Former US President Obama lunches with former vice president Joe Biden at bakery that supports veterans

WASHINGTON - Former United States President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden had lunch at a Washington D.C bakery on Monday (July 30) and social media pounced.

The duo, known for their close friendship during their White House stint which inspired dozens of Obama-Biden bromance internet memes, dropped by Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown. The bakery is a social entrepreneurship aimed at providing employment and support to disabled war veterans and their families.

The visit was a surprise to the bakery staff, who posted on their Twitter account: "Look who stopped by @DogTagBakery for lunch today! Thank you @BarackObama and @JoeBiden for supporting our mission of empowering veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and military caregivers!"

According to the bakery's Facebook page, which shared a video of the two at the lunch spot, Mr Obama and Mr Biden spoke to veterans working in the bakery and gave them "words of encouragement" about their entrepreneurial ambitions.

Mr Obama and Mr Biden both ordered the ham and Gruyere sandwich, which comes shallot-infused jam on ciabatta. While Mr Obama opted for fennel salad to go with his lunch, Mr Biden chose a mint basil blueberry cake for dessert.

A Time article which ran an interview with Dog Tag Inc's chief executive officer Meghan Ogilvie said the bakery found out about the visit less than 10 minutes in advance.

Ms Ogilvie was quoted as saying: "It was unbelievable, an amazing visit. They were so gracious with their time, so incredibly humble and lovely.

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"They gave time to all of our fellows in the programme, embraced all of them, shook hands, took selfies. They stopped to listen and ask, 'Where did you serve? Where did your loved one serve?'"

Mr Obama and Mr Biden had told Ms Ogilvie that they had been following Dog Tag's work for some time.

When the pair left the bakery, they were greeted with cheers and also stopped to take photographs with the crowd.

Mr Obama, whose presidential term ended in 2017, has been making a few surprise appearances lately as he was recently spotted at a Beyonce and Jay-Z concert in Maryland with his wife Michelle Obama.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.