New Restaurant By The People Behind Zinnia and Republic To Open This Spring

● Motorkat’s bar program will feature extraordinarily balanced cocktails with irreverent
names and a unique local rotating draft beer program
● Motorkat’s culture will emulate historic Takoma Park’s progressive, activist roots

Restaurateur Chris Brown (Zinnia, Soko & Takoma Bev Co) and Executive Chef Danny Wells (Republic, Zinnia and Takoma Bev Co.) team up to launch a new restaurant with a bold name, Motorkat. Motorkat will be located in the heart of Takoma Park in the space formerly home to Republic restaurant (6939 Laurel Ave). The Motorkat concept is inspired by Takoma Park’s activist roots and the menu will revolve around a high quality sourced raw bar and a seasonally-led wood-fired culinary experience. Its bar program will feature extraordinarily balanced cocktails with irreverent names and a unique local rotating draft beer program. The restaurant is aiming for a spring 2023 soft opening (photos below).

“The city is well known for its affinity to symbolize animal inspired heroes like city mascot Roscoe the Rooster, but Motorkat was first,” said Danny Wells, Co-owner, Executive Chef and Takoma Park native. “Motorkat is a legend, who cruised the streets of Takoma Park on a motorcycle, inspiring the community around her to live fast. We centered our concept around this symbolism and the progressive roots of Takoma Park.”

Motorkat will begin service with a wide selection of appetizing raw bar choices like the chilled Gulf Shrimp with citrus and avocado in addition to a variety of Chesapeake Bay, New England and Pacific oysters on the half-shell. The menu will then span into a variety of small plates ranging from specialty breads like Sourdough Toast topped with lemon ricotta, roasted beets, grapefruit and honey roasted almonds, to delightful vegetable and grain preparations such as Sunchokes with crispy guanciale and buttermilk-miso ranch, to wood grilled elegance like tiger prawns, fatty tuna skewers and citrus brined cabbage steaks. Guests will then round off the experience with lavish desserts, like the Calico Creme Brulée.

“We wanted to do something different than your typical New York-San Francisco inspired restaurant trend,” said Chris Brown, Owner, “so we looked closer to home for inspiration and found it in the legends around us. We could create a ‘Takoma Park inspired’ concept that would challenge, entice and excite the status quo.”

Bio: Restaurateur Chris Brown is owner of Takoma Bev Co, Soko and Silver Spring-based Zinnia. Danny Wells is the former co-owner of Republic and the Executive Chef of Zinnia