A new restaurant from the founder of a fast-casual Middle Eastern chain appears to be underway at a vacant Clarendon storefront.
A permit application filed this month requests interior alterations at 3137 Wilson Blvd for a business under the name “Clarendon Eats.” The application was filed on behalf of Ahmad Ashkar, the entrepreneur behind fast-casual chain Falafel Inc.
It’s unclear if the planned business is a Falafel Inc or an entirely new concept. Neither Falafel Inc nor the property’s leasing group returned a request for comment.
The Clarendon space has remained vacant since 7-Eleven shuttered there in late 2024. Before then, the space was home to the former Public Shoe Store from 1938 to 2015.
Since its founding in 2017, Falafel Inc has introduced a dozen locations across the D.C. area, including a spot on Crystal City’s Restaurant Row that opened last fall.
The chain is known for its affordable sandwiches and bowls, some of which are less than $6, as well as its fundraising for the World Food Programme, a United Nations initiative that provides food assistance to refugees worldwide.
Elsewhere in Clarendon, Paris Baguette (3101 Wilson Blvd), upscale nightlife spot Cielo (1137 N. Highland Street) and “supper club”-inspired restaurant The Boulevard (2915 Wilson Blvd) are preparing to open this season. According to storefront signage, Paris Baguette will open this Friday.
