Potbelly Launching a New Menu coming May 6th & its Flat (in a good way)

I had the pleasure of sitting down yesterday evening with both Dan Yates, Sr.Director of Marketing. and Laurette Farmer, Regional Sales Manager of Potbelly Sandwich Shop. As part of the kick-off for their #flattenedbyflavor event at Potbelly which took place at their 637 Indiana Ave NW location. As a regular reader you know that I don't usually write about food (more the buildings where they're served) but as a regular at Potbelly, I got drawn into this (happily). The new Flat-Bread sandwiches premier on Tuesday May 6th across the area. Oh and there is a new Smoothie Flavor, Raspberry/Lemon, available in early June, which I can also recommend........

Dan Yates, Sr.Director of Marketing, came from Chicago just for the Event

So here goes. Firstly, I have to say that the event was well planned, and the Potbelly folks are just friendly and cool. It was impressive that Dan Yates came from Chicago for the event, and shows Potbelly's commitment to DC.

A little music always helps the digestion

Second, I love Flat Bread, more on that shortly and.. Lastly, and somewhat unexpectedly, I found a gem of a historic site, in the basement of the restaurant.
The foodie piece, I think just about everyone in DC has eaten at a Potbelly, good news, your fillings are the same, my favorite is the Mediterranean....and the good news, the flat bread just makes it better, and if its important to you, the flat bread reduces each sandwich by 90 calories.

Speaking to Dan, he tells me that "Potbelly really researched into which flat-bread would finally come to the table. This one, a multi-grain, won out."  

As for me, I am a flat-bread lover. Since school, when money was short, and the pantry empty, making my own flat-bread became a little more than a hobby. I was lucky in life to have been able to travel extensively, and I was able to to try different styles of flat-bread wherever I was living. I have favorites, of course, Tibetan Flat Bread, which I make regularly, Lavash, which I make occasionally, and Pita....which I will only eat if hand made (snob me). Potbelly's flat bread is thin, but still soft, its tasty and compliments the fillings very well.

A little difficult to photograph, the 'First" Otis Elevator on the ground floor

Lastly, the building is a unique historic place. For those that have not visited at 637 Indiana Ave yet, it is the home of the first Otis Elevator. The elevator can be viewed through a glass screen on the first floor. Laurette Farmer gave me a pretty good overview of the buildings history and the efforts made by Potbelly to preserve as much as practical. What most people don't know is that the elevator 'housing' is still in place in the basement, and of course, while I was there I had the opportunity to visit and get some photographs.

The Cellar 'housing' for the elevator, still there and labelled(below)

 

Besides the 'housing' there is also the mechanics. The cellar itself is original, in that it has cobblestone floors (with what appear to be wagon-wheel ruts) I was told that it is part of an original 'road' (but I have been unable to confirm that) whatever the original purpose, it is fascinating to see it.

The elevator mechanics still intact (but not in place)

(BTW please don't bother the manager for a visit, it is not set up for visitors and remains no more than a curiosity for the owners to ponder)

So that's it....New, and Tasty Flat-Bread Sandwiches, a New Flavored Smoothie. Tuesday May 6th is the date to remember for the #flattenedbyflavor launch (at all neighborhood locations) and "early June" for the new Smoothie.