K2 cafe, a go-to spot in Poolesville, is expanding to a second location located at 23335 Frederick Road in Clarksburg Market.

The restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and culturally infused comfort food. K2 was originally founded in 2021 by Nichole Hodges-Abbasi and her husband, Ashar Abbasi, and has grown from a small town favorite into something much more. The couple has stated that this expansion is their next big step as business owners. 

K2 Cafe serves wraps, bowls, sandwiches, and baked goods, blending an American cafe experience with Himalayan flair. Abbasi, who is from Pakistan, and Hodges-Abbasi, who is from upstate New York, intentionally draw on their different cultural backgrounds to create a diverse menu that honors both cultures while also giving it a homey feel.

The decision to expand was driven by a desire to share K2’s recipes with more people. Clarksburg felt like the right next step for the couple, as they are already familiar with the area. With its growing community and larger customer base, the location allows K2 to maintain its small business identity while reaching beyond the limits of a small town. 

“We are very proud of our creative recipes, and I think Poolesville is a great town, but it’s a little bit small,” Abbasi said. “We thought we could offer our recipes to a bigger crowd, and I think we should expand that with the motivation that we can serve more people, and more people should be able to taste our homemade recipes.”

However, it isn’t just the food that draws people in. From the moment customers walk in, the cafe aims to feel down-to-earth and comfortable, with thoughtful decor, warm colors, and art that makes the space feel lived-in. The couple says they are going to keep it consistent in the new location. 

“It’s not black and brown, like all the new places that you go into,” Abbasi said. “It’s like the colors you find in your home, the colors you find in your bedroom, the colors you like to paint your walls within your kitchen. So those are some key things that we pick on to provide and create a down-home feel.”

Customer service is at the core of that experience.  The owners believe that approach will help them earn the trust of Clarksburg residents just as they did in Poolesville.

“Everything evolves around our customer service,” Abbasi said. “We are trying to bring the same kind of atmosphere and same kind of attitude, same type of positivity, same type of body language, same type of chemistry to the new location as well.”

The two owners hope to continue their focus and maintain the same menu at their Clarksburg location. The Clarksburg community was chosen because of its importance to the owners, and it is home to Hallie Wells Middle School, the school where Nichole teaches.

Following the Jan. 15 opening, students and members of the Poolesville community have expressed their excitement and contentment with the news. Students Shalini Pandey and Shaan Altaweel have been loyal returning customers for multiple years and express their excitement about the news. 

“I eat there about 2 times a week,” Altaweel stated. “The new Clarksburg location is a great idea. I can end my shopping sprees in Clarksburg with some mouthwatering k2 cafe.”

“I think it’s really cool that they’re opening a new location, I’m very happy for them,” Pandey said. “It’s even cooler that it’s going to be in Clarksburg, which is a lot closer to where I live.”

A large population of the PHS community lives outside of the town, a lot of which is in the Clarksburg area. This location provides another option for loyal customers to get the unique cafe experience, home to K2.

“My only complaint is that they don’t yet have one in Gaithersburg!” Altaweel expressed.