For most of the summer, Washingtonians have been excited about the opening of Sweetgreen’s former first storefront that was repurposed to be a market dedicated to local foods. The Tavern opened September 25 and is a full-time indoor farmers market — a foodies ultimate dream.
The Tavern was the original the first location of Sweetgreen eleven years ago. Since then, the brand has grown, and the company moved its Georgetown storefront from M Street to Wisconsin Avenue.
Almost a month after the Tavern grand opening, the buzz is still fresh and community members cannot get enough of the local produce.
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Sweetgreen is a health-conscious salad chain started by three Georgetown University students.
The salad chain began the revelation of healthy “fast-food” options around the D.C. metropolitan area. The company’s first location was a green-roofed, 500-square-foot cottage on M street in the heart of Georgetown.
When given the opportunity to re-purpose the original and iconic Sweetgreen storefront, the founders did not hesitate to move forward on the exciting project.
Co-founder Nicolas Jammet said in a Washingtonian article that the Market is “a platform to celebrate the region.”
The produce and goods carried in shop come from local suppliers that Sweetgreen has worked with for years and have developed relationships with.
“We’ve made amazing relationships with farmers and growers and wanted to use the Tavern to celebrate their products,” Jammet said in the article. “Our success as a business is really due to their success.”
Regular Georgetown goers will recognize familiar and sought after products at the Tavern. Products from South Block, Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Firefly Farms, Blue Ridge Bucha, A Baked Joint, District Juicery, Chef Spike Gjerde’s Woodberry Kitchen are stocked on rustic and farm-like shelves.
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“I’m excited to have a farmer’s market all year long,” said Olivia O’Kane, senior broadcast journalism major. “The Tavern has some of my favorite local items. It’s like a one-stop shop.”
The coveted Sweetflow frozen yogurt is back. But this is Sweetgreen 2.0. The new recipe was created with the help of local business Dolcezza Gelato for a creamier finish to the same sweet-tart taste your taste buds remember. At the in-store counter, customers can choose from a small or large portion as well as toppings like the Hippie Crack granola from Baked & Wired and a chocolate tahini spread from Soom.
“The Sweetflow was my favorite,” said Kevin Bergmann, a senior finance major. “I’m glad it’s back!”
Besides local foods, customers can pick up floral arrangements from Common Market, cookbooks from José Andres and Nora Pouillon, and Sweetgreen swag.
Even though customized salads cannot be ordered at the market, you can order one online or via the Sweetgreen App. It will be delivered to the Tavern for pickup from their Wisconsin Avenue storefront.
The journey of Sweetgreen is important to its founders. The company was largely shaped by the community and local food purveyors who believed in the idea of three college students.
As a nod to this journey, a plaque on the wall tells the story of how Sweetgreen got started and the company’s first logo is displayed. This is a true trademark of how far the owners and company have come since the invention of Sweetgreen.