The bistro’s bistro

How the Junction Bakery & Bistro brings communities to life

Homemade pastries. Egg sandwiches on house-made muffins. Breakfast burritos. Close your eyes and you smell the invite. The Junction is an American bistro experience—one that offers everything fresh-baked breads and pastries, unique and flavorful breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner offerings.

Come for the simple food pairings and stay for the warm, comforting environment that sits at the center of every community it calls home. Adapting and growing out of the pandemic, the Junction Bakery & Bistro is even more of a communal gathering than ever before.

To get a feel for the Junction vibe, we sat down with GM Rich Nofi, Director of Hospitality Chelsea Sexton, Managing Director Noe Landini, Manager Shannon Cooke, Creative Director Kieran Randall and //3877 firm Partner David Shove-Brown.

Give us a snapshot of your restaurant brand?

Rich Nofi: Junction is an American bistro boasting fresh-baked breads and pastries, unique and flavorful breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner offerings that originated in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia with locations in Capitol Hill and the newest location in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Junction is a one-stop-shop that has everything you would ever need or want in a 24-hour day.

Pick from a wide assortment of high quality grab-and-go options or cozy up after work for happy hour with great specials and creative cocktails every day. Dinner time features something for everyone, including Thai noodle soup, vegan selections, a Southern smoked brisket, or house made chicken tenders and mac and cheese for the kids.

Living up to its name, Junction Bakery & Bistro is a culinary junction for all your desires.

What type of consumer are you targeting?

David Shove-Brown: Junction Bakery & Bistro’s Chevy Chase location aims to bring together the entire community by providing a welcoming gathering space open to all, whether that be larger groups dining around the communal table or individuals taking a quick break to enjoy a baked good during the work week in one of the plush banquettes.

What type of adjustments have you made surrounding the recent state of events?

David Shove-Brown: We’ve seen an increase in the usage of elements that derived from the necessity of adapting to the pandemic, but are now a means of making the industry more accessible and efficient everyday, i.e., QR codes. It can be more than a menu; it can be a personal touchpoint with patrons, and technology can lighten the load of staff so that they can focus more on customer satisfaction.

How does the design of the restaurant cater to what today’s consumers want?

David Shove-Brown: Today, diners are looking for a space that is customizable and prioritizes guest comfort, satisfaction, flexibility, and freedom of choice. At Junction

Bakery & Bistro’s newest location, a purposeful division of the space facilitates a multipurpose model—customers have the option to either grab food and beverages to go or be seated in the dining room for a full-service experience.

The space is curated to meet the needs of patrons easily; whether it’s stopping in for a quick cup of coffee or staying hours in the dining room catching up with friends, Junction Bakery & Bistro, Chevy Chase can meet that need.

Is there a location that really shows how the brand interacts with the community and customers? One of your favorites?

David Shove-Brown: The design team drew inspiration from the locale, incorporating the history of Chevy Chase’s trolley corridor into the interior by marrying elements of streetcar design with a fresh take on the traditional European bistro.

This community tie represents Junction Bakery’s mission to establish the new location as a destination for neighbors to come together to enjoy the company of one another. Communal-style dining defines the heart of the dining room, encouraging a relaxed setting where gatherings take center stage. A wooden table welcomes diners to enjoy their meal, share in conversation, and revel in the experience at the new location.

Walk us through how and why it was designed the way it is?

David Shove-Brown: Junction Bakery enlisted //3877 to transform the former retail space into a social environment that harkens back to the area’s rich history and complements the dynamic menu: an assortment of nostalgic American favorites with a contemporary twist. The 2,698-square-foot bakery and bistro exudes a comfortable yet vibrant atmosphere for guests.

The Chevy Chase location completes the DMV trifecta with a brand experience consistent with other locations in Alexandria, Virginia and Capitol Hill, Washington DC.

Take us through your construction and design strategy.

David Shove-Brown: A significant piece of Maryland history, the Chevy Chase trolley line was the first in the area to connect to Washington, DC in the 1890s. Though the tracks were replaced by buses in 1935, the historical context of the trolley line speaks to the core values of Junction Bakery: community and connection.

We wanted the design to be a direct tie to the area, so we incorporated elements like historical art prints of the location for display throughout the space, enhancing the restaurant’s bygone spirit of the early 20th Century. The industrial elements of the interior are offset by soft, natural materials and finishes such as wood and marble.

