Photo credit: ARLnow
If there’s one thing hockey players like it’s pasta. For eight years, Capitals players flocked to the Vapiano on Wilson Boulevard, just a few blocks away from Kettler. At the end of June, however, the German-owned chain closed down its Arlington location. Upon hearing the news, Liam O’Brien, who skated 13 games with the Capitals last season, was crushed.
“It closed down?!” O’Brien asked when I gave him the news. “Oh my god, that’s disappointing. I’m devastated. Vapiano was great for pregame meals. I thought that was my spot here, but I guess it’s gone.”
While distraught, O’Brien was able to muster up a theory as to why the restaurant closed. Ordering was done using a card, with different stations for different types of food. Despite the quality, it was a confusing process that often led to long lines. Now, O’Brien will have to find something new.
“I guess I’ll have to move on,” he said. “I’m a Chipotle fan. Don Tito’s, I’ve been there. They’ve got pretty good tacos and stuff there.”
“I was living in the hotel last year for the two and a half months I was here,” he added. “I think I just stayed on the street. I bounced around. I like the Which Wich.”
