The Shaw Bijou bar. (Photo by Kevin Carroll)

After months of pre-opening hype, reservations have remained widely available at The Shaw Bijou, the pricey debut restaurant from Top Chef’s Kwame Onwuachi. As it heads into the new year, the team is making changes “with the people of D.C. in mind” by slashing the cost and number of courses, both nearly in half.

“We did a great job with our tasting menu and the people that did come in had a great time. But we were kind of limiting ourselves in the kind of people who could come,” Onwuachi tells DCist.

The original ticket cost of $185 (without tax, tip, or beverages) and some less than stellar early reviews cast a long shadow over The Shaw Bijou. Still, our reviewer found that it was a welcome addition to the city’s high end dining scene, where restaurants like Komi and Minibar have similar price tags.

The new concept, being unveiled on January 3, will now see that cost drop to $95. The number of courses will also fall from 13 to seven.

Onwuachi admits that it is a bit of a disappointment. “I didn’t get to finish what I intended to do,” he says. “But I think having an open mind and being able to bend and shift and rethink and reconceptualize is the only way to survive.”

But though shorter, the overall dining experience will remain largely the same. Guests will still start at the upstairs bar and pass through the kitchen before reaching the dining room. “This is still our home and we still have that same ideology,” Onwuachi says. “It’ll just be a lit more accessible.”

The chef says he particularly was listening to friends in the restaurant industry who love food and might have been more frequent customers (or even try it to begin with) if it was more affordable.

The restaurant also recently opened up its bar to a la carte diners, and then nixed a planned members-only club to expand the offering. Under the new plan, the upstairs will remain open to a la carte dining.

It has been popular and added a different dynamic to the restaurant, keeping the kitchen busier and bringing in more people, Onwuachi says. “We’ve listened to D.C. and we hear most want something that is more accessible.”

Here is the full statement that Onwuachi put out:

Dear DC,

When people ask me “why DC?” my immediate response is always “DC chose me.” And it did. I came to this city because of the energy. The Shaw Bijou’s vision was simply an extension of a 5-year dream of ours; and while achieving that goal, we fostered an environment and restaurant that was not reasonable for all.

So, with the spirit of the New Year, we adjusted our concept with the people of DC in mind. In order to continue to invite and welcome people into our home, The Shaw Bijou, will now only offer a 7 course-tasting menu, which includes a welcome cocktail, for $95 beginning Tuesday, January 3.

Humility creeps up on you when least expected, and the opening of this restaurant has taught us just that. This being our first restaurant, and for some a first business venture, we had a substantial amount of learning and adjusting to do. And we have, immensely.
We hope that DC continues to support us and welcome us into its home, much like we cannot wait to invite you into ours.

Sincerely,
Kwame and The Shaw Bijou Team