The Square is the brainchild of García and Richie Brandenburg, who created a unique concept: part market, restaurant, and food incubator. The 25,000-square-foot space will feature over a dozen vendors, with 500 patrons able to eat inside the airy glass atrium or outdoors under umbrellas in street view.
Vendors include Atrium Bar by Beverage Director Owen Thompson for cocktails, wine, and beer; Brasa by García for Spanish street food off an open flame; Cashion's Rendezvous by Ann Cashion and John Fulchino for oysters, crab cakes, and strong drinks; Jamón Jamón by García for hand-cut jamón ibérico and cheeses as well as croquetas and charcuterie; Junge's by Brandenburg and García for churros and soft serve; Taqueria Xochi by Teresa Padilla and Geraldine Mendoza for Mexican dishes such as birria, tacos guisados, and street tacos; Yaocho by John Mooney for Polynesian-inspired fried chicken, deep-sea snapper, superfood juices, sweets, and drinks.
The Square also marks the first standalone restaurant from García: Casa Teresa serves Catalan open-fire cuisine. The opening of The Square comes at an essential time as downtown D.C. struggles to attract people in the wake of the pandemic. According to city officials, if people flock to The Square, it could help revitalize downtown as Union Market did in Northeast D.C., bringing in over 2.75 million visitors yearly since 2015 while creating 1,200 jobs.
