Chef Jordan Anthony‑Brown temporarily reopens The Aperture as a weekday barbecue pop‑up in Walnut Hills with soft openings Thursday and Friday and limited lunch hours to follow.

Tampa‑based Melting Pot is searching for a franchisee to open a third Greater Baltimore location south of the city; buildout and training could take about 18 months.

Lupe will take over the former Barrio Café dining room on 16th Street. Silvana Salcido Esparza has endorsed the incoming chef as a keeper of the kitchen’s roots.

A new all-day cafe and bar called The Stoop Pigeon will open at 337 S. Broad St., pairing daytime coffee and coworking with evening women's-sports watch parties.

State inspectors ordered eight Central Florida restaurants closed after finding rodents, roaches and sewage in inspections; most reopened only after fixes. Records name several affected eateries.

Maricopa County inspection reports from Feb. 16, 2026 show moldy cauliflower, lettuce and ginger and eggs stored unrefrigerated at three metro Phoenix grocery stores.

Wayback Burgers has leased a unit at Locust Grove’s new Market Place shopping center near Tanger Outlets; the chain lists the site as “Coming Soon.”

City of Miami’s Miami Eats highlighted Peppi’s Pizza, the Design District spot known for New York‑style pies and Philly cheesesteaks. The shoutout follows local buzz and a Barstool review.

Barley & Burger’s Hillsborough Street restaurant closed after three months; owners returned the space and a leasing sign went up in the window.

RAMW’s State of the Plate meeting said D.C.’s restaurant scene is cautiously rebounding after a year of record closures, but operators still face steep costs and uneven foot traffic.

Descendant is closing its Prudential Center stall to open a larger, seaside Revere Beach location with a patio, parking and an expanded menu.

Ace Seafood has quietly taken over Small Change’s Temescal spot, broadening the oyster bar into a casual seafood counter with fried plates, oysters and patio events.

Next Chapter, a cocktail-forward lounge blending Peruvian and Mediterranean small plates, is set for 142 Minna in SoMa with a soft opening aimed for late March.