Jersey Mike's Subs is taking over the storefront at 1212 4th Street SE in Navy Yard that TaKorean vacated after a 12-year run, with an opening date still to be announced. The sandwich chain already has a menu posted online for the location, even as the exact timeline for its DC debut remains unclear.
The move was first reported by PoPville, which confirmed that TaKorean permanently closed its Navy Yard location on October 1, ending its 12-year stay inside the Twelve12 building while keeping its Union Market outpost in D.C. open for business. The retail space sits inside Twelve12, a 218-unit residential and retail building anchored by a Harris Teeter and Vida Fitness within The Yards, a 42-acre waterfront development managed by Brookfield Properties, according to UrbanTurf.
TaKorean's roots in Navy Yard run deep. Founder Mike Lenard launched the Korean-Mexican fusion concept as a food truck in August 2010 before opening his first brick-and-mortar restaurant at The Yards in 2014, according to 1851 Franchise. That made TaKorean one of the earliest fast-casual tenants to help establish Navy Yard's dining identity as the neighborhood redeveloped around Nationals Park.
A Pattern of Local Closures
TaKorean's exit is far from an isolated case. In April, homegrown Indian fast-casual chain Rasa announced it was closing its original 2017 flagship on First Street SE in Navy Yard, with a Panda Express franchise set to move in, as Hoodline previously reported. Just weeks before TaKorean's closure, independent Thai restaurant Kruba Thai shut down its spot at 300 Water Street SE near Yards Park in September, after operating in the neighborhood for several years, per PoPville.
National chains have also been securing prime real estate elsewhere in the neighborhood. Filings revealed in June showed plans for a 3,000-square-foot Taco Bell Cantina on Half Street SE near Nationals Park, taking over the former Swingers mini-golf space, Hoodline reported at the time. Not every new arrival is corporate, however — the owner behind Colada Shop has a new bistro bar called Nuestro slated to open in Navy Yard this fall, Hoodline has also reported.
Jersey Mike's Expansion Machine
The Navy Yard opening fits into a much bigger growth story for Jersey Mike's. Private equity firm Blackstone agreed to acquire a majority controlling stake in the sandwich chain in an $8 billion deal announced in November 2024 and completed in early 2025, according to Forbes. Founder Peter Cancro kept a significant equity stake and remained chairman through the transaction.
By January, Jersey Mike's had hired Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase to prepare for a possible initial public offering that could value the chain at up to $12 billion, Restaurant Business reported. The company operated 2,916 locations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. as of late 2024, with plans under Blackstone ownership to open 350 to 400 new sub shops annually, according to S&P Global Ratings.
That expansion pace helps explain why Navy Yard, a 460-acre neighborhood that draws more than 3 million visitors a year to Nationals Park, Audi Field, and its waterfront parks, has become such an attractive target for well-capitalized chains, per the Washington DC Economic Partnership. For now, Jersey Mike's has not said when its doors will open, leaving Navy Yard regulars to watch the old TaKorean storefront for a firm move-in date.
