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American Flatbread is closing

Discussion in 'Area Restaurants, Dining and Food' started by sds, Jun 2, 2011.

  1. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    Maybe a "deli" that actually served real cheesesteaks & hoagies (and even pizza) would work? No, I'm not talking subway sandwiches or what passes for a "philly cheese steak sandwich" in Ashburn. For those of you who have spent time near Philly...you know what I'm talkin' about!

    "Delis" like that are everywhere near Philly & NJ. Many are old, a little grimey, and the food is far from healthy. But they seem to stay in business for a long time. One thing they definately are is affordable!

    But who could supply the rolls? I've yet to find any place that makes good hoagie rolls, yet they're so commonplace in southeastern PA & New Jersey.
     
  2. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I couldn't have said it better than you did.

    FWIW, I got a large pizza, two salads, two drinks, dish of spaghetti, and small loaf of bread...all for 20 bucks with coupon. Couldn't get any better than that.
     
  3. LvBlands3

    LvBlands3 New Member

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    Yes, a Deli is a great idea. What was the name of that place? Puccios? It was great. But, not enough business to support it, so it too closed. Maybe we can get another Burguer King or Wendy's or McDonalds? Or, how about another Starbucks?
     
  4. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    No more fast food places, please! We have enuf of them everywhere. We have a Fosters Grille and love their burgers...better than Five Guys, IMHO.

    Secondly, if I had my druthers, I'd be willing to open up a FANTASTIC deli by the name of DiBellas in Rochester, NY. EXCELLENT food there. But I doubt that it would survive in Ashburn since not very many office buildings are located here to sustain it on a daily basis. Maybe in Fairfax County, it would do better?
     
  5. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    that deli- Puccios- left Ashburn for reasons COMPLETELY unrelated to how much business they got- they were doing well when they had to leave. Puccios is thriving and still fantstic in Leesburg.

    let's face it- while some of us don't mind paying more for better, the majority in ashburn is fine with mediocre chain food and don't support too many niche, upscale restaurants. if they want a date night experience we head OUT of town. they don't want to pay DC price so close to home, even if the quality is there.

    Parallel is a huge exception, the food gets better every day and the wine angle definitely will keep them around for years to come.

    but by and large, look at what we've lost- Callaloo, Cafe Panache, American Flatbread, Cafe Rumi- that's just the tip of the iceberg- I can't remember how many delicious places have disappeared and resurfaced successfully in other places. hopeuflly we can keep some of the quality indie places we have now, like Fords Fish Shack, Anothai, Cafe Opera, to name a few of my personal faves.
     
  6. Sunny

    Sunny Chief Advisor

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    i loved callaloo. it was my fave.
     
  7. sportzfish

    sportzfish New Member

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    The AMFB location in Clarendon this past winter closed too before the Ashburn location. The menu was too limited IMO. If you did not want pizza there was not much else to choose from.
     
  8. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I have a good friend living in Vermont (Burlington) and she tells me that the Vermont location is doing really well and folks there like the food there. I believe that restaurant originated in Vermont before they gave it a try down here..she went onto tell me that the VT location is a bit smaller than the ones down here. I recall hearing about the restaurant there when I was living there at the time but never did try it there.

    http://www.americanflatbread.com/restaurants/burlington-vt/
     
  9. mamatothree

    mamatothree New Member

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    American Flatbread is a Vermont based restaurant, with a Vermont mindset...There are a ton of restaurants in Burlington, VT with the same model - local grown produce, sustainable, organic ingredients - and they are all doing great (daughter is a student at Univ. of Vermont so I am pretty familiar with the area)...let's face it the "Greenpeace, Save the Whales, Tree Hugging mentality that is so common there just doesn't exist in this neck of the woods...
     
  10. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Yup...you said it VERY well. I loved living there but I wouldn't have met my wife there if I stayed there. Too many college students and families there at the time. It was TOUGH on a single older guy there. Food was GREAT there...but like you said...the mentality there is so much different than here. The business model is successful there but not here. Different strokes for different folks as some say!
     
