On the heels of their recent announcement on the addition of Win Sheridan as a Partner to the Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP) corporate team, ARP shared the latest concept to be added to the growing portfolio of restaurants. Set to open late-2023 in Washington D.C., Palette 22 – a reimagined version of their wildly popular Arlington eatery of the same name – will be located at 400 Morse Street NE in the area’s burgeoning Union Market District.
Represented on the transaction by Melissa Webb of Rappaport, the ARP team recently acquired this historic property that has been owned by same family since 1931 and was the former home of Kolker Live Poultry. The vision for this acquisition is in keeping with the team’s strategy of slowly investing in the long-term. While this presents an opportunity for a new iteration of the artful concept, the group intends to honor the history of the space with murals and signage befitting its original resident.
Ian Ruel, Managing Principal of Feldman Ruel, along with Josh Feldman and Adam Costanzo, represented the seller – the family of Fred Kolker – on the sale of this special property. “It was a pleasure representing ownership in the sale of 400 Morse Street NE,” Ruel says. “The Kolker family has had so much history in Union Market, and to be given the opportunity to assist in the disposition of their last asset in the neighborhood was an honor and a privilege. As a D.C. resident and big believer in Union Market as a retail destination, I couldn’t be more excited to not only watch the transformation of this building in the coming months, but also the continued progress occurring in Union Market every day.”
This evolution of Union Market is what really excites the ARP team. “We’ve been watching Union Market develop, and we love the energy and sense of community,” remarks ARP Partner Scott Shaw. “We are deeply involved in the other communities we currently operate in and look forward to doing the same here. In terms of the concept, we think the Palette 22 – small plates, global street food, and local artists onsite – fit perfectly into the neighborhood and complements the nearby Union Market food hall. We also think Palette 22 fills a gap in the market, offering a high energy, approachable concept for a younger audience.”
The ARP team is currently interviewing architects and contractors with whom they will be working with closely to maintaining building’s historic character – a relatively easy task given their previous work in neighboring Old Town, Alexandria with such concepts like The Majestic and Mia’s Italian Kitchen. “The Kolker family played an important role in the development of the market,” expressed Shaw. “ARP intends to celebrate their contributions and this space by offering a gathering place that all can enjoy.”
The forthcoming concept will be the second location of Palette 22 (the first one opened in Arlington’s Shirlington Village in 2017). Like the flagship restaurant, programming will include their artists’ in-residence program with local artists working inside the restaurant and original artworks available for sale. While the menu will mirror the small plates and global street food, the team aims to evolve the concept. “We want to create an interactive experience for our guests,” says ARP Partner Dave Nicholas. “Our vision is ‘Palette 2.0’ – with the design, layout of the two-story space, and menu – the customer experience will be taken to the next level. We will be featuring interactive elements like a variety of cooking stations where patrons can see and watch the culinary ‘exhibition’. Here, we’re interested in redefining what an open kitchen can be.”
This announcement also follows those of other recent openings and forthcoming spaces in the Union Market area including Minetta Tavern; Pastis; Maman; Scotch & Soda; District Tattoo, Glosslab; Somewhere; Grace Loves Lace; Herman Miller; Warby Parker, among others in the pipeline.
