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One-time pop-up restaurant Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. is shuttering the challenging drive-thru it unveiled 11 months ago in Northeast (2301 Bladensburg Road) on Sunday, March 4. But management says its buttermilk biscuits and fried chicken will be back at a more dine-in friendly, Metro-accessible location across town.
“After a year at the drive-thru, there are a lot of limitations we cannot overcome at this location,” is how Mason Dixie CEO and co-founder Ayeshah Abuelhiga explained the planned move to Northwest in a prepared statement. “We realized that the appeal of the restaurant was less about the convenience and speed of service through the drive-thru, but more about the sit-down environment where you can enjoy a conversation and brunch on the weekends with friends and family.”
Negotiations for the new location have not been finalized, so the address remains under wraps for now. A spokeswoman for Mason Dixie tells Eater the next restaurant will not have a drive-thru window, is projected to include 40 percent more seating than the previous spot, and, unlike the overly ambitious original, plans to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week.
The company intends to continue offering meals from its existing menu for delivery via online service Caviar during the transition. And Abuelhiga wants to arrange future pop-up appearances closer to its future home between now and the next opening. Do not, however, count on a return to its former home at Union Market; management tells Eater that is off the table.
Whenever it does resurface, Abuelhiga would like to see more sandwiches, platters, and specials in the mix. “This is our opportunity to relaunch the brand in a way that aligns with customer expectations for service, and that is the most important thing for us as we plan on scaling the restaurant concept for future locations,” she says, leaving the door open to future expansion.
