Kaliwa DC

What Kaliwa DC does

Kaliwa DC is a privately-held, family-owned full-service restaurant operating a single location at 751 Wharf Street SW in the DC Wharf waterfront development in Washington, DC. The concept, owned by Chef Cathal Armstrong and Meshelle Armstrong, serves a unified Southeast Asian menu spanning Thai, Korean, and Filipino cuisines, anchored by an open kitchen and a dramatic interior featuring a glass facade, 24-foot ceilings, and bohemian chandeliers. The restaurant is featured in the Michelin Guide, reflecting third-party validation of its culinary positioning in the mid-to-upscale casual segment.

The business generates revenue primarily through on-premise dine-in food and beverage sales across à la carte items ($16-$18 starters, $24-$45 mains), craft cocktails, wine, sake, and zero-proof beverages, supplemented by a daily happy hour (3-6 PM), a $49.99-per-adult family-style Chef's Sharing menu required for parties of 8 or more, and a personalized gift card program ($25-$100) sold through the company website. Distribution is direct-to-consumer with reservations processed through OpenTable and walk-in traffic captured from the DC Wharf activity hub. Pricing reflects mid-to-upscale casual dining with main courses spanning $24-$45 and craft cocktails from $9-$32.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer with no proprietary technology platform, no delivery infrastructure of note, and no franchise or licensing model. The customer base consists of local residents, DC Wharf tourists, and group/event diners. There is no disclosed revenue, no institutional investment, no corporate parent, and no subsidiary structure. The restaurant operates with approximately 8 employees and is positioned as a chef-driven independent rather than a scaled hospitality platform.

Name

Kaliwa DC

Website

https://kaliwadc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kaliwa DC is a family-owned, single-location full-service restaurant at DC Wharf serving Thai, Korean, and Filipino cuisine to local diners, tourists, and group events in Washington, DC. The chef-driven concept is Michelin Guide-recognized and operates without proprietary technology or external investment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Full-service restaurant

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Southeast Asian cuisine
• Full-service restaurant
• Family-style dining
• Happy hour bar
• Private event dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food & Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from selling prepared food and beverages to dine-in guests. Menu includes à la carte items across Southeast Asian cuisine categories (Thai, Korean, Filipino), craft cocktails, wine, beer, sake, and zero-proof beverages. Also includes a Chef's Sharing family-style dining option at $49.99 per adult.
2. Gift Card Sales: Sale of prepaid gift cards in denominations of $25, $50, $75, and $100. Gift cards are personalized and can be picked up in-store or shipped.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kaliwa DC is a full-service Southeast Asian restaurant at the DC Wharf waterfront in Washington, DC, serving Thai, Korean, and Filipino cuisine through an à la carte menu, a family-style Chef's Sharing menu, a daily Happy Hour bar program, and private event hosting. The restaurant also sells personalized gift cards in $25–$100 denominations through its website.

Product overview

Kaliwa DC is a Southeast Asian restaurant offering a unified dining experience. The core offering is the Main Menu featuring dishes from Thailand, Philippines, and Korea (Thai curries, Filipino adobo, Korean bulgogi). Supporting offerings include a Happy Hour Menu (weekday bar service), Chef's Sharing Menu (family-style group dining), Gift Cards, and Events/private dining. The restaurant integrates with OpenTable for reservations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Menu (À La Carte Dining) Full-service dining menu offering Southeast Asian cuisine spanning Thailand, the Philippines, and Korea — including first bites, salads, curries, fried rice, noodles, seafood, sides, craft cocktails, wine, sake, and desserts — for individual diners and small groups at the restaurant.
• Happy Hour Menu Weekday afternoon happy hour service (Monday–Friday 3–6 PM) offering discounted cocktails from $9, all bottles of beer at $6, and selected food items priced $5–$12, available on the patio and at the bar.
• Chef's Sharing Menu Family-style group dining experience at $49.99 per adult and $21.99 per child under 12, including 1 salad, 1 first bite, 2 main dishes, and 1 side per table; required for parties of 8 or more with a minimum of 2 guests.
• Gift Cards Prepaid personalized gift cards available in $25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations with custom messages, available for local pickup at the restaurant or shipped via USPS Priority Certified Mail to the recipient.
• Private Events & Event Bookings Private event hosting and event bookings at the waterfront DC Wharf venue with glass facade, 24-foot ceilings, and bohemian chandeliers, suitable for celebrations, group gatherings, and corporate events.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Haikan: Ramen and Asian street food concept in DC. Comparable as an independent Asian concept competing in DC's casual-upscale Asian dining market.
• Hanuman: Thai restaurant and bar in DC's Shaw neighborhood. Comparable as a chef-driven Southeast Asian (Thai) concept in DC targeting a similar upscale-casual diner.
• Thamee: Family-owned Southeast Asian (Burmese) restaurant in Washington DC. Directly comparable as a small, chef-driven, family-owned Asian concept competing for the same upscale-casual Southeast Asian diner in DC.
• Toki Underground: Ramen and Asian-inspired bar in DC's H Street corridor. Comparable as an independent, chef-driven Asian concept competing for similar diners in DC's casual-upscale segment.
• Little Serow: Chef-driven Northern Thai restaurant in DC. Comparable as an independent, chef-credibility-led Southeast Asian concept competing for similar diners.
• Rose's Luxury: Acclaimed chef-driven restaurant on Capitol Hill in DC. Comparable as a small, independent, award-recognized DC restaurant targeting the same high-end casual diner.
• China Chilcano: José Andrés Group's pan-Asian restaurant in DC. Comparable as a high-profile, chef-driven multi-cuisine Asian concept in DC, though backed by a larger hospitality group.
• Maketto: Cambodian and Taiwanese restaurant in DC's H Street corridor. Comparable as a chef-driven, family-influenced Southeast/East Asian concept targeting a similar upscale-casual diner.

Broad incumbents

• Starr Restaurants: Multi-concept restaurant group with DC presence. Comparable as a broader hospitality incumbent operating across multiple cuisines in DC, representing scale competition.
• ThinkFoodGroup (José Andrés): Restaurant group operating multiple upscale DC venues including Asian concepts. Comparable as an established DC incumbent with broader scale and capital base competing in the same premium dining market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaliwa-dc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kaliwa DC