The novel coronavirus has made it more important than ever to shop local. As small businesses struggle due to the pandemic, here are four easy switches you can make to support your D.C. community.
Starbucks Coffee to Firehook Bakery
Firehook carries an assortment of delicious, freshly baked goods, breads, and drinks. This amazing bakery and coffee shop has 4 locations open during the pandemic (DuPont Circle, Farragut Square, Old Town Alexandria and Chantilly) and delivers. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the Firehook in Cleveland Park, down the street from WIS, closed, but that is all the more reason to shop at the other locations. Firehook is owned by the parents of a WIS alum truly making it a business close to our community.
Favorite menu item: Oatmeal raisin cookie (literally the size of your face) and an iced mocha latte.
Address: 1909 Q St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Haagen-Dazs to Larry’s Ice Cream
Larry’s Ice Cream in DuPont Circle has been around forever, so long in fact that it makes an appearance on several TV shows that are set in D.C. It is owned by a Turkish couple (half of which pictured above) and run by very friendly employees . Amazing homemade ice cream, cupcakes and perfectly flaky baklava make it an absolute must anytime you are in the market for a sweet treat. Bonus points if you can make the owner laugh (don’t let the smile fool you; he is a bit of a curmudgeon). While nothing can truly replace the feeling of running out of class towards ice cream from Friday grill, this comes pretty close.
Favorite menu item: Mocha chip ice cream in a chocolate sprinkle cone OR the house specialty “Mud Pie” (a combination of coffee, vanilla wafer cracker, oreo crumble and a few secret ingredients)
Address: 1633 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
Barnes and Nobles to Kramer’s Book Store
Kramer’s Books opened in August 1976 and has been a staple of the DC community ever since. Kramer’s is both a bookstore and cafe/restaurant. The bookstore section carries a large variety of books including hilarious political satire. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner – all of which are delicious. You can order from Kramer’s through Postmates (yes, the books too). This is a great resource given WIS’s lack of a library.
Favorite menu item: Jodi Picoult’s “A Spark of Light” and anything from their brunch menu.
Address: 1517 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Domino’s to Tino’s Pizzeria
Tino’s Pizzeria on Connecticut Avenue opened early last school year. A variety of delicious Italian style pizzas can be ordered through GrubHub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, as well as picked up in person. This is a perfect lunch spot if WIS reopens in October, as it’s only a five-minute walk from campus.
Favorite menu item: “The Simple Pie” (tomatoes and mozzarella)
Address: 3420 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Know of any other local businesses? Send them to @wisdateline for a chance to be featured on our instagram story!
