Meet Bart Yablonsky, Owner

Bart is from Baltimore and began his love of great food as a teen by taking trips to DC with his father to sample the latest and greatest new restaurants. He attended college in New Orleans and continued to develop his interest there. Bart has worked in natural food store leadership in both metro DC and Atlanta. As a small business owner his interests expanded to wellness and green business design owning all-natural Day Spas in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Bart opened Dawson’s in 2012 as the General Manager. He has many years of experience in food and a passion for the environment, community, and a healthy lifestyle.

In October of 2018 Dawson's Market closed under previous ownership. Just 7 short weeks later Bart reopenned Dawson's on December 15th 2018, bringing all the things Rockville loved back to life. In 2024 after renewing their lease for the Rockville location Dawson's faced another obstacle. The landlord had decided to remove Dawson's to make way for a national chain store. Trader Joes would open in 2025 in the Dawson's space. Around the same time Dawson's had been awarded a contract from The University of Maryland to operate the foodservice and catering operations at the Universities at Shady Grove Campus, just a few minutes from their original location.

Today, Dawson's operates the cafeteria at the University of Maryland Shady Grove and offers catering services throughout Maryland and Washington, DC. Our commitment to all-natural ingredients, support for local producers, and ability to meet diverse dietary needs—including Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free options—remains at the heart of everything we do.

Bart is married to Paige who he met through one of his natural food customers, they have a wonderful son and enjoy traveling and finding the best new places to eat.