coming soon” had hung in the window since December, according to the Hatchet's reporting, and an earlier account from What Now Washington DC similarly described the space as still awaiting its debut, noting a window sign stating Blank Street was “coming soon” as the company prepared to set up shop at that same address. Blank Street did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the new location accepts GW Dining Dollars, the Hatchet reported.
What's on the Menu
Once open, Blank Street's menu leans on matcha-flavored espressos, tea and coffee, along with seasonal options like a cinnamon bun drink and harvest chai. Founded in 2020, the company has said it strives to perfect the coffee experience, according to What Now Washington DC. Its standard lineup also includes coffee basics, seasonal drinks, and pastries sourced from Fresh Baguette and Green Almond Pantry, per earlier reporting from Axios. The store operates daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to its website.
From Brooklyn Pop-Up to D.C. Expansion
Blank Street opened its first location in Brooklyn, New York in August 2020 and has since expanded, with venture capital backing, to more than 100 locations across the U.S. and the U.K. The chain entered the D.C. market in October 2022 with its first two local shops in Dupont Circle and Shaw, which Axios reported opened at 1250 Connecticut Avenue and 1847 7th Street, respectively. Eater DC reported those same two locations debuted on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, with a small latte starting at $3.50, a price the company said was roughly 25 percent less expensive than comparable specialty coffee brands in D.C.
At the time, Blank Street said it planned to open 10 D.C.-area locations within a year, with Eater DC describing “ambitious plans to balloon to 10 area stores by the end of 2023,” including announced openings at the Wharf and Logan Circle. Those 2022 plans didn't fully materialize. Eater DC later reported the company scrapped a previously announced micro-location at the Wharf and instead described tailoring its D.C. footprint toward a mix of smaller-format stores and larger locations with seating, with additional openings planned for the West End and Georgetown.
A Shifting Footprint Across the City
Blank Street's D.C. presence has continued to shift since those early announcements. The company closed its Shaw cafe to the public and converted it into a permanent training lab for regional baristas, according to Eater DC. PoPville reported the same shift, noting Blank Street said it made the decision to close the Shaw Street location in order to transform it into a Barista Training Lab that would host a two-day orientation for all new baristas as well as ongoing training for the regional teams.
Elsewhere, the company's 14th Street NW location, which opened in early 2022, closed this past January. Blank Street reached a $500 million valuation last year as it continued its national expansion, according to the Hatchet's reporting. With the Pennsylvania Avenue cafe now open, GW students and Foggy Bottom residents have a new option for their coffee runs — one that took considerably longer to arrive than its window sign once promised.
