CHEF KWAME ONWUACHI TO LAUNCH NEW RESTARANT AT SALAMANDER WASHINGTON DC

In partnership with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection, acclaimed chef will return to the nation’s capital to create bold new dining destination

Acclaimed Chef Kwame Onwuachi is returning to the nation’s capital this fall to open a new restaurant at Salamander Washington DC. He will once again partner with the Salamander Collection, the hospitality company founded by renowned business leader Sheila Johnson.

Located along the capital’s vibrant Southwest waterfront, the new restaurant will undergo a re-design by celebrated architects Bentel & Bentel. The fresh and imaginative new concept will be unveiled later this year.

“The time is right to return to DC, and I can’t think of a more appropriate location to open a new restaurant that speaks to the character and lineage of DC than at this storied Salamander property,” said Onwuachi. “As a child, I spent summers in DC with my grandfather, a professor of Pan African studies at Howard University, who shared his passion for the city with me. I fell in love and can’t wait to return.”

Onwuachi, who currently owns Tatiana in New York City, has penned multiple books like his successful memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef and the bestselling cookbook My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. He also been a contestant and a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. In 2019, he was acclaimed by Esquire as its Chef of the Year, recognized by Food & Wine as one of its Best New Chefs, and named by the James Beard Foundation as “Rising Star Chef of the Year.” Tatiana has already been hailed as the city’s best restaurant by the New York Times and received multiple stellar reviews.

The DC restaurant opening once again brings Onwuachi together with Sheila Johnson, with whom he has built a special relationship. The pair bonded during the pandemic and created The Family Reunion, a celebration of diversity within the hospitality industry. Now in its third year, the multi-day culinary event, held in partnership with FOOD & WINE, has quickly become the premier gathering of culinary professionals of color in the country. Taking place at Johnson’s Five-Star Salamander Resort in Middleburg, VA, this year’s event, which takes place August 17-20, is already sold out.

“From the moment we launched Salamander Washington DC, I wanted to help bring Kwame back to our capital,” said Johnson. “He is an inspiration and a generational talent, and we look forward to playing our part in his next success.”

In September 2022, Johnson brought her welcoming and diverse style of luxury hospitality to the heart of the nation’s capital at Salamander Washington DC, and guests have enthusiastically responded to the hotel’s approachable level of service. The restaurant launch is part of an overall property redesign, creating the warm and welcoming environment for which Salamander is renowned.

The restaurant partnership with Onwuachi is also the latest in a series of signifcant achievements for Johnson, who was recently named CEO of the Year by the Washington Business Journal and is publishing her memoir Walk Through Fire in September. She is also Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, for which she serves as President and Managing Partner.

To receive restaurant updates, including opening details, visit www.salamanderdc/kwame.