One in three businesses will fail in the first year, according to a new

鈥淪tarting a new business is tough anywhere, but in D.C. right now, it’s as tough as it is anywhere in the country,鈥� said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at Lending Tree.

鈥淲e looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and found the D.C. has the highest first-year business failure rate in the whole country, with about a third of new businesses closing within a year. So that is a daunting sign for aspiring entrepreneurs in the nation’s capital,” he added.

Schulz said several factors are likely complicating the business landscape for D.C. entrepreneurs.

鈥淚 know that D.C. is an expensive place to live,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s a transitory place. A lot of people are coming in and out of there. It’s a competitive place. It’s a political place. So you can see where it could potentially be a challenging place to get a business started.”

Schulz said the 33% failure rate is “troubling,” compared to the 20% often found around the country.

The Lending Tree survey also looked at failure rates after five and 10 years, and the picture remained ugly for D.C., with 57% of entrepreneurs failing after five years and 72% failing after a decade.

First-year businesses fared only slightly better for D.C.鈥檚 neighbors. Maryland ranked 11th in this survey and Virginia 15th.

So, what should new business owners around the region do?

No matter where you start a business, Schulz recommends they follow these tips:

• Make sure you know what problem you鈥檙e trying to solve for people
• Target a specific audience
• Be extremely intentional about your spending

鈥淭he last thing you want to do is go in without a good idea of what makes your business different,鈥� he said.

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The soft drink giant is producing mini-cans for each state 鈥� plus Puerto Rico and D.C. 鈥� and the cans feature something unique about that state.

In artwork shared with 91欧美激情, the cans show off notable icons.

Virginia鈥檚 can embraces the famous “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan. Maryland鈥檚 can features the state鈥檚 famous crustacean. And D.C.鈥檚 can promotes one of the District鈥檚 most notable landmarks, the Washington Monument.

Coke also plans special commemorative packaging for Vitaminwater, Smartwater, BodyArmor and Gold Peak 鈥� and custom bottles are in the works.

A Coke spokesperson told 91欧美激情 the collectible mini-cans will start appearing in major retailers this month, including Walmart and Target.

Duane Stanford, editor and publisher at Beverage Digest, thinks this will boost sales for Coke.

“They do a lot of consumer research,” he said. “And they really understand these kinds of promotions and programs well. So you can bet, if they’re going to spend the time and effort to pull together a program like this, they do expect it to lift sales.”

For Coke, he said this is an opportunity to connect with consumers at an important time in American history.

“The states have their mottos and slogans,” he said. “It’s just a way to kind of create a real close connection to consumers in a specific location. They’ve been doing this with sporting teams for decades now, printing cans, for instance, with NBA teams or NFL teams in a local area.”

And Stanford likes the Washington Monument on the can for D.C. He thinks the cans could prove popular with tourists this summer, becoming collectors items.

“And it’s a way,” he said, “to kind of connect to consumers in a specific geography with something very direct, something that can hold in their hands, something they can see.”鈥�

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PopUp Bagels 鈥� known for its hot bagels and videos from fans on social media 鈥� is opening its first location in the nation鈥檚 capital.

The Connecticut-based chain is planning to open on Friday, April 10, at 1078 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the heart of Georgetown.

Store owner Brian Harrington told 91欧美激情 he considers Georgetown a prime spot with so many students from Georgetown University and the George Washington University nearby.

鈥淥ur clientele skews a little bit younger than a typical bagel shop,鈥� Harrington said. 鈥淎nd just walk down Wisconsin or M (Street) and it’s just rife with the folks that patronize PopUp Bagels, and we think it’s perfect location for what we’re doing.鈥�

PopUp Bagels doesn’t slice the bagels or make sandwiches.

鈥淲e are strictly about bagels and schmears,鈥� Harrington said. 鈥淎nd we’ve created this grip, rip and dip method, where the hot bagels come out of the oven. They go right in the bag. … The schmears are served on the side, and you rip that hot, steamy bagel open, dip it right in the schmear and enjoy it.鈥�

PopUp fans often take another step: posting videos of the process on TikTok or Instagram.

Harrington plans to have a second floor at his Georgetown location 鈥� a first for the chain, which has more than 20 locations from Maine to California. He hopes customers will stay for a bit, relax and enjoy some of their bagels, fresh out the oven.

PopUp Bagels is looking at other locations around the D.C. region, with the next store opening soon in Bethesda.

The chain joins a crowded field in the nation鈥檚 capital 鈥� led by Call Your Mother, Bethesda Bagels and Einstein Bros. Bagels. But Harrington is unfazed by all the competition.

鈥淭hose operators are well-established and great operators,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we’re not here to say we’re going to be the king of the town. We’re just going to do what we do.”

“We think that our loyal followers will come and find us, and we think there’s room for us in the market,” he said.

