New Plans for the Il Mattone Space

il mattone 21913No wonder uptown restaurant mini-chain Gina La Fornarina kept pushing back its liquor-license application discussion at Community Board 1: It must have never signed a lease for 413 Greenwich (at Hubert), because now someone else has. According to the Commercial Observer, a D.C.-based chain called Sweet Green is taking the space for the next 10 years: “Launched by three Georgetown University students in 2007, the eatery,”—have I ever mentioned how much I despise that word? No one would ever say it—”which offers an array of salads, wraps, yogurt and organic pressed juices, has more than a dozen locations throughout the northeast, mostly in the D.C. area.”

That space had so much charm and so much potential, and I kept hearing that people who were interested were being told that big-name restaurateurs were circling around it. And instead we get another fast-casual chain?

UPDATE: I had to turn off comments because of too much spam. Feel free to email tribecacitizen@gmail.com if you want me to temporarily allow them again.

 

10 Comments

  1. A yogurt chain? Damn. I was hoping for a Verizon or T-mobile store.

  2. Thank God it’s not a StarBucks…

  3. With the plethora of highend sitdown places in Tribeca, I am thrilled that Sweet Green is coming to our neighborhood. I know this place since it’s inception on M St in DC. It’s awesome and so much more than just another “yogurt chain!!” It is definitely better than Yoganic!

  4. @Alex: I was in a pretty foul mood yesterday, or I would’ve noted that despite my opposition to more chains, if there has to be a chain, Sweet Green seems like a relatively good one

  5. I’m a DC native and loved when the 1st Sweet Greens opened on M street in Georgetown. Amazing frozen yogurt. Healthy toppings. And great custom salads. This news made my week!!!

  6. STOP THE NONSENSE!
    Another chain? Why not Dunkin Doughnuts?

  7. I like up the street and enjoyed Il Mattone. I’m really disappointed to hear about another yogurt, organic drink chain taking the space. Still haven’t gotten over Subway’s presence on Hudson.

  8. Oops, live up the street…

  9. I was so excited when I saw one of the founders post about this (I used to frequent the first location during my DC days as well). It may be a chain in that there are a few locations mostly in DC, but the food is great, easy and healthy. I couldn’t be more excited!

  10. I’m excited too. Sweet green is a great addition to our neighborhood. Great food and while there are a few sweet greens open since they started, it does not represent the typical chain restaurant.