Burgers are out, and ramen is in on the Wharf. After a brief, two-year run alongside the Southwest Waterfront, Fortunate Buns is closing and can hand the keys over to fast-growing noodle bar Jinya Ramen this month. The final day of enterprise is Sunday, March 30, Fortunate Buns completely tells Eater (675 Wharf Avenue SW).
D.C. chef Alex McCoy’s Adams Morgan hangout, which has been round since 2017, is dedicated to burgers that prime Creekstone Farms beef with international condiments like bacon XO jam. A Union Market stall adopted in 2019, and its large Wharf digs debuted in April 2023.
“Going ahead, we will likely be focusing our continued progress solely on small-footprint, domestically targeted places,” per an announcement from Fortunate Buns.
That new aim — and the Wharf gross sales provide was too good to go up, McCoy tells Eater. Sam Shoja, the franchise proprietor of all Jinya Ramen places in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, opened the primary in Northern Virginia’s Mosaic District in 2016 and he hasn’t appeared again; the D.C. native just lately detailed extremely formidable enlargement plans to balloon the model to 25 to 30 space locales within the subsequent few years. And he’s properly on his manner, with retailer quantity 9 about to pop in Georgetown. A big location was on Jinya’s want record subsequent, and Fortunate Buns’ 200-seat house with a large patio and bar marks its first space storefront located on water. It’ll even be the Wharf’s first ramen spot; the opening timeline is unclear for now.
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California-based Jinya affords 5 completely different broths, with its tonkotsu simmered for greater than 18 hours being the most well-liked. Since its begin in 2010, the Japanese consolation meals chain has exploded to over 60 places throughout the county.
The behind-the-scenes sale was the “fruits of many months of planning,” per Fortunate Buns, and employees are in a position to switch to its remaining places in Adams Morgan (2000 18th Avenue NW) and Union Market (1309 fifth Avenue NE). The worldwide menus proceed to showcase native favorites like Gordy’s Pickles, freshly squeezed orange crushes, and mumbo sauce-slathered wings. Search for loads of closing week specials on the Wharf, which hosts its huge annual Bloomaroo cherry blossom pageant on Saturday.
In the meantime, McCoy is huge on Georgetown as of late. He goes deep into the vault to carry again Alfie’s — his Thai pop-up that closed in Park View a decade in the past — in a newly leased house. And his new West Coast-styled breakfast spot known as Monstera Burrito is drawing consideration from its present submit inside Grace Avenue Espresso.