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is putting its flagship steakhouse in two prime locations over the next year.

The Ruxton is taking over the former Charlie Palmer Steak location on Capitol Hill. Atlas plans to spend more than $10 million on renovations at 101 Constitution Ave. NW.

The location will seat 250 guests and have several private dining rooms.

Alex Smith, president and CEO of Atlas Restaurant Group, told 91欧美激情 he chose that location because Charlie Palmer Steak had an 鈥渋ncredible run鈥� there for almost two decades.

鈥淚t’s right next to Capitol Hill,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚t’s a fantastic location 鈥� 101 Constitution is one of the most high-end office towers in the entire city of D.C., if not the most high-end.鈥�

Smith would like to open the Capitol Hill location by the spring of 2027, just in time for the NFL Draft coming to town.

Between Maryland and Delaware, Atlas will have 40 restaurants open and operating in the region this year.

鈥淚 look at it as the commitment to the region鈥� Smith said. 鈥淪o, we look at this as a regional play. We’re a regional brand, and D.C. is just the next logical step for us.鈥�

Smith also said he looks forward to serving the movers and shakers in the nation鈥檚 capital.

鈥淵ou look at the business that’s being conducted there. You look at the local population that lives in and around the city, including Northern Virginia. And you have an affluent crowd and a large crowd of people that love to dine out. They love to go to restaurants,鈥� he added.

Smith is also putting The Ruxton at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. That location is expected to open later this year, likely in November.

All told, Smith said the Atlas Restaurant Group plans to employ between 150 and 200 people between the two steakhouse locations.

鈥淲e believe in the nation’s capital, and I think it’s an area that will continue to grow,” he said.

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Inspired by legendary celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, the co-founder of is looking to expand his wood-fired pizza restaurants across the Southeast.

Brady started selling pizza back in 2014 out of his 1967 Chevy truck, serving residents in the District of Columbia.

Now, he鈥檚 looking to open locations in Alexandria and Richmond in the coming months, adding to the chain’s nine restaurants and five mobile trucks.

In the last year, Brady opened locations in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.

鈥淭he Triangle is a special place for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y mom is a Chapel Hill grad.鈥�

He also likes South Carolina: 鈥淐harleston is one of the prettiest and best food cities that we have in the United States, and resembles a lot of Annapolis, my hometown.”

Those cities, Brady said, are 鈥渘atural fits鈥� for the Timber Pizza brand as he looks to franchise.

鈥淲e’re really happy about very carefully selecting the right people in the right places as we expand now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the next two years, we’re very focused on great people and great places, but with those being very calculated in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast.鈥�

Ideally, Brady said he wants to be within a three-hour drive or flight of his new locations over the next two years.

鈥淥ver the next five (years), we’ll certainly be looking to head a little bit west and the further south into Florida. But right now, Virginia, the Carolinas and other amazing markets here in the DMV are all within our crosshairs,” he said.

At a time when other players like Papa John鈥檚 are talking about closing locations, Brady remains focused on his brand of pizza.

鈥淲e see ourselves in a different light,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think our guests do as well. So for us, remaining committed to the communities that we expand in, committed to utilizing very high-quality ingredients and serving a premium product sets us apart and puts us in a very resilient category of the pizza space going forward.鈥�

And just how many locations does Brady see opening the rest of this decade?

鈥淐ertainly 50 to 60 locations over the next five years is right in that sweet spot of where we’re hoping to go,鈥� he said.

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That’s according to Corey Burr, senior vice president of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. 鈥淲e鈥檙e coming out of a very cold winter where a lot of the activity was muted in January and February,鈥� Burr said in an interview with 91欧美激情.

He said the region is likely to see 鈥渁 lot of pent-up demand鈥� from buyers and sellers who held off listing homes until warmer weather arrived.

Historically, the spring market 鈥� especially the next four months 鈥� is the most active period for home sales in the D.C. area, Burr said.

Mortgage rates dropping to the 6% range from around 7% last year could also boost activity, he added.

鈥淲ith interest rates down 鈥� there鈥檚 going to be more buyer demand,鈥� he said.

At the same time, buyers now have more choices than they did during the pandemic housing boom. Burr said there are roughly 20% more homes on the market compared to last year, and properties are staying listed longer.

鈥淭he days on the market is the highest in five years,鈥� he said.

Still, Burr stopped short of calling the current environment a buyer鈥檚 market.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 call it a buyer鈥檚 market, but I would say it鈥檚 a more neutral market,鈥� he said. He added that homes often see strong competition during the first week or two after they are listed, but after that, buyers tend to feel they have more leverage.

Economic factors and the Fed

Broader economic issues 鈥� including energy prices and global conflicts 鈥� can influence the housing market by affecting consumer confidence, Burr said.

鈥淏uying real estate is financial and psychological,鈥� he said, adding that rising gas prices tied to geopolitical tensions can shake buyers鈥� confidence.

