The Negril Jamaican Eatery, which announced plans to close its restaurant near Howard University later this month, has inked a deal for new space just a few blocks north along the same Georgia Avenue NW corridor it's called home for decades.
An affiliate of the restaurant, founded by Jamaican native Earl Chinn in 1979, acquired 2928 Georgia Ave. NW on Monday for $1.4 million, according to D.C. land records. The owners plan to reopen Negril there after shuttering their eatery at 2301 Georgia Ave. NW later this month.
The timing couldn't have been better, per Josh Feldman, managing principal at Feldman Ruel, which marketed 2928 Georgia for sale. As it happens, a member of the Chinn family, Brian Chinn, learned 2928 Georgia Ave., formerly occupied by NuVegan Café, was being offered for sale as Negril was readying to close to make way for Howard University's planned redevelopment of the Wonder Plaza at 2301 Georgia Ave.
"This was one of those rare occasions where the chips just fell into place for everybody," said Feldman, who was joined by Ryan Smith in marketing 2928 Georgia Ave. to prospective buyers. "As we were going to market, Brian Chinn contacted me and said, 'my family has had this restaurant for almost 47 years, we have to vacate this space, but we don't want to lose our presence in that area.'"
An affiliate of the now-former owners of the 3,172-square-foot building acquired the property in the 1980s, and its individual owners and opted to part ways rather than trying to find a replacement for NuVegan, which closed temporarily in February 2024 and shuttered permanently in September. Feldman declined to disclose the names of the owners, but D.C. property records indicate the group is affiliated with Mark E. Brodsky, members of the family that owns the Lustine Realty Co., and Demers Real Estate.
The selling entity, 2928 Georgia Ave. LLC, retained Feldman Ruel in late January, and the brokerage listed the property on Feb. 10, per Feldman. Brian Chinn reached out almost immediately, the property was under letter of intent by Feb. 13, and under contract of sale by March 7. The Chinns paid full price, in cash, for the property, which traded at about $441.36 per square foot.
The Georgia avenue restaurant is one of four Negril outposts, with others in Laurel, Mitchellville, and Silver Spring. There will be a gap between when the current place closes at the end of this month and when the new outpost opens.