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DIG Restaurant has relocated from its West Atlantic Avenue location to the heart of Downtown Delray Beach, taking over the location suddenly vacated by Atlantique Cafe just before the Delray Tastemakers back in August.
On the one hand, it is a somewhat paradoxical move for the locavore-type establishment, as it will be moving farther from the local farms located out west from which it gets its produce. On the other hand, downtown is where the patrons are and there’s not much point in bringing farm to table if the table is too far from the customers.
This is always the challenge for the locavore movement when setting up
shop in urban and suburban areas. Luckily for DIG (which stands for
Doing It Green) being 3.8 miles further from the farms won’t make much
difference. It will make a huge difference to their customers and to all
the downtown diners who will now be able to stroll through the front
doors.
“We decided there were more people who ate organic
downtown,” says owner Robert Greenfield. “It is really a gorgeous spot
with indoor/outdoor seating, a coffee lounge, a wine bar, a liquor bar.
This place has its own parking which you don’t really find downtown and
if you sit outside you’re by a fountain.”
The old location on West Atlantic Avenue where DIG resided for a little over a year was somewhat lacking in charm and atmosphere even if it was closer to the farms that Greenfield says he visits every few days for most of the fresh produce.
“What was becoming very obvious was that we needed to be where the people who
eat organic are. We have a regular customer who comes in everyday. He walked here today from
his office and he used to have to drive down.”
By moving closer to their customer base, DIG has maintained its small footprint. Which is good because while in order to ensure that everything on the menu is organic, sometimes it can’t be obtained locally, though the staff at DIG does their best.
“Everything we buy is organic or all natural. We are still very much in the consciousness of a
small footprint. We try to buy locally, all our meats are all natural
grass fed and no hormones. Our eggs and coffee and teas are organic. Even
the spices,” says Greenfield. “It’s clean, green cuisine. “
Greenfield’s commitment to keeping things local even extends to the decor and entertainment.
“This plaza has some artists here
and one of them is like an artist co-op, The Arts Arena, where different artists
have their work there and all share the responsibility of running the
store. And so we wanted to have their art here and we are going to have
local music too when we open up for dinner November 3. And we want to do Sunday brunch.”
As of November 3 dinner will be served seven days a week, but until then DIG is open for breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. and for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Monday through Saturday. And feel free to bring your pooch. DIG is doggy friendly and will even provide Fido with his very own doggy bag.
DIG Restaurant is now located at 777 East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Call 561-279-1002, email eat@digdelray.com, or visit digdelray.com.