Still, he said, interest rates remain the most important financial factor for housing.

Burr credited the Federal Reserve鈥檚 efforts to slow inflation with helping bring mortgage rates down.

鈥淭he Fed accomplished what they wanted to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey slowed down the economy. They slowed down residential real estate.鈥�

Looking ahead, Burr said he would like the Fed to revisit how housing costs are measured in the Consumer Price Index, arguing that the current method keeps reported inflation higher than it should be.

Sales showing signs of improvement

Recent national housing data also points to modest improvement.

According to the , existing home sales rose 1.7% in February, with single-family home sales increasing 2.5%. Condo and co-op sales fell more than 5%.

Burr said those numbers reflect buyers reacting to slightly lower borrowing costs and more stable home prices.

鈥淧rices are more stagnant than they鈥檝e been at any point in the last five years,鈥� he said, adding that some buyers now see an opportunity that didn鈥檛 exist during the pandemic-era market surge.

For homeowners considering selling this spring, Burr said timing is critical.

鈥淭his is the time of year where they鈥檙e most likely to have success selling the property,鈥� he said.

Buyers, meanwhile, should make sure their financing is ready before they start house hunting.

鈥淕et your ducks in a row,鈥� Burr said. 鈥淟ine up your financing and go look at properties.鈥�

91欧美激情鈥檚 Diane Morris contributed to this report.

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A buy-one, get-one free offer across the burger chain with some customers reporting the deal had them waiting in line for nearly up to an hour.

Now, the Alexandria, Virginia-based burger chain is trying again, and rolling out another buy-one burger, get-one free offer.

In an interview with 91欧美激情, CEO Jerry Murrell acknowledged the chain failed to meet demand for its initial birthday celebration.

鈥淲e screwed the first one up so bad, we’re trying to redo it,” Murrell said. 鈥淲e got overwhelmed last week when we tried it. So we’re going to try to get it right this time.鈥�

This latest BOGO deal runs from Monday to Thursday.

Five Guys also plans to reward its workers who were on the front lines Feb. 17, the date of its initial BOGO offer to celebrate the chain’s 40th anniversary. The offer sparked more demand than expected, leading to stores running out of stock and long customer wait times.

鈥淥ur employees took the brunt of the thing,鈥� Murrell said. 鈥淎nd so we’re going to give them a million and a half bucks in bonuses.鈥�

Five Guys currently has 1,500 stores across North America; so that works out to $1,000 in bonuses per store.

Overall, Murrell said his employees took the BOGO bungle in stride.

鈥淭hey’re pretty good about it, but we felt bad how we really overburdened them. We had no idea we were going to get that kind of response. And they came through pretty good, I think. That’s why we’re giving them that bonus money,鈥� he said.

And what message did he relay to his employees?

鈥淒on鈥檛 shoot me in the back for screwing this up,鈥� he said.

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In its State of the Industry report for 2026, the main trade group for the nation鈥檚 restaurants and eateries is projecting sales will only grow moderately this year, rising 1.3%.

鈥淚t’s been a pretty challenging year for restaurants,鈥� said Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Restaurant Association. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen costs rise pretty significantly for food, for labor costs, just a whole host of costs across the board.鈥�

According to the report, 42% of restaurants surveyed nationwide said they were not profitable last year.

鈥淗ere in the D.C. area, obviously, we’ve had a lot of uncertainty with DOGE and government shutdowns and a lot of other kind of headwinds that have really hit the sector hard,鈥� Moutray said.

Consumers are also thinking twice about eating out, as they face higher prices.

鈥淎t the same time, affordability is a big issue right now, and you have a situation where a lot of consumers are pushing back against price increases and really struggling to make ends meet,鈥� Moutray said.

He said Americans are searching for comfort foods right now, like smashed burgers and protein.

鈥淚 think in times of uncertainty, people gravitate to soups and stews and burgers and meatloaf. I know I love those things,鈥� Moutray said.

And with the popularity of weight loss drugs, he said Americans are seeking out healthier food options and cleaner recipes, and restaurants are learning to adapt.

鈥淚 think you are certainly seeing some restaurants that are leaning into protein, maybe leaning into smaller portion sizes, or appetizers and things along those lines,鈥� Moutray said.

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鈥淲ashington, D.C. is a buyer’s market,鈥� Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, said. 鈥淭here are 22% more homes for sale than there are buyers interested in buying those homes.鈥�

If this sounds like a major change, she pointed out D.C. is entering a new era.

鈥淚t’s the first buyer’s market since the Great Recession, since 2013-ish,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e really don’t have any recent examples of it being a buyer’s market. We鈥檝e just been in seller’s territory ever since the economy recovered, and then it was an extreme seller’s market during the pandemic. And what we’re experiencing now is pretty new.鈥�

She said this is the most negotiating power buyers have had since the Great Recession. So how should buyers take advantage of this change in the D.C. market?

