Genika Café, a specialty coffee house and evening tavern, opened Aug. 26 in a Shaw building that sat vacant for more than 20 years.

Owner Gennet Tebebu held a ribbon-cutting at 1400 Ninth St. NW, on the northwest corner of Ninth and O streets, according to MidCity DC News. Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto and other Shaw community members joined her for the ceremony.

During the day, the cafe serves drip, pour-over, French press and espresso drinks, along with pastries and sandwiches. Roasted beans are available to take home. At night, the menu shifts to beer, wine and cocktails.

The name "Genika" comes from a single-origin Arabica coffee variety grown in Ethiopia.

The building at 1400 Ninth St. NW previously housed a Chinese takeout restaurant before falling into disrepair. MidCity DC News described it as formerly "one of Shaw's worst blights," reporting that the property languished because a previous owner held unreasonable price expectations for a sale.

A Shaw-based firm, United Investments, eventually purchased the property. The company renovated and expanded the structure while preserving its historic facade. The finished building now includes seven residential units above the ground-floor cafe.

Pinto marked the opening on her official Instagram account, writing that the District's small business owners create jobs and vibrant spaces for the community. She welcomed Genika Café to Ward 2.

The cafe had a soft opening Aug. 10, PoPville reported, before the formal ribbon-cutting more than two weeks later.

Genika Café joins a stretch of Ninth Street that has drawn recent recognition. Maxwell Park, at 1336 Ninth St. NW, earned a Best of Award of Excellence on Wine Spectator's 2026 restaurant awards list. Unconventional Diner, at 1207 Ninth St. NW, won Washingtonian magazine's Best Chocolate Cake honor in its latest Best of Washington issue.