Business Briefs • Sarah Payne

Business Briefs

by Sarah Payne

Visit Yoga Heights for Unique Classes

With a variety of styles including vinyasa, yin, power, kids, aerial and prenatal yoga, Yoga Heights has something for everyone.

Owner and founder Jess Pierno moved to DC for graduate school and was working in a government office when she discovered yoga as a student. She took a teacher training course to learn about the “full picture” of the practice of yoga and fell in love with the teaching aspect.

Pierno opened her first location nearly eight years ago and said she loves her work and the change of pace it offers.

“The instant gratification that comes from teaching yoga is amazing,” Pierno said. “You teach and immediately those people who were in front of you for that class have a little bit better day, feel a little bit less stressed and feel a little bit healthier. It’s very different from working in a government office where things move very slowly and it just really kind of spoke to me on a lot of different levels. So I decided to dive in.”

Diversity not only in the styles of yoga offered, but also in their instructors was key for the studios, Perino said.

“We’ve really worked to hire a fantastic team who have training in the different areas,” Pierno noted. “We’ve also really worked to make sure that our teaching team is diverse and represents all the people of DC. That’s been a real focus for us.”

Their newest location in Shaw also offers aerial yoga classes, where participants can learn moves, deepen stretches and try something new in a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling. According to Pierno, Yoga Heights is the only studio in the District to offer aerial yoga.

“It’s a really nice complement to other forms of exercise or other forms of yoga, because you’re

utilizing your muscles in a different way,” Pierno observed. “Plus, it’s just really fun to swing, and play and flip upside down and do tricks.” Pierno wants the community to know that their studios are open and safe for practice. The studios have taken several precautions, including requiring proof of a full COVID-19 vaccine series, including a booster shot, for all students and teachers in the studio. Additionally, the studios offer both mask-optional and mask-required classes and several outdoor class options. Drop-in classes are $24 and the studio offers several monthly packages with reduced rates. They also offer a workstudy program that provides unlimited monthly classes to students who dedicate three or more hours each week to staffing the desk or cleaning Yoga Heights owner Jess Pierno the studio. has brought aerial yoga to Shaw. Yoga Heights has Photo: Sandi Gohn, courtesy Yoga Heights. three locations through out the District, includ ing Yoga Heights Georgia Ave. (3506 Georgia Ave. NW), Yoga Heights Takoma (255 Carroll St. NW) and their newest location, Yoga Heights Shaw (905 U St. NW). The studios are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, with instructors offering approximately 70 classes each week. You can learn more about Yoga Heights and view their schedule of classes at yogaheightsdc.com.

TG Cigar Lounge for Specialty Cigars, Food and Drink

Wanda’s on Seventh - Salon Services for All

Steps away from the Shaw-Howard Metro station sits Wanda’s on Seventh (1851 7th St NW), a salon offering a variety of hair services for both men and women including cuts, coloring, blow outs, braiding and conditioning treatments.

Owner Wanda Henderson is a native Washingtonian who has been working in the beauty business for over 45 years. Henderson said that many of her clients have been coming to her for over 35 years. And she said that since moving to the Shaw community in 2003, people have been very welcoming.

“We have a lot of followers, repeat clientele, community members and people who come in just to say hello and we’re glad that you’re in the neighborhood,” Henderson remarked. “They love me a lot,” she added, with a smile.

Henderson emphasized the variety of services and treatments she offers, including salon services for “all ethnic groups,” in addition to servicing a vast range of ages in the salon. “We do every age group from one year old to 100 years old,” Henderson stated. “Children, college students, elementary school students, high school students, elderly clientele; we do a mixture…and we cater to all nationalities.” Exceptional customer service, Henderson argued, is another thing that sets Wanda’s apart. She said building personal relationships with her customers is vital. “You always treat clients like they’re the only client you have, greet them, talk to them about their needs, and the color or cut. You sit down and talk with them, consult with them, and make them feel warm and cared for.” Wanda’s on Seventh is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cigar store Indian in the store window announces that you’ve arrived at Shaw’s TG Cigar Lounge, 1120 9th St NW.

Owner Negest “TG” Dawit is originally from Ethiopia. When she relocated to the District, she worked at an Ethiopian restaurant. Dawit then approached the owner of Presidential Cigars at Union Station about a job, where she learned about the cigar business.

“I didn’t know anything about cigars,” Dawit said. “I asked him if he needed to hire somebody, and he said yes, and I worked with him for three years.” She then decided to open her own cigar store.

TG Cigar opened as a storefront on the 1100 block of 9th Street NW in Shaw in 2006. In 2019, Dawit bought the building next door and renovated it to create the new lounge. Dawit is very knowledgeable about cigars and can assist both those well versed in cigars and first timers with recommendations. With their extensive inventory of 5,000 varieties, she believes she has something for everyone.

“Most of the cigars come from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic,” Dawit explained. “We also have mild, medium and full-bodied cigars and flavored cigars.”

While some customers come in just to purchase cigars, many come for the lounge experience. The storefront features a storefront with a walk-in humidor and personal lockers for cigars. Up a short flight of stairs, the lounge offers a full-service bar and menu of finger foods. The lounge also has a rear patio for customer use.

TG Cigar Lounge is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Wanda’s on 7th owner Wanda Henderson has been a Shaw salon owner for decades. Photo: Alexander M. Padro, courtesy Shaw Main Streets.

Sarah Payne is a general assignment reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@ hillrag.com. u

Negest “TG” Dawit owns TG Cigar Lounge in Shaw. Photo: Alexander M. Padro, courtesy Shaw Main Streets.