The story of Foggy Bottom Grocery began over 60 years ago when the doors first opened in 1946. Some of Foggy Bottom’s older residents even remember dishing out pennies for gumballs when they were little. Ah, the good old days! For decades, the grocery was a meeting spot as much as a store, with a special place in the community’s heart. Where else could you get your groceries and your gossip all at once?
Unlike residents, GW students have always run to Foggy Bottom Grocery less for the gab and more for the goods. In 2002, Devlin Keating and Kris Hart, two Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity brothers at GW’s Business School, made so many trips to the neighborhood store that they nicknamed it “FoBoGro.” In 2007, Daniel Blake moved to Foggy Bottom as a freshman at GW and quickly became a FoBoGro-er as well. For daily needs, exam week, and late night cram sessions, FoBoGro always came through in the clutch.
It’s hard to let a good thing go, so Devlin, Kris and Daniel hated watching Foggy Bottom Grocery fall into disrepair. Determined to keep the business alive, they took over the store in 2009. With a respect for its history and a vision for the future, they began renovations to re-launch FoBoGro as a grocery store and sandwich shop. Where Foggy Bottom Grocery was once a meeting spot, they decided FoBoGro would be a movement - inventive food, friendly faces, a vintage feel and a modern finish.
The doors to FoBoGro proudly reopened in 2009, welcoming the Foggy Bottom community back into their favorite neighborhood store, but with a fresh spin. Residents still find the staples they were used to, but can also shop from a modern selection, including energy drinks and artisan oils. From vintage candy to inventive sandwiches, salads and soups, FoBoGro now serves up a full menu of classic and creative items. Basically, whatever the community could possibly need, FoBoGro has their back!
