Want to motivate a team or go for a little group bonding time? Here's a look at 10 new spots in Washington for group activities, staff parties, and teambuilding outings.
The Eat Good Food Group, behind Restaurant Eve and Virtue Feed and Grain, opened Society Fair, a combination market and wine bar in Alexandria, in January. The venue houses a demonstration kitchen that can be used for groups of 10, and the bar can host cocktail classes, sommelier-led tastings, and other food-centric events up to 12 at a time. The wine bar can seat 80 or host 200 for receptions.
The minds behind ArtJamz, the pop-up, painting-focused event series, opened ArtJamz Dupont Studio in March just off Dupont Circle. The 700-square-foot studio has two separate spaces that can accommodate 30 people throughout. The space comes complete with a multipurpose license for entertainment and event catering and can be booked for the company’s signature painting sessions or other events.
Melody Tavern, a combination restaurant and entertainment spot, opened in Arlington in November. The 6,700-square-foot venue specializes in American food and live jazz and blues nightly. The main dining room can seat 135, plus an additional 28 at the wraparound bar. Receptions for groups as large as 216 can be accommodated indoors, with an additional 80 on the patio. There is an 80-square-foot stage that can host karaoke starting later this month.
Daily deals Web site LivingSocial opened its first event venue, 918 F Street, in February. The 28,000-square-foot building has been refurbished with new, modern walls and an open design for its latest usage. The company will host a variety of different activities, like dance and yoga classes, cooking demonstrations, chef-hosted dinners, and mixology lessons for 25 to as many as 140 people in its seven-level space managed by international hospitality consulting firm Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group. For culinary enthusiasts, the demonstration kitchen can accommodate 36 people and is equipped with live, automated video feeds of the hosting chef. Group tickets are available, though quantities vary per event. 918 F Street is currently not available for private event rental.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum will debut its "Art of Video Games" exhibit on March 16 showcasing the entertainment medium’s 40-year history. The interactive displays include 80 games on various consoles that visitors can play. The museum has five event spaces, including the 28,000-square-foot Kogod Courtyard, that can host seated events for 40 to 850 or receptions of as many as 1,200 people.
Over in Penn Quarter, Clyde's Restaurant Group opened The Hamilton, a 37,000-square-foot dining and entertainment venue, in January. The bilevel space has five dining areas on street level for as many as 400 people as well as a 17,000-square-foot performance space in the basement known as Live, which hosts music and entertainment performances three nights a week. During the day or on non-concert nights, groups as large as 400—or 250 for seated events—can book the venue complete with a 30-foot stage and sound equipment for karaoke sing-offs or other team activities.
Another addition to the Penn Quarter area, Elisir Italian restaurant opened in December and recently began offering private cooking classes for groups with head chef Enzo Fargione. The in-kitchen classes last about four hours and are available on Saturdays only for groups of up to 18. For dining, the main restaurant space can seat 70 plus an additional 20 at the bar. There is also a private room for 25.Â
For a weekend excursion, the Peacemaker National Training Center shooting range in Glengary, West Virginia, is located just two hours outside the city and will open this month for its regular season. Opened in September 2011, the grounds have two public ranges with multiple shooting options at each, including 15- and 25-yard pistol areas, skeet, trap, and 5-stand rifle arrangements. These ranges can accommodate groups from five to 100. A new sporting clays course opened this year as well.
William Jeffrey's Tavern opened in Arlington in December, adorned with 1920s-style decor and murals throughout. The 6,500-square-foot space has seating for 200 throughout its two dining spaces. The venue is equipped with 15 high-definition TVs that groups can use for interactive entertainment or games.
Massage Envy-Manassas opened in December with 13 treatment rooms. In addition to the spa’s namesake massages, the new facility also provides facials, aromatherapy, and heated muscle therapy. The facility can accommodate groups of up to 25 at a time with one person in each of its treatment rooms.