鈥淭he first thing to do is to understand your budget,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can talk to a lender, figure out how much you can get approved for, but also look at your own personal budget and figure out how much you feel comfortable spending.鈥�

Fairweather said to keep that budget in mind when shopping for homes.

鈥淭hen look at the homes that are available for sale, or homes that have sold recently, and how much they’ve sold for,” she said. “And see if your budget gets you what you want in the housing market.”

“If you clear those hurdles where there are homes available that fit your budget,” she continued, “then from that point on, it should be pretty smooth sailing.鈥�

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鈥淭he change that stands out the most to me is that D.C. is a market where housing has gotten more affordable,鈥� Zillow’s chief economist, Mischa Fisher, said.

鈥淩ight now, if you look in the D.C. metro, we have home values having come down ever so slightly year-over-year, about 0.4%. And that combination of slightly lower home values, plus slightly higher incomes, is really helping the affordability situation,” he said.

Fisher said the D.C. market is also benefiting from some major factors.

鈥淒.C. has a very educated workforce, and it’s home to several of the top income ZIP codes in the country,鈥� Fisher said. 鈥淭hat combination of high education and high-paying jobs has helped make housing more affordable.鈥�

He said the greater Washington region has also managed to accommodate the demand for new homes.

鈥淚 think most people who drive around or take the train see those pockets where we built new housing supply, whether that’s new single-family homes, new townhomes or new higher rise multifamily homes 鈥� and all of those things have also helped keep a lid on some of the growth in costs,鈥� Fisher said.

Fisher said Richmond, Buffalo and Hartford are hot markets right now, but he called Washington “balanced.”

鈥淚 would not characterize it as a market that’s going to be completely back to normal,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it’s not on our list of hot markets where we expect major supply demand imbalances.鈥�

鈥淚 would characterize it as 65 and sunny,鈥� he added.

Our business reporter John Wordock wants to hear from you about housing affordability in the DMV. Are you seeing improvement? Are things getting better? Or not? Send your stories to John.Wordock@91欧美激情.com.

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McDonald鈥檚 is rolling out the Shamrock Shake at its restaurant locations for a limited time.

鈥淭he Shamrock Shake has a lot going for it,鈥� John Lord, a longtime food marketing expert, said. 鈥淔irst of all, it鈥檚 a specialty item, available only very narrowly during the year for a few weeks. That makes it sought after because people cannot get it all the time.鈥�

The Shamrock Shake was born in Connecticut in 1967, when a local restaurant owner wanted to celebrate St. Patrick鈥檚 Day, . The shake then moved to more locations in 1970, becoming a real hit in some cities.

McDonald鈥檚 says the shake became a true national product in 2012.

鈥淭he fact it is still the subject of annual promotions, and the fact they keep coming back to it, means it has good sales and produces revenue profits,” Lord said. “It certainly is one of the best things they鈥檝e ever done, and among seasonal items, or items that are available only periodically like the McRib, it鈥檚 extremely successful.鈥�

The Shamrock Shake is made from vanilla ice cream, Shamrock syrup and whipped cream 鈥� so the shake carries a high calorie count. The large version is 800 calories. The medium is 540 calories. And the small clocks in at 500 calories.

Still, if there were a fast-food hall of fame, Lord thinks the Shamrock Shake would get in.

鈥淚f longevity is one measure of fame, then I certainly think it would get a lot of votes,鈥� he said.

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Experts are looking for clues that mortgage rates under 7% are stoking activity in the housing market. Look for headlines on housing starts and building permits on Wednesday. Then expect news Thursday on pending home sales.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to be looking for the confirmation about what the lower rates are doing to overall new permits and new starts, as builders start to anticipate demand and what happens with buyer demand,鈥� Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow, said.

On the earnings front, Reston, Virginia-based Leidos reports before the market opens on Tuesday, and DoorDash, eBay, Carvana and Garmin will follow on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Walmart will open its books before the opening bell on Wall Street. Consumers are searching for lower prices, and Walmart shares have surged more than 20% this year. The mega-retailer recently entered the trillion-dollar club, joining Nvidia, Amazon and Microsoft.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e stressed, you may downgrade your shopping to less expensive places like Walmart,鈥� Jim Angel, finance professor at Georgetown University, said. 鈥淏ut if you have no money at all and can鈥檛 even afford Walmart because you cannot afford your car payment or mortgage payment, then even Walmart is going to suffer.鈥�

On Friday, the government releases the latest data on economic growth. Economists expect the gross domestic product in at 4.4% for the fourth quarter.

Also, on Friday, you will find out what’s in your wallet. The week wraps with headlines on consumer sentiment, personal income and spending. And new home sales will close out a busy week for housing news.

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