Around Town

Arlington’s Pupatella ranked as one of the world’s best pizza chains

By James Jarvis
Pupatella in South Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s Pupatella has been recognized by an international pizza ranking guide as one of the premier pizza chains worldwide.

The Italy-based guide 50 Top Pizza gave Pupatella and a few dozen other notable pizza chains special mention alongside its “50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains 2023” list, an annual selection of the best pizzerias in the world.

“Their style, highly appreciated by the public, nods to contemporary Neapolitan-style pizza,” 50 Top Pizza said on its website.

“On the menu, you’ll find pizzas divided between red and white, all traditionally topped with ingredients often of Italian origin,” the website description continued. “The Napoli Street Snack section dedicated to fried items is a must-try.”

Founded by Naples, Italy natives Enzo Algarme and his wife Anastasiya Laufenberg, the pizzeria started as a modest pizza cart near the Ballston Metro station in September 2007.

Almost three years later, the duo opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 5104 Wilson Blvd — which nearly closed at one point — in the Bluemont neighborhood in 2010.

Since its inception, Pupatella has garnered numerous awards and this week, Algarme welcomed the news that Pupatella was mentioned in the guide.

“At Pupatella, we believe in doing things the old-fashioned way, which is why I think we’ve become a staple in our community since opening in 2007,” he said in a statement to ARLnow.

“We also feel it’s important to invest in the community that gave us our start to build long lasting relationships instead of following trends,” he continued. “We try to be the kind of place where people come back to because they grew up going there — and they know the experience they’re going to get when they come to any of our locations.”

The pizza chain has expanded to seven additional locations across the D.C. area, including another in Arlington on S. Walter Reed Drive, and outlets in D.C., Reston, Springfield, the Mosaic District, Leesburg and Richmond, Virginia.

It intends to open four new locations in D.C., Alexandria and Chantilly, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland, according to its website.

Feature

A Yorktown alum sold his first startup before he had a diploma. Now he’s onto the next venture.

By Jo DeVoe

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

By the time Arlington native Roger Nowakowski graduated from Yorktown High School, he had already founded and sold his first startup venture.

Nowakowski, who grew up in the Woodmont neighborhood, built an app for people trying to get their hands on the next hot product in the luxury goods market — especially sneakerheads. He founded it at 16, as a high school sophomore when he was stuck at home at the height of the pandemic.

Limited-edition shoes from brands such as Nike and Adidas sell out online within seconds, which he says made it borderline impossible for a human to manually buy the product. His app allowed users to, for instance, purchase a single pair or mass quantities of shoes at the press of a button.

“Sneaker resellers would use my product to buy these hyped sneakers on drop in mass, to then sell on the aftermarket for profit,” he said noting, sneakers can sometimes sell at 10 times their retail price on the aftermarket.

Some 1,500 paying users made more than $1.4 million in purchases through the app before he sold it in 2021, when he was 17 years old. He graduated from Yorktown a year later and went straight into coding for other projects.

“I felt more alive than ever through the pursuit of knowledge out of genuine curiosity in areas I was passionate about,” he said. “After exiting from my first project, I was extremely eager to get back to work.”

For the next two years, he would work with a Miami-based team on a blockchain app for music artists. Now, he is a founding engineer at Waves, a venture capital-backed platform connecting brands looking to advertise with social media influencers.

It launched on the App Store this September, the Denver Business Journal reported.

From left: Josh Jacobs, Allison Swope, Bruce Weaver, Roger Nowakowski and Justin Schwartz (courtesy photo)

“I was the first engineer and employee hire,” said Nowakowski. A colleague referred him to the founder of Waves, Bruce Weaver, when the platform was just an idea.

Typically, brands select leading influencers to make paid promotional posts to market their products. Waves allows people with smaller Instagram and TikTok followings to buy products from participating brands — at a discount — if they make promotional content within two weeks. Brands then pay creators based on how well this content does.

Waves is poised for significant growth next year, Nowakowski said.

“We’re setting ambitious milestones; 100,000 creators and processing over $1 million in total creator payouts,” he said. “We want to expand the creator economy while delivering unparalleled returns on ad spend for brands leveraging [user-generated content].”

Nowakowski credits his computer science teacher at Yorktown for helping him launch his first app — and thus, his career.

