Andy Mercy’s light bulb moment came in 1998, in the form of a burrito, specifically Avatar’s Punjabi Burrito. The Mill Valley native knew this new concept would eventually take off, and after selling his tech business in 2011, he joined up with Colombian chef Walter Abrams — who had trained at French Laundry — to create Dabba, along with inspirational partner Ashok Kumar of Avatar’s. Inspired by the dabbawala deliverymen of Mumbai, who seamlessly deliver homemade lunches to thousands of people at work each day, the restaurant has the mission of providing healthy, beautiful fare for under $20 in less than five minutes (in-store). Dabba’s bowls, burritos and tacos include grains, beans, seasonal veggies and a house blend of toppings that lend spice, sweetness, creaminess and tartness. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available.
WHO Andy Mercy, CEO and founder of Dabba
WHAT Healthy, fast, fine-casual Indian fusion
WHERE 2240 Chestnut Street, S.F., 415.236.3984, dabba.com
This article originally appeared in Marin Magazine’s print edition with the headline: “What’s Hot: Fine and Fast Fusion”
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
