The salad. Image by the author.

A local man rocked the DC business world Friday when he placed an order for the third salad sold this year by downtown’s once-popular fast casual eateries.

“I don’t come in that often these days,” said Jack Bricole, a special projects manager at the General Services Administration, finishing off a tomato. “I guess it’s a little quiet.”

The order: The Albuquerque Salad, a popular choice (Nicola likes it with heavy dressing).

Why it matters: Retail observers are fretting about the prospects of DC’s fast-casual industry, which has suffered since rates of in-person work have hovered below 50% in DC’s central business district.

What we’re hearing: Bricole’s corn, romaine, and pepper jack cheese combo filled more than his stomach, pouring hope for DC’s prospects into the hearts of business mavens and budget watchers the moment that $12.89 changed digital hands.

Nicola’s thought bubble: Would have been $9.89 in 2016.

Be smart: Both sales tax and commercial property taxes create needed revenues for social programs such as senior centers and universal pre-K. One forkful of every formula salad purchased ends up in the mouth of a hungry kid, metaphorically speaking.

What’s next: Budget season has whetted local appetites. DC’s bean counters are watching closely, prompting whispers that if another salad shifts in the next ten days, tax incentives for fast casual outlets could be on the lunch table.

Yes, but: Bricole says that next salad won’t be bought by him, thanks to the District’s Vision Zero shortcomings. “Riding down the new protected bike lane on 9th was great, but my entire route on F St was blocked by deliveries and ride hail drivers. I almost got hit by more than one maniac. I don’t want to die, and I have a computer at home. I’ll come back downtown when the roads are safer.”

Nicola Trigger is a freelance writer who has been covering business for about three months. In her spare time, she enjoys disrupting ANC meetings and growing her own salads, a hobby she picked up during the pandemic.