In just over a month, Downtown’s Union Trust building will host a new breakfast and lunch spot supercharged by the same culinary forces behind Ritual House.
Legacy Realty Partners announced yesterday that The Common Good would open in the space previously occupied by international chain Freshii.
Herky Pollock, Legacy’s president and CEO, says the eatery’s name, The Common Good, is equal parts title and promise.
“We’re going to have a component of our menu where people will be asked to — if they want — either round up to the next highest dollar or even pay for a meal for the common good,” Pollock says. “Then, people … who can’t afford a meal can simply press a button for the common good and be able to have a free meal paid for by people giving back.
“We want to help those who might be in need of temporary help, and we also want to be part of the fabric of Downtown.”
The Common Good is “just down the hall” from Ritual House — Legacy Realty’s highly Instagrammable concept that is especially popular for brunch — and will similarly be supported by chef Ed Smith and front-of-house lead Amanda Smith.
Gnocchi from Ritual House, another restaurant operated by Legacy Realty, chef Ed Smith and Amanda Smith. Photo courtesy of Ritual House.
The Common Good will serve salads, grain bowls, soups, sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls and baked goods. Pollock didn’t divulge any menu specifics, but says the food quality will be on par with Ritual House and Legacy’s Shadyside restaurant Palm Palm.
“ We’re trying to tap into what some of the hot trends are nationwide … and provide a little different offering that truly complements Ritual House, but we’re also going to have different daily and weekly features that our chefs at Ritual House can work with us on that we can carry over to The Common Good,” he says.
“More and more fast-casual concepts are skinnying-down their menu, having less and less items. We’re going the other direction — we keep adding things to give people more variety … and even customization, which may be crazy, but we’re going to do it anyway.”
Conceptualization for The Common Good began about three to four months ago, according to Pollock, and was expressly created with the Downtown storefront in mind.
He says the Union Trust building’s management, The Davis Cos., had created a wishlist of items for the space after polling tenants. When Pollock — who had listed the space for them — caught wind of what the tenants wanted, he told The Davis Cos., “no one really does that.”
“Well, why don’t you do it?” he recalls them responding.
The Common Good will join the roster of Downtown lunch spots just ahead of PNC Bank’s Return to Work order for remote and hybrid employees. The order means that, come Monday, May 4, all PNC employees will be in the bank’s Fifth Avenue office five days a week.
“ I see voids from time to time,” Pollock says. “That’s how Ritual House got started, and that’s how The Common Good got started.”
“We want to do our part to give back, to help people have a reason to come back Downtown, work there, vacation there and live there.”
Pollock says The Common Good is currently under construction and is planned to open on Sunday, March 1.