Both Heidi’s and Sister’s were founded in Denver, Colorado by Steve Naples, who grew up in northern New Jersey and often enjoyed Brooklyn’s pizza and deli fare, as well as the mussels dishes offered by a Sicilian pizzeria in his neighborhood. Both Heidi’s and Sister’s became highly popular in Denver, and are now being franchised all over the country.
The NoMa franchisee is a group headed by local resident Ian Swain and Ruston Spurlock, formerly Vice President of the Chicago-based advertising agency Leo Burnett Worldwide. The NoMa Heidi’s will be the second store in Washington, D.C.; Sister’s is the very first outlet of this growing national chain in the D.C. metropolitan area. Both stores are under the day-to-day management of culinary operations manager Bernard Wrenn.
Heidi’s Brooklyn Deli will feature such deli favorites as pastrami, corned beef, lox, Reubens, cheesesteaks, roast beef, turkey, BLT, and more. All sandwiches are served on fresh-baked breads made on premises including ciabatta, rye, pumpernickel, Italian, and sourdough. Heidi’s also serves fresh salads, wraps, soups, healthy smoothies, breakfast selections, cheesecake, and other treats. Its motto is: “If you think you can find a better deli, just fuggedaboudit!”
Sister’s Pizza & Mussels, named after the founder’s two pizza-loving daughters, specializes in New Jersey-style pizza, calzones, jumbo wings, steamed mussels with various sauces, steamed clams, fried calamari, and even a pizza with mussels and other seafood toppings.
“We are proud that we have been able to lease to local entrepreneurs who are offering unique restaurant concepts,” said Carla Merritt of LeDroit Park Development Company. Added Robert Tack of Capital Retail Group: “With Pound Coffee, Five Guys, and now Heidi’s, and Sister’s, NoMa is getting a nice variety of restaurant options with high-quality food at fair prices.”
“We are excited about the new retail amenities coming to NoMa that will serve thousands of office workers, including employees of the EEOC who recently moved to NoMa, as well as nearby residents, including students at Gallaudet University who have long wanted a convenient high-quality pizza restaurant,” said Elizabeth Price, President of the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID). “We expect to have a number of additional new retail lease announcements early this year.”
NoMa is an emerging mixed-use neighborhood north of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Washington, D.C. Private developers have invested over $1 billion in 2007-2008 alone, with plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID over the next 10 years. For more information about the BID, including an interactive development map, see the BID Web site at http://nomabid.wpengine.com.