Here's a sneak preview of the interior design of Dig, opening later this month at 4733 Elm Street in downtown Bethesda. You can see a lot of seating, interior signage and menu boards are now in place. There's even an area marked for "merch." Just in time for the Bethesda opening, Dig has added crispy chicken as its first new protein option since 2018. "Guilt-free" baked crispy chicken will be available after 3:00 PM daily.
Oh darn, it looks like the 'Chipotle style' of linear food plating from open trays. Lots of problems with that open assembly line and multiple food handlers.
ReplyDeleteWorks for the military and auto assembly but only Chipotle has pulled it off successfully, but precariously.
There were multiple food borne ilnness cases a while back. I personally avoid places like this where their 'model' is serving from open food trays. I think many food handlers, particularly in our area are challenged in hand washing discipline and think wearing gloves allows them to handle money and food. When people including employees talk over the food, that too is just as nauseating.
ReplyDelete@12:14 - Paranoid? Lest you forget your trusted Burrito joint had serious health issues in the not to distant past.
ReplyDelete@12:14 - ever hear of Cava?
ReplyDelete12:14: Aren't all restaurants similar but only behind the kitchen door?
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Yeah, I’m really sick of these chipotle / subway style assembly line food joints.
ReplyDeleteThe only issue with the Chipotle style is the same issue with any food style and that is food handler training. Without proper food handling and definitely proper hand washing, any concept is doomed to fail. Now, this place, which Robert introduced to us before, looks amazing. People need to move away and far away from crap food and ultra processed fast food because, while tasty (and that's the goal cause it's addictive) it's killing people. If you can open a place that looks attractive and bright and serves really tasty food that's also healthy, this place checks all those, you've got a winner. In this area, it will resonate. Is it for everyone especially young children, probably not. But if this is anything like Flower Child, which is incredible, count me in.
ReplyDeleteJAC - it is more fast casual like CAVA than a sit down place like Flower Child.
ReplyDeleteIf the lunch business crowd is there for DIG it could last, otherwise it is doomed.
12:27 - Sure. I was mainly mentioning Flower Child in terms of quality and healthy options. I think that Dig location has failed maybe three times at least if I recall where they are going to be. A site that has had multiple failures is never good. It's no reflection on the newest tenant of course. But the public often writes off the site itself no matter who opens there next. I hope that's not the case. I also agree that the lunch crowd has to be there for success for many places who have a concept like this one. Thanks Covid lockdown. Commercial real estate got crushed. It'll be years until office buildings are full once again.
ReplyDelete@12:27 - You're welcome! You are still alive to annoy us due to that lockdown.
ReplyDeleteWhat a name, DIG. It would have been more appealing to have named it, "DIG IN".
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