  11. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    As much as I'd love a taste of home down here, Ashburn and Philly are two very different places. Just like the tree-hugger culture in VT supports American Flatbread, I'm not sure we'd have enough Philadelphians here to support a mom and pop deli.

    You can't get a decent cheesesteak or tomato pie in this state, but Harris Teeter has been carrying some tastykakes if you're looking for some Philly food.

    Originally Posted by mamatothree [​IMG]
    American Flatbread is a Vermont based restaurant, with a Vermont mindset...There are a ton of restaurants in Burlington, VT with the same model - local grown produce, sustainable, organic ingredients - and they are all doing great (daughter is a student at Univ. of Vermont so I am pretty familiar with the area)...let's face it the "Greenpeace, Save the Whales, Tree Hugging mentality that is so common there just doesn't exist in this neck of the woods...
     
  12. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I second that as I've been to Northern NJ (hey, its near enuf to PA/Philly area) and have ate at a "Philly" Cheesesteak up there and it was to die for...but haven't found any of that down here.

    Aside from this, Im really sick of the fast food places and it amazes me that they even put a Taco Bell and McDonalds right in Southern Walk Plaza...I never go there.

     
  13. sharse

    sharse TeamDonzi rocks!!

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    If, on any given night, you decide you want to go out but you're not in the mood for burgers, pizza, or asian, there aren't many options around here, sadly. I wish we could get something that was different, healthier...

    Clydes has some decent options. Even Red Robin has options. Blue Ridge Grill, too.

    That said I enjoyed my wrap from Tropical Smoothie Cafe today!
     
  14. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if the new Towncenter near Home Depot and Giants in front of the new Silver Line WILL result in healthier restaurants/business once the rail line opens up...Maybe GMU opening the new campus will help the area as well? Let's pray!!!
     
  15. Small Brancher

    Small Brancher Member

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    Comparing the American Flatbread here with the one in Burlington, Vermont is probably not a really valid comparison. Not because of the local mindset but because they are located in the largest population center in the state with a lot of local businesses, tourists, and a large university crowd to patronize them for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Here - really just weekend dinner crowd and even then I never saw it full.

    While it was a bit expensive, one pizza and one salad sufficed for the wife and I and so the dinner bill was usually under $40. Probably not much more than most local sit down restaurants.

    I work a few blocks from where the Clarendon Flatbread was. Bad location, off on a side street and away from the "action" on Wilson and Clarendon Blvds. Not open for lunch so could not attract the local business lunch crowd and AFAIK never attempted to go after the happy hour / young crowd after work.
     
  16. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    I would disagree with you on this Redon1.

    How many GAR's are there in the area and how many have failed? Also, your comparison to Glory Days in not a good one IMO. I would compare most GAR's to Clydes, and we all know how well they do in the area.

    As for a good deli, odds are one will not "thrive" here at this time. Not enough of a lunch crowd and it is the lunch crowd that makes most delis successful.
     
  17. wolf685cln

    wolf685cln New Member

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    For the moment, but I believe there's a GMU graduate campus slated to go up across the street and then a deli would become a natural and, imo, profitable fit...invest for the future!

    Plus, we do have some fairly populated corporations somewhat nearby. Santini's isn't exactly close to my office in Reston, but getting to a good deli is worth a drive at times.

    Just my stomach trying really hard to rationalize this idea...:happygrin:
     
  18. rich351854

    rich351854 New Member

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    You all are thinking deli being just a sandwich place...think a family style dinner (I grew up in NJ) where you could get fresh cooked food, at a reasonable price in a very casual environment.....
     
  19. tigercpa

    tigercpa New Member

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    Yeah, wasn't really what I would call a "kids place"...
     
  20. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    it's not a matter of whether or not they'd fail, it's purely my selfish desire not to see natinal chains overrunning the 'hood. :) I agree 100% that they would do well. and i would bet a gazillion $$$ that some sort of non-compete would keep another american food chain from opening next to Glory Days.

    and we love deli sandwiches for dinner at least once a week- those busy night with sports, school events, dance recitals, etc.- the sound of the wax paper is music to my ears when there's no time to cook.

    and as previously mentioned,the lunch crowd is coming... coming soon... for better or worse in Ashburn. :scaredeyes:
     

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