Daily Provisions Makes Its D.C. Debut With All-Day Fare
Daily Provisions, the cafe chain from NYC-based Union Square Hospitality Group, is making its D.C. debut this month. The fast-casual location will open in Dupont Circle's former Foxtrot storefront on Monday, August 18, at 9 a.m. (1601 Connecticut Ave NW).
Going forward, Daily Provisions will serve straightforward, counter-service meals spanning breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. This newest outpost, the eleventh location so far, will sling a special egg and cheese breakfast sandwich that swaps out bacon for a half-smoke patty (made by MeatCrafters in Landover, Maryland) and crispy potatoes.
The newer fast-casual chain from Danny Meyer — the billionaire restaurateur behind Shake Shack and high-end NYC restaurants like Eleven Madison Park — has a simple premise. He built the first small outpost next to his beloved Union Square Cafe to fulfill what he calls 'the three Bs': beans (as in coffee), bread, and bird, referring to simple chicken dishes and where to get your eggs in the morning.
The breakfast menu is simple, but full of high quality ingredients. Daily Provisions
The crullers have developed a dedicated NYC fanbase. Daily Provisions
Living barely 50 yards from his own restaurant, Meyer struggled to find a good cappuccino and a simple rotisserie chicken for a quick dinner at home after a long day. That's when he realized that the neighborhood needed an easily accessible carry-out place with quality all-day food and drinks that wouldn't break the bank. Serendipitously, he already had the perfect space.
Union Square Cafe had recently moved locations (due to a huge rent hike), and the new space came with a second, smaller restaurant next door, which had slowly become an additional kitchen to help feed the crowds dining at the full-service restaurant. Left with what Meyer calls 'a small box' on the more residential side of Park Avenue South, he dreamed up somewhere to pick up a bacon, egg, and cheese and coffee in the morning; a sandwich or salad for lunch; and a whole rotisserie chicken with vegetable sides for dinner. While Shake Shack sells hardy burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes that evoke the nostalgia of diners, Daily Provisions would supply simple, delicious food that you could eat for every meal, every day, either at the few indoor tables or taken out.
'Shake Shack is a treat,' Meyer explains. 'Even the most ardent Shake Shack fan is probably not going to have a milkshake every day, maybe not even once a week … that level of frequency is a really important distinction.'
This was before 'the delivery revolution,' as Meyers calls it, and when the pandemic hit Daily Provisions' business exploded, while all of his other restaurants were struggling or temporarily closed. Meyer had waited four years to open his second Upper West Side location of Daily Provisions in late 2019, and went on to open multiple locations across New York City after 2020.
A half-smoke breakfast sandwich, cruller, and coffee. Daily Provisions
With seven locations in the city, this year Meyer turned to the rest of the East Coast, opening a Daily Provisions in Jersey City, Boston's Harvard Square (plus a slated Seaport expansion), and the Dupont Circle corner spot that he chose specifically because it's on 'the more residential' northern side of the circle — unlike the Shake Shack sitting in the bustling business district a few blocks south.
The food is still simple at the D.C. outpost. Breakfast includes famous crullers covered in cinnamon sugar, maple, or glaze (called the best doughnut in NYC by the Infatuation); egg and cheese sandwiches under $10 (unless you want the fillings between maple crullers); everything-seasoned croissants stuffed with cream cheese; yogurt and granola; and avocado toast. Coffee ranges from espresso to drip to cold brew, plus matcha or chai lattes.
Lunch and dinner highlights include a 'cheffy' salad with white beans, Gruyere cheese, and a jammy egg; a breaded chicken sandwich filled with melted mozzarella, roasted peppers, and Caesar dressing; and even a heavier patty melt with caramelized onions on rye bread. The half or full roasted chickens rule the menu of mains, with optional sides like Brussels sprouts with chile honey, crispy Parmesan potatoes, and a green bean and tomato salad. Classic wines are on the drinks menu, along with a beer list filled with local D.C. breweries, like Honor Brewing, Crooked Run Fermentation, and Aslin Beer Company. The only cocktail on the menu? An espresso martini, of course.
Sides range from crispy potatoes to seasonal vegetable salads. Daily Provisions
You can carry out the fluffy bread the sandwiches are served on. Daily Provisions
Simple salads filled with chicken or kale and sandwiches with tuna or chicken salad. Daily Provisions
It's not all about the food (or even the reliable coffee) for Meyer, however. He has always put incredible service at the forefront of his hospitality ventures. Whether his staff is serving a $365 tasting menu or a $7 breakfast sandwich, his employees 'have to be someone who is happier when you're making someone else feel better,' he says.
It's hard to hire for that level of hospitality, he explains. While he'd love to see more Daily Provision locations in the DMV in the future, Meyer referenced winning a tennis championship when he talked about possible expansion, saying, 'I better win the first round or I'm out … especially playing on someone else's court.'
When Daily Provisions opens on August 18, the first 100 diners in line for coffee and breakfast sandwiches will receive a free cruller.
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