The parent company of the Greene Turtle franchise is looking to launch a sports betting facility in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington D.C. The popular restaurant chain has reportedly signed an agreement for the former Rí Rá Irish Pub space to bring the brand into the District. As reported by the Washington Business Journal (WBJ), the company is still considering a name for the location to be included in the business’s expanding portfolio of betting operations. Whatever name is chosen will reportedly not include the Turtle brand.

Remodelling Ri Ra Irish Pub Into a Sportsbook:

As reported by WBJ, the Georgetown sportsbook will be added to the company’s two other Greene Turtle operations in Maryland, located in Baltimore and Towson. Geo Concepcion, president and CEO of the Greene Turtle reportedly commented: “We would like to make that a sportsbook with an F&B component. It won’t be Greene Turtle, but we’re looking to put a sports book there, and have a sports-themed concept there, and that will be launched later in the year.”

According to the source, the former Ri Ra Irish Pub space has undergone renovation work that retained the property’s original architecture and design. In-person betting windows and kiosks will be added once the company receives the Class B sports betting license from the city. As reported, Concepcion hopes to share more information on the development in a few weeks.

Weighing Relocation Options for Greene Turtle:

The launch of the spots book in Georgetown reportedly comes as the Greene Turtle is weighing moving options for several facilities, such as  Chinatown, that relocated the Greene Turtles restaurant to make way for a sportsbook. Also, the brand’s plans include relocations of some catering facilities from Washington to Northern Virginia, according to WBJ. The same source reports that the CEO said that the company may have various options in searching for space for the Greene Turtle brand, but these locations will reportedly ensure the brand’s presence in the vicinity of sports teams.

Grand Central Sportsbook & Cafe’s Opening:

In addition to the coming sportsbook in Georgetown, a new sports wagering facility opened in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2024, to expand the sports betting offerings in the US capital just ahead of the annual NCAA college basketball March Madness tournament, which is scheduled to run from March 17 to April 8. Having secured final approvals from the Department of Small and Local Business Development, the Grand Central Sportsbook & Cafe launched its operations in D.C. to be included in the regional expansion.

As reported by WBJ, the new venue represents the second D.C. betting facility for owner Brian Vasile,  who also owns and operates Grand Central Restaurant, Bar & Sportsbook in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, has now opened the sportsbook and cafe to stand for the first new launch in the District since December 2022.  According to the source, D.C. now has six sports wagering facilities. At the same time, Live! Hospitality & Entertainment and the company behind The Greene Turtle are looking to launch betting operations in the District as they hope to complement the local offerings at the earliest opportunity.