Swing’s Coffee Opens Elegant New Bar in Downtown DC

Swing’s Coffee at 14th and G Street in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Ron Ngiam

When Swing’s Coffee Roasters — founded by Michael Edward Swing as M.E. Swing Coffee Roasters — fired up its first batch of greens in 1916, Woodrow Wilson was finishing his first term as U.S. President mere blocks away at the White House.

Now, 17 presidents and untold thousands of roasts later, Swing’s has opened a new upscale coffee bar on Metropolitan Square in downtown DC that’s just minutes, as the bald eagle flies, from both the original “MESCo” building and the White House, at 640 14th Street NW.

Swing’s Coffee at 14th and G Street in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Ron Ngiam

The opening comes as Swing’s is fully renovating its G Street location on the other side of the White House, and it marks the third Swing’s retail location in total, in addition to the roasting headquarters and lab, which helped redefine the company’s course when it opened in 2013. Swing’s Owner Mark Warmuth said the new Metropolitan Square bar will help the company as a benchmark for the G Street bar reopening.

Swing’s Coffee at 14th and G Street in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Ron Ngiam

Coffees from the new bar will come from Swing’s three-year-old direct trade sourcing initiative called “Home Grown,” in which the company attempts to cultivate long-term relationships with individual producer partners, promoting transparency, premiums for quality, sustainable agricultural practices and healthy communities at origin.

Swing’s Coffee at 14th and G Street in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Ron Ngiam

Patrons of the new shop will see a rotating selection of single-origin pourovers produced through a Poursteady machine, as well as espresso beverages made with a customized La Marzocco GB5 and a Victoria Arduino lever machine. At least three cold coffee drinks will be on tap, including cold-brewed coffee, nitro cold brew and nitro lattes. The seasonal drink menu will mirror that of Swing’s Del Ray coffee bar, while locally made pastries will be available.

Swing’s Coffee at 14th and G Street in Washington DC. Photo courtesy of Ron Ngiam

The DC-based firm Core Architecture + Design, Inc., led the project design in keeping with Swing’s vision, building on the existing decorative aesthetic of the Beaux-Arts building that surrounds the shop. Major design elements include a 25-foot main bar with multiple countertop surfaces including white Carrera marble, stained hardwoods, and an patterned mosaic tile floor with Swing’s brand colors of black, white and cranberry red.

Swing’s Coffee Roasters 14th and G Street location is now open at 640 14th Street NW in Washington DC.