More Details on Commonwealth Joe’s New ‘Flagship’ Location in Pentagon City

Arlington-based coffee startup Commonwealth Joe says its planned coffee shop in Pentagon City will be the company’s flagship location — and will offer something beyond just a morning pick-me-up.

“Arlington deserves great coffee,” Commonwealth Joe co-founder and CEO Robert Peck said Monday. “We aim to deliver powerful experiences built around that cup of coffee, and also to provide an environment that makes you feel at home and gives you a sense of place — somewhere where you want to bring your friends and family and can also have chance encounters with others in the community.”

The new Commonwealth Joe store will be located on the ground floor of The Bartlett, a new 22-story luxury apartment building that’s currently wrapping up construction at the corner of S. Eads and 12th Streets, two blocks from the Metro station.

An experience and a sense of community is a key goal for the building and developer Vornado. Thus the reason the coffee shop is planning to make “experience” a cornerstone of its offerings and is working with a top-shelf local design firm for its build-out.

From a press release: “Although they are not revealing details just yet, they say that the new space will be the first of its kind in the entire D.C. metro area, and will offer some exciting amenities for Bartlett residents and customers, including coffee cuppings and brewing classes.”

The shop’s coffee offerings include single-origin coffees, pour-overs and nitro cold brew coffee.

Commonwealth Joe is planning to open on an unspecified date “this summer,” as is the next-door Whole Foods Market. Some residents have been told that the Whole Foods is eyeing a late June opening.

The press release, after the jump.

Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters, the independent coffee company that operates The Java Shack in North Arlington, plans to launch a second coffee shop in Pentagon City this summer. Their goal: to redefine and elevate the coffee scene.

The new coffee shop, which will be Commonwealth Joe’s new flagship location, is designed to dazzle and harmonize with the changes happening in Pentagon City. Leaders of the company say that the area’s rapid growth in young professionals, tech companies, and millennial-focused amenities means that the big chain coffee shops geared toward busy commuters and office-dwellers are no longer going to cut it.

“Arlington deserves great coffee. We want to share our passion for fresh roasted specialty coffee and create a sense of community in Pentagon City that The Java Shack has instilled in the Courthouse neighborhood of North Arlington for the past 20 years,” co-founder and CEO Robert Peck explained. “I believe we are living in an experience economy, where people desire more than just goods–they are thirsty for meaningful and memorable experiences. We aspire to provide more than just a great cup of coffee at an affordable price; we aim to deliver powerful experiences built around that cup of coffee, and also to provide an environment that makes you feel at home and gives you a sense of place–somewhere where you want to bring your friends and family and can also have chance encounters with others in the community.”

This vision for the new specialty coffee shop concept is one shared by Commonwealth Joe and Vornado Realty Trust, which owns The Bartlett, the luxury apartment building where Commonwealth Joe will open shop this summer along with a new Whole Foods Market. After poring over the design plans submitted by CORE, a leading architecture and interior design firm based in Georgetown, the team at Commonwealth Joe is thrilled with the final designs and material selection. Although they are not revealing details just yet, they say that the new space will be the first of its kind in the entire DC metro area, and will offer some exciting amenities for Bartlett residents and customers, including coffee cuppings and brewing classes.

The new retail location is big news for Commonwealth Joe, which has been quietly building a reputation in North Arlington for outstanding single-origin coffees, pour-overs, cutting-edge nitro cold brew coffee, and exceedingly friendly baristas. “These elements will be a critical part of the new store’s identity,” Peck said, “because our central mission at Commonwealth Joe is to make amazing coffee approachable.” But, he added, the Pentagon City store is also going to be something “charming, innovative, and unlike any other coffee shop you’ve seen.” “Most of all, we want our new location to surprise and delight you with the best cup of coffee and hospitality you’ve had in years.”