Some restaurateurs claim one of the hardest parts of opening up a restaurant is figuring out what to call it. And lately, they’ve been coming up with some pretty strange-sounding ideas. We took a look at how six new or soon-to-open eateries got their names.

Hogo
1017 7th St. NW
The new rum bar from The Passenger co-owner Tom Brown gets its name from the Caribbean term for haut goût, a French phrase that describes the funky quality of aged rum.

Daikaya
705 6th St. NW
The name roughly translates to “house of the large cooking pot” in Japanese and has the connotation of being homey. Coincidentally, it’s also the combination of the beginings of the three owners’ first names: Daisuke Utagawa, Katsya Fukshima, and Yama Jewayni.

Beuchert’s Saloon
623 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
The owners of this new farm-focused restaurant wanted to pay homage to the original Beuchert’s Saloon, which occupied its Eastern Market building as many as 130 years ago. Commercial land baron John J. Beuchert, who owned a number of D.C. businesses and eateries, opened Beuchert’s Saloon in the late 1800s. During Prohibition, his son, Theodore I. Beuchert, continued operating it as a speakeasy.

Rose’s Luxury (coming soon)
717 8th St. SE
Rose is chef and owner Aaron Silverman’s grandmother, who once ran a bakery in Pittsburgh. The word “luxury” is not meant to connote white tablecloths or fine china, but the way customers are treated.

Doi Moi (coming soon)
1800 14th St. NW
The Vietnamese name of this Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant literally translates to “new change,” denoting renovation, renewal, or reconstruction. The phrase also describes a series of open door economic and social policies that Vietnam introduced in 1986. Owner Mark Kuller chose the name for the restaurant because it embodies the renewal of the 14th Street corridor, the open door nature of great hospitality, and his personal change from corporate tax attorney to restaurateur.

Ghibellina (coming soon)
1610 14th St. NW
The name is derived from a street in Florence, Italy, called Via Ghibellina, where co-owners and childhood friends Ari Gejdenson and Ralph Lee once lived. The duo also owns Acqua Al 2 and Harold Black.

Rose’s Luxury photo courtesy Dustin Harrison-Atlas. Beuchert’s Saloon photo via Beuchert’s Saloon. Daikaya photo by Darrow Montgomery. Other photos by Jessica Sidman.