Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru. Call them the “Dynamic Duo” if you want — though in a few months with a partner returning from Manhattan they’ll need another moniker. What makes their story so remarkable is one of salad-bar success, probably beyond their wildest dreams. In fact, their Sweetgreen, a mecca in Georgetown for utterly delicious and a bit zany yogurt/salad creations, is going big time.
Not exactly metro-wide — though that may be on their drawing boards, and then, the world? — Sweetgreen will have a flagship eatery in Dupont Circle, adjacent to the Sunday farmers market. And the young men plan to open a third, smaller place in Bethesda, all within the next couple of months.
So, you say, that doesn’t sound like much. But consider this: These guys graduated from Georgetown University a little more than one year ago — in May 2007 to be exact — and they are only 23.
How did all this come about? They met as seniors in an entrepreneurship class at Georgetown, and also both lived just up the street.
“We got tired of all the local eateries. Washington is a perfect market for updated fast foods, based on sustainable and local produce,” says Jammet.
Besides, adds Ru, they thought they knew the market within a 2-mile radius of campus. Surprisingly, their customer base is not student-centric, as they had originally anticipated. Sweetgreen feeds a cross-section of locals, from business professionals to nearby residents — and, probably, those wistful suburbanites who hear of this fab place and trek in for a killer salad and Sweetgreen’s special frozen yogurt with toppings.
As far as running a food business, it also helps that Jammet grew up in the trade: His parents owned New York’s famed La Caravelle, and he himself from an early age worked the rounds at such destinations as Union Square Hospitality Group (Danny Meyer), B.R. Guest Restaurants (Steve Hanson), Batali & Bastianich Group (Joseph Bastianich), and his own family restaurant La Caravelle.
Besides, adds Jammet, “We are all big foodies, and that’s why we were inspired and also surprised that such a place was not operating in D.C., one of the most health-conscious cities.”
As they drew up plans to open, they encountered some resistance.
“A lot of people doubted us,” says Ru, “and one of the contractors bidding on the project told us to quit.”
Undaunted, they selected the vacated Little Tavern building on Wisconsin, which is a historic site (Little Tavern was a chain of hamburger eateries in D.C. and Baltimore).
“We couldn’t do much to it,” says Ru. “We had an historian come by with pictures of all the Little Taverns in Washington. They were all the same.”
Of course, structuring the menu has played a big role in Sweetgreen’s success, and, says Jammet, they spent a lot of time developing it.
“When each item comes in season, it will be included,” he says, though they do have six standard salads, each carefully balanced for flavor and texture. And, you can make your own combos as well, or wrap it up.
And then there’s the yogurt.
“It’s frozen yogurt,” says Jammet. “It’s sweet Greek-style yogurt. We spent two weeks in a test kitchen making and sampling 100 batches.”
Best of all, it’s fat-free, and sweetened with fruit with minimal sugar. And you can select several toppings to garnish your order.
A Green-Certified Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association, the Sweetgreens use biodegradable everything, including the takeout menus made with plant seeds incorporated into the paper; if you plant them, they will sprout. And the flagship Sweetgreen should feel right at home at the Dupont Market, where, says Jammet, “I’ll get there as early as the farmers. We’ll buy fresh produce for the day, and one salad will be seasonal.”
If you go
Sweetgreen
3333 M St. NW
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Q&A with the Chefs
Do you cook at home?
Nicolas: Yes, and it’s classical French or Mediterranean. My mom is Lebanese. I watch the Food Network.
Nathaniel: Our day is long and spontaneous. I try to fix dinner two times a week. My family is Chinese, so dumplings and noodles and wok-cooking are a big thing.
What is your comfort food?
Nicolas: Foie gras and anything with truffles.
Nathaniel: Food from Chipotle or Chinese or Vietnamese food
Which are your favorite restaurants?
Nicolas: Central, Rays the Steaks, Blue Duck, Nora, Rasika and Oyamel.
Nathaniel: (Undecided)
What’s in your fridge?
Nicolas: A lot of Honest Tea, hummus, baby carrots. Lots of cheese and baguettes. I eat here twice a day.
Nathaniel: Not much. Green onions and a bottle of champagne, but I do have sesame oil in my pantry and rice and vinegar.
From the Chef’s Kichen
Nicolas Jammet’s Bank Street Salad
Serves 4 to 6
» 1⁄2 pound baby arugula, well-rinsed
» 1⁄2 pound baby spinach
» 1⁄2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
» 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts or other tree nut
» 1⁄2 cup crumbled goat cheese
» 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Dressing Ingredients:
» 6 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
» 2 1⁄2 Tbsp. honey
» 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
» 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed with fingers
» Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
» 10 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Assemble the salad ingredients in a large bowl and chill while you make the dressing.
For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, thyme, salt and pepper until well mixed. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until you have an emulsified dressing. Drizzle atop salad and serve immediately.
