WASHINGTON, DC–There has been a surge in the number of coffee shops opening or getting ready to open in the Washington DC area for the past few months, according to a new report by JLL. Namely, since the fourth quarter of 2017, 77% of the 293 announced retailers opening locations in DC have been dining spots — and 15% of those were coffee shops.

Non-global brands have dominated this rapid expansion at 94%. Of these, 55% were local or regional brands, with Compass Coffee and Gregory's Coffee opening the most locations in recent quarters, according to JLL.

It also noted that the CBD and Market District led the city with the most openings. From residential vs. office use, 24% of the coffee shops announced to open in traditional office neighborhoods, 50% in traditional residential neighborhoods and 26% in mixed-use neighborhoods.

JLL concluded that many locations in the CBD and East End are approaching saturation levels and thus could see slower growth ahead, while western locations in the West End, Georgetown and Upper Northwest are likely to see additional future expansions based on ratio of inventory to population.

Instant Insights /

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