AU alumnus Constantine Stavropoulos opened a new 24-hour restaurant, The Coupe, in Columbia Heights on Oct. 15. Stavropoulos, a Kogod School of Business ’87 graduate, owns Tryst Coffeehouse, a late-night diner and bar in Adams Morgan.
The Coupe spans almost an entire block and houses a bar, lounge and café under the same roof. The restaurant will serve Tryst’s coffee blends and craft cocktails along with revamped diner food such as pad thai omelets, according to its website.
“The main idea is to create a neighborhood gathering place where they can hang out and connect with other members of the community,” Stavropoulos said.
Columbia Heights was “a logical choice” to expand his business, Stavropoulos said. The neighborhood is a flourishing area in the District and receives heavy foot traffic from big box stores such as Target and Payless Shoes.
Stavropoulos opened Tryst 14 years ago in an attempt to refine D.C. coffee culture.
“My goal was to make D.C. the East Coast Seattle,” he said.
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Kendal Jones considers Tryst one of her favorite spots and has high hopes for The Coupe.
“I’ve been to Open City, The Diner and Tryst and I love them all,” she said. “They all have great food, but it’s the relaxed atmosphere that keeps me coming back.”
Rebecca Grushkin, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said she thinks Stavropoulos’ restaurants are a great place to study because of their late hours and cozy vibe.
“Tryst as a company has somehow created an environment that’s perfect for college students,” she said.
Stavropoulos said he enjoys seeing AU students hang out at his restaurants. He credits his business professors for inspiring him to eventually to launch his own company.
“I loved AU,” he said. “AU’s a great, great school.”
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