Find restaurant space for lease in DC with MILLER WALKER Retail Real Estate. Explore café, fast-casual, and full-service restaurant opportunities. Compare existing buildouts and talk with a local leasing team about your concept.
Our listings include different sizes, layouts, and delivery conditions. Start with the opportunities below, then tell us your menu, preferred neighborhoods, target square footage, budget, and opening timeline. We can help you narrow the search and arrange tours.
Discuss your restaurant space requirements or call 202-333-0303.
Where can I find restaurant and café space in DC?
The following properties offer different starting points for a restaurant search. Review the individual listing for plans, asking terms, and the latest details. Contact the leasing team to confirm availability and whether a property can support your specific operation.
1399 New York Avenue NW
2,173 SF | Second-generation fast-casual space | Immediate availability listed
This former Pret-A-Manger location is marketed as a built-out café and restaurant opportunity. Its setting near Franklin Square and McPherson Square Metro makes it worth evaluating for concepts seeking a downtown address. Review the existing layout, kitchen requirements, and customer patterns for your planned hours.
View 1399 New York Avenue NW details and floor plans
1615 L Street NW
3,775 RSF | Second-generation café and restaurant | Patio seating
This built-out space is marketed for an all-day café concept in Downtown DC and the Golden Triangle. The L Street patio adds another point to consider when comparing layouts and service models. Ask the team about the current offering and the approvals relevant to your proposed patio and restaurant use.
1399 New York Avenue NW, one of MILLER WALKER’s downtown café and restaurant opportunities.
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
2,174 SF lower-level second-generation café | Separate ground-floor retail opportunity
The lower-level café has an existing counter, seating, commercial kitchen, and ventilation infrastructure. The property also offers up to 6,996 SF of former CVS space on the ground floor, with demising options described in the listing. These are distinct opportunities with different existing conditions. Review the plans and evaluate the space that fits your concept.
See the café and ground-floor plans at 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Liberty Place at 325 7th Street NW
2,019 SF | Fast-casual food, fitness, and services | Q1 2027 availability listed
Liberty Place offers a Penn Quarter storefront near Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro. The listing identifies heat venting only for fast-casual restaurant use. Review that restriction against your menu and equipment early in the search.
View Liberty Place leasing information
What is second-generation restaurant space in DC?
A former restaurant may offer improvements that help a new operator, including an existing kitchen layout, plumbing, counters, or seating. Compare what remains with what your business needs. A café buildout and a full-service kitchen can require very different systems.
Before choosing a space, ask which equipment is included, who owns it, and what condition it is in. Have your architect and contractor review the layout and building systems. Check exhaust, electrical capacity, grease management, deliveries, and refuse handling against your actual operating plan.
For operators seeking restaurant space for lease in Washington DC, this early review helps make property tours more productive. We can discuss the marketed conditions and coordinate questions with the property’s representatives.
Which DC location fits your restaurant concept?
A downtown breakfast and lunch concept should test access from offices and Metro during its planned service hours. A full-service operator may place more weight on evening demand, hotels, neighborhood residents, and its reservation model. A café may need a visible entrance and a convenient route for repeat customers.
Compare these factors at the specific property. Visit during your intended hours, observe neighboring businesses, and test the walk to key destinations. Trade-area research and walk-time maps can add context, while your own operating history helps identify the customer patterns that matter most.
Browse our full Washington DC property collection for additional retail opportunities and neighborhood resources.
How can MILLER WALKER help with your restaurant search?
We represent landlords and tenants across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Our tenant representation services include market strategy, site selection, property evaluation, and business-term negotiation.
Share the details that define your search. The most useful starting brief includes your concept, size range, target locations, kitchen needs, budget, and preferred opening date. If you are expanding an existing business, share a sample plan or an example of the layout you want to repeat.
Before touring, read our DC restaurant leasing checklist for questions about kitchens, costs, and the path to opening.
Restaurant leasing questions
Can every retail space accommodate a restaurant?
No. The proposed use, cooking process, building systems, landlord requirements, and approvals all need review. A property marketed for food use may still be unsuitable for a particular menu.
Does a former restaurant guarantee a faster opening?
No. The remaining improvements may help, but condition, required changes, equipment, and approvals affect the work ahead. Have your project team assess the actual premises and schedule.
Can I compare café and full-service restaurant opportunities?
Yes. Tell us which formats and sizes you can consider. We can help you compare layouts and arrange tours around your requirements.
Request restaurant leasing information
Call 202-333-0303 or email the MILLER WALKER leasing team. Include your concept and the properties you would like to see so we can prepare the next step.