The long election week may have been bad for nerves, but it was good for sales at Capriotti’s in Rosslyn. The only DC-area location of the Delaware chain favored by President-Elect Joe Biden saw a 30-percent jump in revenue the first week in November, according to a Capriotti’s spokesperson.
Capriotti’s first entered the DC market with a shop near Dupont Circle in November 2013 (now closed). Then Vice President Biden was among the first customers—and he was very enthusiastic. According to a press pool report, he arrived at the grand opening, signature aviators on, and announced: “This is gonna settle once and for all, the best sandwich in America is out of Wilmington, Delaware.” Biden purchased two medium Italian subs, no onions, one with hot peppers on the side, for himself and President Obama. (“The only way to eat these things is with hot peppers, but not everybody understands that. You know what I mean?”) He also snagged a Thanksgiving-themed Bobbie and a large Italian sub for his staff. According to the pool report, Biden kept “trying to convince people that Delaware makes the best sandwiches ever” while waiting for his order.
New Yorkers and Philadelphians may argue otherwise, though it seems there’s growing interest in Delaware-style subs. Asked if Biden was responsible for the bump in local sales, Capriotti’s senior vice president Jane McPherson gave a seasoned bipartisan answer:
“We’re attributing the bump to election fever. With so many people glued to their TVs, ordering Capriotti’s was a natural choice!”
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
