Celebrating Black Excellence Around Washington, D.C.
Every Saturday morning, Northeast Track Club (NETC) starts our runs at a local small business in DC. We do this for a few reasons: we believe in creating partnerships with and supporting impactful, local brands, we want to introduce our runners to interesting spaces, and it allows us to find a new route to run and see our city. In celebration of Black History Month, NETC started and finished our Saturday long runs in February from a Black-owned locale in DC to honor the history of Black excellence and entrepreneurship in our city, often endearingly referred to as Chocolate City. Behind every storefront was an inspiring founding story. We hit four neighborhoods and four locales - each serving up a different flavor and all around good vibes.
Our first stop was The Village Cafe in Union Market. Village Cafe was founded by three DC natives and former high school classmates, Kevon King, Mahammad Mangum and Ryan Williams who share a passion for creating spaces and connecting people. The Village Cafe does just that - it’s more than a place to grab a (delicious) cup of coffee from local roasters or a breakfast sandwich, it’s also a space that nurtures community. On the day we visited, The Village Cafe hosted a pop-up market for other local, Black entrepreneurs who were selling goods ranging from handmade scented candles to bold, statement t-shirts. Some of our favorites goodies from our morning at The Village Cafe were aromatic candles (appropriately named “Cuffing Season” and “Somebody Son”), the AM sandwich and an amazing lavender matcha latte. It’s in the name but this cafe truly embodies what it means to be a village.
The following Saturday, we ventured to SOMEWHERE® in Navy Yard. Dominick Adams and Will Sharp, both DMV natives, started SOMEWHERE, in the words of Dom, to “bring the international fashion conversation to DC”. The duality of the space - a cafe and a fashion boutique - was intentional to set fashion in a non-intimidating and friendly environment. What’s friendlier than a neighborhood cafe? When you walk into SOMEWHERE you are greeted by the smell of coffee beans amidst a backdrop of pristine white walls and dope designs. Run, don’t walk to check out SOMEWHERE and get yourself some drip…coffee and swag.
Our third stop was at Little Food Studio in Petworth where the owner, Danielle Harris, makes culinary magic happen. Danielle is originally from Chicago where she started cooking at the age of 10, worked for an Iron Chef and was a personal chef on the side. When Danielle first moved to DC seven years ago, she followed her passion for cooking and coffee through creative entrepreneurial endeavors like an underground kitchen pop-up where she and a business partner hosted 70 people at a long table or ‘the Coffee Bus’ where she served coffee on a repurposed school bus. During the pandemic, Danielle wanted to create a space that would be a hub for everything she loves, from charcuterie to coffee. She found a 250 square foot space on Upshur Street NW where she could realize her dream. Little Food Studio makes nearly everything from scratch and trust me, every. last. bite. is mouth-watering. Paying homage to the women that inspired her culinary journey, every sandwich is named after one of them. Some of our favorites were the lavender lemonade, warm and soft snickerdoodle cookies, and the Lynne Sandwich. Little Food Studio packs a lot of joy and deliciousness into a small space.
Last but not least, we visited the newest Turning Natural juice bar location on the quaint and historic main street of Takoma Park DC. Turning Natural was started by Jerri Evans after the unfortunate passing of her mother to a battle with breast cancer. Jerri set out on a mission to bring healthy and affordable food to areas that are typically underserved - food deserts. Turning Natural offers fresh, tasty and vitamin-packed smoothies and cold-pressed juices, and vegan and vegetarian friendly snacks such as the impossible burger patty, their rendition of a traditional, Jamaican beef patty. There’s nothing better than ending a run with some healthy juices to refuel you, and even better when they come with a mission to create healthy and connected communities and provide access to better food options.
Next time you’re looking for a good long run route, start from one of these cafes and finish with a nice treat - you won’t regret it!
Here are the run routes from each of the locations:
The Village Cafe (NE - Union Market, 10K)
SOMEWHERE (SW - Navy Yard, 10K)
Little Food Studio (NW - Petworth, 7 miles)
Turning Natural (NW - Takoma Park, 8 miles)