4221-A Connecticut Avenue, the future home of Gopuff.
Gopuff, an online convenience store, is planning to open a location in Van Ness.
Forest Hills Connection has learned that Gopuff will be leasing 4221-A Connecticut Avenue from Douglas Development. The location across from the UDC Student Center previously housed Sushi Para and 7-Eleven. A reader noticed in August that the two storefronts were being combined into one space.
Gopuff promises to deliver orders in 30 minutes, from small distribution centers stocked with products including snacks, drinks, pet and cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter medication. Gopuff stores also deliver alcohol. A flat fee of $1.95 is charged for delivery.
What Gopuff stores do not typically deliver to their neighborhoods is customer foot traffic. However, reports indicate some new stores include a separate retail area. Retail Dive reports Gopuff has opened some stores in Texas and Florida to customers, and plans for a San Francisco store include kiosks that walk-in customers can use to place their orders. Another such store is planned in Philadelphia, Gopuff’s hometown.
Douglas Development Senior Vice President Matthew Jemal confirms that Gopuff intends to open a location in Van Ness, but he tells Forest Hills Connection he does not know whether the store will be open to walk-in customers. We have contacted Gopuff to ask for more information.
4221 Connecticut is also home to Laliguras Indian and Nepali Cuisine, and Domaine Wine Storage. For several decades, the building housed a Rolls Royce and Pontiac showroom and service center. Douglas Development purchased 4221 and 4215 Connecticut in 2000.
Anna Marie says
Even though we don’t know yet whether this will be just a distribution center or allow in-person customers, if it follows the San Francisco proposal then in-person shopping would mean entering the store, browsing and selecting items from a computer screen, and then someone in the back would gather your items and bring them to you. I don’t understand the convenience of this since most stores now offer online ordering which can be done from the comfort of your own home. Maybe I’m missing something…will be interesting to see how it works and how long it lasts.
Paul says
Great. $1.95 delivery of high-processed, high-fat, low-nutrition food. Just what Forest Hills needs.
Marybeth says
We all know that all anyone in this neighborhood really wants is a Trader Joe’s ;-p why is this so difficult to accomplish
Barbara Kraft says
I’m with Paul and Marybeth, although I love the folks who work at our Giant, and would like to see that store improved and employees keeping their jobs. Whenever out of town family visits on Upton St., NW, they want to know where’s the upscale coffee shop, used or new book store, family-style restaurant, etc. they can walk to in Van Ness? Sfoglina is wonderful but too expensive for every day. Uptown Market is great. I’d like to see additional retail, incl on side streets just off Connecticut. I’d like to see new retail and affordable apartments in former Van Ness Center. Adding affordable housing in our neighborhood would add more residents and more retail business. Thanks to FHC, I learned that VN Center/4300 Conn. was originally developed by Chevy Chase Land Co., which developed single family lots with racial covenants in Conn. Ave. neighborhoods. I would like us to reverse/repair that. Gopuff is not a step in the right direction.
lilkunta says
@Barbara Kraft YES to everything you said! Chevy Chase Land Co was horrible and we as a community need to start trying to rectify.
Alison says
Really, what do we need Gopuff for in our neighborhood? We have the Giant and CVS next door which are open seven days a week with long hours, Was disappointed to learn that Gopuff is taking over spaces that could have gone to something else that would have further enhanced our neighborhood. Understand the landlord’s eagerness to lease that space, but still. . . .
Liliane Weinrob says
We do not. Need a store like this : what a bout a book store .. we should have give he right to decide what we WANT in our street as a vendor..
Gogpuf is really not desirable here I. Van Ness . I wish The sushi place would have reopen .. the zoning is stupidly distributed.. we should have a voice with which we want or not …