Unido opens third D.C. cafe in Buzzard Point with launch event

Unido is opening its third Washington, D.C. cafe in Buzzard Point, and the brand is turning the launch into a neighborhood event with a live DJ, scratch cards, free coffee for the first 50 guests, and a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. The grand opening runs Saturday, June 27, from 8 a.m. to noon, and the store stays open until 6 p.m. that day.

The new shop lands at The Stacks, a nearly seven-acre mixed-use project in Buzzard Point that is being built as a 2.7 million-square-foot development with more than 1,100 rental apartments and retail space in phase one. That puts Unido into a part of Southwest D.C. that already draws heavy foot traffic from Audi Field and Nationals Park, with the Potomac and Anacostia rivers framing the 325-acre peninsula.

What sets this opening apart is Unido’s hard focus on Panama. The company says it sources 100 percent Panamanian-grown coffee, and the Buzzard Point menu includes a Panama Geisha coffee flight for customers who want something more specialized than a standard espresso stop. Signature drinks at the new cafe include the Volcán Barú Charcoal Latte, the Orange Raspadura Latte, and a vanilla bean latte made with housemade syrup, alongside breakfast, lunch, and all-day bites with Central American influence.

That origin-first approach is what gives Unido its edge in a crowded coffee market. In Shaw, Café Unido has already leaned into geisha coffee, coffee omakase tastings, natural wines, coffee cocktails, and an all-day Panamanian menu. The company also has a deep sourcing story behind it, with a footprint that has included 10 cafes in Panama and direct relationships with 15 small farms.

Buzzard Point gives that identity a bigger stage. The neighborhood has become one of the city’s most closely watched waterfront buildouts, shaped by major public and private investment around Capitol Riverfront and the South Capitol Street Corridor. Unido’s timing also fits a city where Panamanian food and drink are still relatively rare, even as the country has started getting more attention in D.C.’s dining scene.

By the end of opening day, the scene Unido is banking on is simple: a morning line for free coffee, a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting, and a new Panamanian coffee counter trying to make Buzzard Point feel a little more like a destination.