Restaurants

With plans for a portrait-taking station and arcade, Mugshot Coffee will feature a portrait-taking station and arcade, in addition to the usual coffee shop fare.

District Chicken & Gyro, a growing fast-casual chain, has taken over the longtime NuVegan Cafe space on Grace Street.

Whisk will take over the space in the state library that was formerly occupied by Can Can Cafe, a now-shuttered spinoff concept of Carytown-based French restaurant Can Can Brasserie.

The Oregon Hill building that long housed Mamma Zu is set to come back to life, as Restaurant Adarra is preparing to open there after five years in Jackson Ward. 

“This place looks like if an old-school luncheonette, a kosher deli and a Latino spot in the Bronx all got married,” Carlos Londoño said of his new Queens Comfort Latin Kitchen and Cocktails, which opens today in Shockoe Slip.

Shagufta Sajid is preparing to open The Biryani Corner, a similar concept to her longtime Noorani Kabab House in the West End.

Owner Ann Butler said running the restaurant has become too challenging while also overseeing the other arms of her Edible Education Group. She has two offers under consideration from buyers who would keep 21 Spoons running.

“The concept itself does work, just not here,” said owner Zach Archibald. “Specialty coffee has no margins, there’s no item here that you sell that’s like a fountain soda… with a different set of amenities this footprint would have worked.”

The 9,000-square-foot restaurant and bar atop the Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites at 700 E. Main St., will close at the end of the year. Owner Shamin Hotels has something new in store for the space.

After nearly five years in purgatory, a trio of Hull Street commercial properties have been primed for a comeback.