D.C. Has a kosher restaurant problem. Owners say to blame the math

Washington's kosher restaurant landscape has long frustrated the city's observant Jewish community. The recent closure of Oro Nami, a kosher sushi restaurant that opened last year with a modern aesthetic featuring red velvet booths and a light-up floor, has left Char Bar as the only sit-down kosher restaurant with a liquor license in the District. Most of the region's kosher dining options are concentrated in Maryland suburbs like Silver Spring and Rockville, where the majority of the area's Orthodox population resides.

Restaurant industry experts attribute the shortage to economics rather than lack of demand. The Washington metro area is home to more than 300,000 Jews according to a 2017 community study, but only 5% are Orthodox. Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, director of Boston-based Lehrhaus, explained that "Kashrut in general in D.C. I think is tricky, because from a real estate perspective, everything is priced like a normal restaurant," Noting that such pricing assumes high business volume on weekends and significant alcohol sales - patterns that don't match kosher restaurants' operations.

The city's geography presents additional challenges. According to Dani Klein, who runs the blog YeahThatsKosher, "There isnt a concentrated district [in D.C.] where all the Orthodox Jews work. There isnt a district where everybody is going to particular museums. Even the museums and the things that tourists do are spread out." He contrasted Washington with Midtown Manhattan, which supports numerous kosher restaurants due to tourist attractions and office concentration.

Char Bar's owner, Michael Chelst, who also works in the mortgage business and operates a kosher grocery store, described his establishment as a "'likely for profit' business" And noted that most customers are tourists. Despite Oro Nami's opening, 2025 was Char Bar's highest-revenue year since launching in 2014.

Lehrhaus announced plans in 2024 to open a second location in Washington in 2025 but has not yet broken ground. Rabbi Levi Shemtov of American Friends of Lubavitch receives inquiries regularly about opening kosher restaurants and believes more will emerge when downtown business lunch traffic increases.

Still, the city has seen some growth in kosher options. Oh Mama Grill, serving Israeli-style food, opened in Adams Morgan in 2022. George Washington University's Hillel operates Zingers, a kosher restaurant open to the public during the academic year. Pow Pow, a vegan Asian restaurant, and Baked By Yael, a bakery in Woodley Park, offer certified kosher alternatives.

Despite expanded availability, demand remains a concern. Shemtov observed: "People are always kvetching about why there arent more establishments. But once they open, the proprietors feel that the community doesnt show enough support."