Washington, DC Grocery Market

DC Grocery Market

Grocery stores are in high demand in Washington, DC due to an increasing population and a focus on investments that provide fresh food options in the city. DC’s mixed-use neighborhoods offer access to both evening and daytime populations looking for convenient access to groceries and prepared meals. In addition, the city’s highly educated and diverse population provides significant demand for an extensive range of products and cuisines. Twenty new grocery stores have opened in DC in the past five years including recent openings by Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Lidl.

Grocery Store Map

​Potential Grocery Sites

Incentives & Resources​*

Below are some of the major grocery incentives and resources DC offers. For a full list of potential incentives please visit  https://www.obviouslydc.com/ 

SUPERMARKET TAX INCENTIVES: Through the Supermarket Tax Exemption Act of 2000, the District waives certain taxes and fees to eligible grocery stores that locate in specific neighborhoods. The incentive encourages development and investment in areas lacking access to groceries and fresh food. Qualifying supermarkets may be eligible to receive one or more of the following benefits for up to 10 years after development or renovation:

  • Real property tax exemption
  • Business license fee exemption
  • Personal property tax exemption
  • Sales and use tax exemption on building materials necessary for construction

ON THE JOB TRAINING: OJT is a workforce development strategy where employers of all sizes have an opportunity to train, mentor and hire candidates as they become fully proficient in a particular skillset or job function. Pre-screened and job-ready candidates are matched with employers willing to provide skills-based, on-the-job training. The Department of Employment Services (DOES) will provide wage reimbursement from 50 to 75% of the candidate’s salary from one to six months (in some cases up to one year) for qualifying District of Columbia residents and employers.

DC GREEN BANK: DC Green Bank focuses its investments on solar energy, greener and more efficient buildings, infrastructure resilience, and transportation electrification. Programs such as DC PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) and CLEER (Commercial Loan For Energy Efficiency And Renewables) can provide financing to commercial tenants or owners of existing buildings in DC for upgrades that reduce energy and resource consumption and for distributed renewable energy solutions.

NEIGHBORHOOD PROSPERITY FUND: NPF incentivizes community development, economic growth, and job creation by providing financing for eligible projects that attract private investment to distressed communities. Grant funds can support architectural and engineering costs, construction costs, tenant improvements, historical preservation building improvements to maintain compliance with applicable laws, development analysis, rent abatement and/or tenant concessions for up to three years to stabilize market rent.

Grocery Store 25 Percent Class A License: Licensees that operate a newly constructed grocery store for at least one (1) year in a Ward 5 “qualifying zone”, in the Ward 6 Buzzard Point neighborhood, or in Wards 7 or 8 become eligible to apply to open a store of the same type elsewhere in DC.

 *subject to the availability of funds 

Contact​

The Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership is a 501(c)(3) organization that connects public and private sectors, neighborhoods, and communities to local, national and international audience to advance sustainable, equitable and inclusive economic development.​

Chad Shuskey COO, WDCEP  cshuskey@wdcep.com  (202) 661-8674