Casey Patten and David Mazza had finished installing and stocking the shelves just minutes before they opened the door — if not the massive garage door — for the preview party of their second location of Taylor Gourmet.

If the original Taylor on H Street NE moved the traditionally cramped, craggy, and oily Philly hoagie shop into the modern era, complete with sleek industrial interiors designed as much for form as function, then the latest shop at CityVista raises the aesthetic bar even higher. Reclaimed oil drums hang from the ceiling in the main dining room. Drywall buckets are suspended from the ceiling near the ordering counter. Scrap metal has been reformed into a communal table near the market shelves, and reclaimed brick has been cut, cleaned, and applied to the back wall.

It’s green, and it’s cool.

As I eyeballed the place, half looking for beer to help me make it through this party filled with complete strangers, I asked Mazza the obvious question: Is this just the second of many Taylors to come?

He nodded yes but told me that he and Patten have no interest in franchising the shop. They always want to keep some control over the business.

First, of course, we’ll have to see how TG2 turns out. It’s one thing to run, supply, manage, and oversee the quality of one restaurant. It becomes trickier with two.

Taylor Gourmet II opens to the public on Friday. It’s located at 485 K St. NW in the CityVista development. Its phone is (202) 289-8001. ReadysetDC has more (and far better photos) of the preview party here.

David Mazza

A second use for drywall buckets

Lots of shelf space for oils, pastas, sauces

Patten and Mazza: hungry for more Taylors