Popular lunch bowl spot Dig (previously Dig Inn) is opening a full-service restaurant with former Untitled chef Suzanne Cupps at the helm.
It’ll be the fast casual restaurant’s first foray into the full-service dining game, and the new West Village spot, named 232 Bleecker after its own address, will go hard on its wine program and fire-cooked foods, according to Grub Street. Cupps will have full control over the new menu, which will revolve around a six-foot, wood-burning hearth inside the restaurant.
Dig is also working with Katie Bell, who has worked at Per Se, Blue Hill, and Untitled, and former Food & Wine editor Dana Cowin on the project. Eater has reached out to Dig for more information. The new restaurant is part of an expansion backed by Danny Meyer, whose investment fund Enlightened Hospitality Investments fueled the chain with $15 million earlier this year. The money will also fund additional fast-casual locations in NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia, as well as expand its culinary training program for first-time kitchen workers and its new delivery service.
While there’s no menu out for 232 Bleecker just yet, Cupps is known for her delicate work with vegetables at Meyer’s seasonal museum restaurant Untitled inside the Whitney. She spent the past four years there, starting as chef de cuisine and rising up the ranks to become the company’s only female executive chef. The restaurant recently announced it would transition to an all-day cafe this year, at which point Cupps would leave.
Cupps is also a fan of fish, and Japanese and Fillipino cuisines, and added subtle touches like carrots roasted with miso when she took over at the Whitney.
Dig’s new restaurant opens later this year. Stay tuned.