Grabbing a quick bite to eat doesn’t mean having to stomach an unhealthy meal thanks to Dig, a fast-casual eatery that sources its “vegetable-forward” menu from its own farm in upstate New York and network of regional farms. Students at the University of Pennsylvania can soon snag some brain food on the go when Dig opens in University City in early 2022. Dig will occupy a 2,700 sq. ft. space that spans two floors at 140 S. 36th Street. This will be Dig’s second Philadelphia location, with their first at 1616 Chestnut St.
“Penn is committed to bringing a vibrant mix of shopping, dining, and services to the neighborhood and is always looking to refresh with new popular concepts around campus,” said Ed Datz, Penn’s Executive Director of Real Estate. “Dig possesses a strong commitment to sourcing food from local organic farms and has built a great deal of buzz everywhere they have opened a new location. We are thrilled that they have picked Penn and University City as their next venture.”
Dig isn’t just interested in feeding people. They are changing the way food production works by creating a system that streamlines supply chain, operational, and environmental efficiencies through partnerships with regional farmers and growers to offer seasonal menu items freshly prepared with non or minimally processed ingredients by each location’s company-trained chef. They’re also looking to make vegetables an “I want to eat” option, rather than an “I have to eat” one. Check out their menu and you’ll see that they’ve succeeded. Dig also donates their unsold food at the end of the day to places likes St. John’s Methodist.
“The company is built on a culture of driven curiosity and ambitious innovation, finding and implementing new solutions to offering a simple, healthy, affordable meal. Our mission is to build a better food system (one vegetable at a time) that offers a better deal to customers, cooks, and farmers alike,” their Linkedin page says.
Dig sells vegetable bowls and salads topped with proteins like meatballs, salmon, and tofu. You can build your own bowl or order a menu-based bowl like their Fall Harvest Bowl with spiced farro, butternut squash, roasted Brussels, apples, celery, roasted squash, fried sage, spiced pumpkin seed, and a rosemary vinaigrette. Family meals and a la carte sides like herb-roasted squash, apples and celery salad, or spiced Persian cucumbers are also available at Dig.
The company, which is based in New York City and was started in 2011, will spend the next few years expanding its locations and partnerships around the country.
