Kaldi’s Social House has soft launched its second Arlington location in the Potomac Yard area, with plans to be fully operational by next week.
The new cafe and restaurant at 3639 S. Glebe Road, near Crystal City, soft opened yesterday (Monday). It aims for a somewhat different ambience than the eatery’s other spots in Clarendon and Silver Spring, Director of Operations Sean Swartz told ARLnow.
“We’re really taking the opportunity to turn this into a little bit more of a bar atmosphere and restaurant atmosphere,” Swartz said.
In addition to Kaldi’s typical coffee and brunch items — including espressos, smoothies and waffles — the new location will include a full dinner menu. Appetizers include calamari and blackberry burrata, while for entrees, Swartz recommends the Korean fried chicken sandwich or a hanger steak with treviso salad.
A cocktail menu, available after 3 p.m., features some beverages that are on-brand for a coffee shop, including a coffee-infused negroni and a “Flight Plan,” a vanilla-infused tequila with chicory cold brew, vermouth and green coffee bean essence.
The restaurant has a total of 73 indoor seats, including 15 bar seats and some booths. It can currently seat 18 outdoors, but Swartz hopes to eventually bump outdoor seating up to 36.
“We finally got all our equipment set up and permits taken care of,” Swartz said. “People keep coming in, asking if we’re open. Let’s open up and at least start to meet the neighborhood a little bit.”
After the conclusion of the soft opening, hours are expected to be 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Kaldi’s opened its first Arlington location, at 3110 10th Street N., in 2020. The coffee shop survived the pandemic and often appears busy, despite its location away from the main Clarendon drag.
The growing company got its start in Maryland as Kaldi’s Coffee in 2014. That first location remains open in downtown Silver Spring.
