DC May See Up to 10 Energy Kitchen Locations

"We've been wanting to get into the market for awhile. We franchised the territory awhile back, and were just looking for an incredible space." Energy kitchen president and co-founder Anthony Leone believes he's found it at 1901 L St. NW, where the first area location of the chain opened for business last week. It won't be the last.

Under the agreement, the Energy Kitchen local franchisee could open up to ten locations in the DC market, which is what Leone is hoping for. They're looking at all neighborhoods in DC and suburban Virginia for possibilities. The DC market appealed to the company because there are so many health conscious residents.

All the entrees on the menu at Energy Kitchen are 500 calories or under (everything's steamed, baked or grilled, and nothing is fried), but that doesn't mean it's all soup and sandwiches. "People seem to gravitate more towards the burgers and the fries," said Leone. The restaurant's classic burger is served on a nine-grain bun with baked fries. Sweet potato fries are a new product for the company and are first going to be available in DC. "We don't really allow you to make a wrong choice," said Leone, who is partial to the turkey burger with chipotle barbecue sauce, turkey bacon and fat free cheddar himself. Once the weather gets warmer, the local Energy Kitchen will have patio seating.

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Anthony Leone [Photo: Energy Kitchen]