dcs Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 What’s the Deal With Executive Diner’s Contentious Menu? Both management and a fired chef are claiming credit for the sweeping document, by Warren Rojas, April 30, 2018, on dc.eater.com. Quote 8. Executive Diner The new-wave-diner trend hits Old Town. Sequoia vet Dadisi Olutosin whips up Japanese-style pancakes, shrimp and grits, and of course breakfast. 1400 Duke St., Alexandria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 What a weird story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 4 minutes ago, Simul Parikh said: What a weird story Their website isn't operational - running day-care centers must be extraordinarily profitable. I wish the owners well; I think they maybe should have called me so we could have mulled this idea over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Wells Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Not on Yelp yet. Early returns on Google -- not good. It's almost like a set-up to get Gordon Ramsay to visit. Executive Diner 1400 Duke St, Alexandria, VA Write a review 1.0 1 review Sort by: Most helpful Tovah E 1 review a day ago- This restaurant has huge problems both with service and the kitchen. We were there for 1:15 hrs and didn't once have our server come back with coffee or an update. We ended up leaving without getting any food, and it looked like no one else was getting any food either after sitting in a 1/4 full restaurant for over an hour. Several other tables left after complaining about the wait. The music was too loud. The kitchen clearly had problems getting any food out at all,much less in a timely fashion. Servers seemed unorganized and didn't know their roles. Everyone made excuses instead of apologizing. A manager could have been on the floor bringing out bread or something to offset the excessive wait, but no one seemed to be in charge. The location and size of this restaurant has great potential, but I won't go back without significant changes. Like Adam Barnette 1 review 13 hours ago Poorly managed restaurant with subpar staff. Waited over hour for my food. I've owned my own family run restaurant before but this place lacks good leadership. The current GM smelled of alcohol and there seemed to be no kitchen staff what's so ever. This place is going to fail under current management and its unfortunate because it could be a great place. Like 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 7 minutes ago, Bob Wells said: Early returns on Google -- not good. It's almost like a set-up to get Gordon Ramsay to visit. I've sometimes wondered if there are non-obvious reasons for operating a restaurant - for example, Park Cafe (I swear this place wasn't that bad in the 1990s), Piratz Tavern (a college town, maybe, but downtown Silver Spring?), The Cereal Bowl (some sort of psychosis, perhaps). Maybe the owners are going to use Executive Diner as a commissary for their day-care centers or something - the success of such an operation as a pure restaurant seems almost impossible, given what I've read about their ambitions, refusal to hire a chef, etc. Sometimes, restaurants are nothing more than vanity projects (no names, no names), but that doesn't seem to be the case here at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovehockey Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 42 minutes ago, DonRocks said: I've sometimes wondered if there are non-obvious reasons for operating a restaurant - for example, Park Cafe (I swear this place wasn't that bad in the 1990s), Piratz Tavern (a college town, maybe, but downtown Silver Spring?), The Cereal Bowl (some sort of psychosis, perhaps). Maybe the owners are going to use Executive Diner as a commissary for their day-care centers or something - the success of such an operation as a pure restaurant seems almost impossible, given what I've read about their ambitions, refusal to hire a chef, etc. Sometimes, restaurants are nothing more than vanity projects (no names, no names), but that doesn't seem to be the case here at all. That's exactly the reason: The commissary kitchen they had was too small for their needs re: the day care centers and so they moved to a new location that had the space for them to build a larger kitchen. But they didn't need all the square footage for the kitchen itself, so they opened the restaurant in the remaining space. If the reviews are anything to go by, it looks like they're having serious issues balancing out the two operations. When I was reading the article linked in dcs' original post, I thought, "We want to be a candidate for Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." Every once in a while a diner appears on the show and that has the everything-including-the-kitchen sink menu and most or all of it available all day or even around the clock (including a couple places from around this area). With the daycare hook it would be one of those twists that would likely catch the show producers' attention. Of course, this paragraph is speculation on my part. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dracisk Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Quote So why did Pnevmatikatos keep Olutosin on the payroll? “I still needed someone to flip eggs in the morning,” he says. Oooooh, burn. The daycare connection in this story fascinates me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 1 hour ago, dracisk said: Oooooh, burn. The daycare connection in this story fascinates me. But does this belong on a "Top 10 Foodie Buzz" listicle? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithstg Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 On 5/1/2018 at 9:32 AM, DonRocks said: Their website isn't operational - running day-care centers must be extraordinarily profitable. I wish the owners well; I think they maybe should have called me so we could have mulled this idea over. Running day-care centers is extraordinarily profitable. This is the second day-care center owner I know of making a foray into restaurants. Gonna be a bumpy ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jondagle Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Does anyone have an update on this place? I stopped in to pick up a menu back around the time they opened. No one was there. Recently though I’ve noticed that every time I drive or walk by the place looks packed. It seems like maybe they’re doing something right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandria1 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I had breakfast here a few months ago. IIRC the hash browns & eggs doused in sausage gravy were fine, but I'm not particularly motivated to try any of the non-breakfast items. Come to think of it, I live within walking distance and haven't been motivated to return for breakfast either. They were doing decent business on a Sunday morning, enough well-dressed people that it was probably a post-church crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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