Photo courtesy of Broccoli Bar.
Something new is sprouting in Shaw, just outside the north entrance of the Metro station. Broccoli Bar is the brainchild of fast-casual favorite &pizza and events company Broccoli City, which is known both for its buzzy annual music festival and for supporting social enterprise projects.
So what exactly should we expect from a pizza and cocktail joint with “broccoli” in the name? Here are five things to know ahead of the Oct. 26 opening (note: it was originally scheduled to open on the 24th).
1. Yep, they will indeed serve up a broccoli pizza
&pizza is no stranger to collaborative menu items, having teamed up with Milk Bar for a special craft soda and cookie . Broccoli Bar’s exclusive “Mad Cheddar” pizza seems ideally timed to satisfy chilly day cravings for piping-hot broccoli cheddar soup. The pie has mozzarella and broccoli florets with a double hit of cheddar, from both shredded cheese and a cheddar beer sauce. Pickled red onions and croutons top the creation. In addition to the special pie, &pizza classics will be available. The location boasts a pick-up counter rather than the usual &pizza assembly line.
2. There will be brunch, and it will be boozy
While this is not the first &pizza locale to offer a breakfast pizza—the Hotel Hive location in Foggy Bottom does as well—Broccoli Bar is the first location with a dedicated brunch menu. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, a millennial-friendly Avocado Toast pie with spicy chickpeas will be on offer, along with childhood throwback Cinnamon Toast pizza and classic breakfast pizza The Real MVP. Wash it down with a $20 carafe of fruity bubbly— Mimosas and bellinis are among the choices.
3. Business savvy is also on the menu
Broccoli City held its annual two-day conference in April, with a focus on empowering young entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds. The café will continue that tradition with a monthly Broccoli Talk, says Broccoli City cofounder Brandon McEachern. “We look at it as an extension of our conference,” he says, one that makes success visible and approachable to young business owners. “You can’t be what you don’t see,” he adds. At the first Broccoli Talk at 6 p.m. on Oct. 24 (before the shop fully opens), the founders of venture capital firm Humble Ventures will speak about fundraising.
4. The founders want you to stay for the community
Like some other spaces in the D.C. area (think Busboys and Poets), Broccoli Bar is taking pride in having a community focus. The founders are as big on volunteering as they are on entrepreneurship, and they’re scheduling café events with local groups every first Saturday of the month. On Nov. 3 starting at 9:30 a.m., volunteers will meet at Broccoli Bar and walk to Howard University Community Garden (2251 Sherman Ave. NW), where they’ll help build garden beds and an herb walk pathway. Broccoli City cofounder Darryl Perkins says he expects to use happy hour proceeds toward fundraisers from time to time. Broccoli City often works with community food organizations such as Dreaming Out Loud and Martha’s Table.
5. Linger for the cocktails and music.
Watch for occasional announcements of local DJs who will spin at the bar’s happy hour, which runs nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cocktail menu includes a whiskey homage to performer and civil rights activist Ossie Davis and a tequila drink named for Tejana legend Selena. From Thursdays through Saturdays, the bar stays open until 2 a.m. McEachern points out that the idea for Broccoli Bar materialized over late night drinks with &pizza CEO Michael Lastoria at South by Southwest earlier this year. “It was a conversation that started with passion and ended with action,” McEachern says, and he hopes the space will inspire more conversations like it.
Broccoli City is located at 1817 7th St. NW. It opens on October 26. Hours are Sunday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-midnight, Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Broccoli Bar Menu by Anonymous xjgb2FdZYL on Scribd