Wooden floors and shiplap walls complement a warm and earthy color palette of green and terracotta, tying the concept together with branding consistent of Junction Bakery.

Give us a rundown of the market’s layout.

Chelsea Sexton: As a casual dining concept, Junction Bakery & Bistro occupies a very saturated market space. Our handmade pastries, locally roasted coffee, curated cocktail and wine lists and chef-designed bistro menu gives us an edge up––that said, we will never grow complacent given our many amazing and innovative peers in the DMV area.

What’s the biggest issue today related to the construction side of the business?

David Shove-Brown: The A&D community has been navigating the challenges posed by extensive supply chain delays, budget setbacks due to inflation, and other obstacles given the state of the construction industry. This impacts every aspect of a project, from broader concepts like the overall cost or timeline of a project down to the finer details, like the finishes and materials available as well as furniture and interior pieces that can be delivered in time to meet deadlines.

This process places an increased emphasis on collaboration with clients, communicating alterations throughout the process and ensuring that they feel informed and valued.

Talk about sustainability. What are you doing?

Jesse Maas, Director of Operations: Here at Junction Bakery & Bistro, we are working hard to track and reduce waste. We also make it our mission to source the best ingredients for all of our handcrafted items with sustainability in mind.

Are you optimistic about how the marketplace has responded to everything happening today?

Noe Landini, Managing Director: Always. We are constantly amazed at the speed at which trends appear, grow and take over. We are always ready to adapt to the needs of the guest and see change as an opportunity to grow and be introduced to new “regulars.”

What is your growth plan?

What areas are you targeting?

Noe Landini, Managing Director: Our newest area targeted for a fall opening is the Mosaic District. We’ve partnered with another restaurant group, Commonplate Hospitality, to open a very exciting, customized Junction in a cool space, the development itself being home to a drive-in movie theater! You’ll see elements of that in our design for the new location.

What trends are you seeing?

David Shove-Brown: Post-pandemic, consumer expectations are changing and evolving. Embracing key concepts such as multi-functional spaces, clever takeout design, usage of QR codes, and flexible seating options could give businesses the competitive edge they need to thrive; embracing modern design trends and thinking beyond temporary solutions to optimize the success of the brand and satisfy the shift in customer perspective.

What’s the secret to creating a “must visit” restaurant environment in today’s competitive landscape?

David Shove-Brown: Creating an authentic experience for diners is key to establishing spots as a “must-visit” in such a competitive landscape. Authenticity is about digging deep and not just taking the first answer; it is subtle. It’s understanding the story and the culture and the meaning behind the dining experience.

It’s about designing spaces that engage and immerse guests in their environment, giving them the opportunity to form a genuine connection with the brand. Design can intrigue a visitor to want to know more, hopefully provoking questions and conversation, and of course, a return visit.

What’s today’s consumer looking for?

Noe Landini, Managing Director: Today’s consumer is looking for consistency, freshness, married with a comfortable atmosphere, caring service, and convenience. Consumers are looking for fresh and aesthetically pleasing food with unique flavor profiles that nod to the comfort foods they know and love.

They also are looking for unique “photo worthy” cocktails and coffees that will give them something fun to post and show off. Perhaps most important of all, today’s consumer is looking for positive human connection; if you can provide that, they’ll come back over and over again.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list?

Kieran Randall, Creative Director: We are busy working on elevating our grab-and-go offerings in order to better fit the needs of our busy patrons who don’t always have time for a traditional sit-down meal. Overall, we stride to stand out as a restaurant; stand out from the noise.

Describe a typical day.

Shannon Cooke, Manager: The day begins with an early rise to bake and prep. It’s 7 AM, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I make my way through the beautiful black double doors of Junction Bakery, Chevy Chase. I dismiss the alarm, blast some energetic tunes, and we get to work. We begin brewing coffees, calibrating our new espresso machine, and lastly, set up our fresh baked pastries for the day.

The aromas of fresh coffee, espresso, and fresh bread are simply intoxicating in the best way. At 8 AM the doors open, and we greet our guests with a smile, ready to enhance their morning on their way into work. As a manager I wear many hats, but my main focus is “you.” You, us, we, we the people of the Chevy Chase community.

For the rest of the day we serve, hustle, and engage with our customers.

Tell us what makes your brand so unique?

Noe Landini, Managing Director: We can carry our patrons from their morning coffee run before work or dropping the kids off at school through their working lunch. We can also provide them with an engaging Happy Hour and a delicious dinner to satisfy a wide range of taste preferences. CCR