A new National Mall food vendor has begun operating eight permanent kiosks, and will also be running seasonally operating food carts.
The vendor, Taste of History LLC, is a subsidiary of nationwide concessionaire ExplorUS; the previous concessionaire was Guest Services Inc.
The eight permanent kiosks are:
— the All-American Grill, located near the south side of the Lincoln Memorial, serving burgers, grilled chicken, chicken tenders and various sides.
— Bar Americano, located outside the National Air and Space Museum, offering pizza, wine, coffee, pastries and sandwiches. It is subcontracted to Northwest pizza place Sonny’s Pizza.
— Founder’s Fare at the base of the Jefferson Memorial, serving hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, sandwiches and other comfort food.
— The Liberty Bistro, located at the Constitution Gardens, serving picnic-ready boxes, espresso, pastries and seasonal fare.
— Melting Pot, located at the National Museum of American History, serving global fare and “international-inspired bites.”
— Monument Gift & Cafe, located near the north side of the Lincoln Memorial, serving coffee, pastries, and grab-and-go meals in addition to selling souvenirs.
— Nature’s Table, located at the National Museum of Natural History, serving plant-based food and other healthier fare.
— World’s Fair, located near the recently reopened carousel, serving carnival-inspired food associated with the historic World’s Fairs.
Taste of History LLC updated the menus at seven of the kiosks, while leaving Bar Americano unchanged. The full menus are expected to be in place by Memorial Day, ExplorUS said in a release Friday.
ExplorUS Senior VP of Strategy Justin Unger told Washingtonian that the company “loved” what Sonny’s Pizza did with Bar Americano, adding that “as somebody who lives in the Washington area, I know how successful they were and so we wanted to continue that relationship.”
The company plans to work with more local businesses, including Jake’s Gourmet Popcorn from Falls Church and District-based coffee maker Small Planes, ExplorUS VP of Food & Beverage Laura Comer told Washingtonian.
In addition to updating the food, Taste of History LLC is also introducing new features like the ability for guests to order ahead, which went live on Monday.
Other new features include quick response codes at tables and touchscreens, according to Washingtonian.
The National Park Service has said that Taste of History LLC will continue to run the kiosks and up to 25 seasonal carts for the duration of a 10-year contract.