“At the time, Mr. [Greg] Rusk made an effort to align what we were learning in [computer science] with what I was building personally,” he said. “Not only was he a great teacher, but given his experience building software, he was easily relatable to, and guided me on the right path in class.”

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Sponsored

Listing of the Day: 2607 Washington Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Address: 2607 Washington Blvd
Neighborhood: Lyon Park
Type: 3 BR, 2 (+1 half) BA single-family detached – 1920 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,274,900

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This charming 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home perfectly blends classic character with thoughtful modern updates. The handsome brick exterior and flagstone retaining wall create exceptional curb appeal, enhanced by professional landscaping and private off-street parking for three cars. Inside, wood floors flow throughout both levels, complemented by fresh modern paint and abundant natural light.

The renovated kitchen showcases granite countertops, painted paneled cabinetry with brushed nickel hardware, a marble tile backsplash, pendant lighting, spacious pantry, and stainless steel appliances including a Bosch dishwasher, LG refrigerator, and five-burner gas stove. The adjoining family room features a cozy wood-burning fireplace with brick hearth and wood mantel, plus a sliding glass door leading to a large deck overlooking a fully fenced backyard with lush landscaping and a storage shed.

Upstairs, the expansive primary suite offers a deep walk-in closet, additional custom-organized closet, and a luxurious private bath with double sinks, granite counters, new lighting, and upgraded hardware. Two additional bedrooms with ceiling fans share an updated hall bath featuring a granite vanity, ceramic tile floor, and tub with tile surround.

Additional highlights include a newer Carrier gas furnace, State water heater, LG front-load washer and dryer, central vacuum system, and double-pane windows. Ideally located just blocks to Clarendon Metro and minutes to downtown D.C., the Pentagon, National Landing, and local parks and trails—this home delivers a rare combination of comfort, convenience, and timeless charm.

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Listed by:
Rob Ferguson – RE/MAX Allegiance
[email protected]
(703) 926-6139

News

Extra ACPD patrols looking for DUI drivers during the holidays

By ARLnow.com
Police officer conducts traffic stop during ACPD’s November 2023 Street Smart campaign in Courthouse (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Expect more cops on Arlington roads through New Year’s Day.

As part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign — tagline this year: “Drink and drive and you’ll see more than holiday lights” — Arlington County police have increased patrols through Jan. 1.

“Motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers,” ACPD said in a press release.

The holidays are typically a dangerous time on the roads, due to a rise in alcohol-related crashes.

The extra patrols started this past Friday. The full press release is below.

The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign to remind motorists to keep the busy holiday season merry and bright by never getting behind the wheel after drinking. If your holiday festivities include alcohol, plan a sober ride home before the celebration begins – whether it’s by using a ridesharing service, taxi, public transportation, or designated sober driver.

The annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aims to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement. From December 15, 2023 – January 1, 2024, motorists nationwide can expect to see increased messaging about the dangers of driving under the influence, coupled with increased saturation patrols to identify and apprehend impaired drivers.

Tragically, December can be a dangerous time for travelers. According to NHTSA, during the 2017-2021 December months, there were more than 4,500 people killed nationwide in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. More parties and festivities celebrating the season can lead to more people making the dangerous decision to get behind the wheel after drinking. That is why ACPD is working with NHTSA to remind drivers of this important safety message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Celebrate the Season Responsibly

The Arlington County Police Department encourages you to follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and joyous:

  • Before you have even one drink, plan a way to get home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the safest choice.
  • The Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s 2023 Holiday SoberRide program is offering free rides home, in partnership with Lyft, from Friday, December 15, 2023, until Monday, January 1, 2024, nightly between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.
  • If you see a suspected impaired driver on the roadway, report to your local law enforcement. To report a suspected impaired driver in Arlington County, call the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.
  • Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the 2023 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit the NHTSA website.

Announcement

Free Beer Tasting at The Brew Shop Features Black Narrows Founder

By The Brew Shop

The Brew Shop is excited to announce this week’s Friday night tasting with Chincoteague Island VA’s Black Narrows Brewing will feature Founder and Head Brewer Josh Chapman. Josh will be on site to chat all things beer and Black Narrows from 5-7pm on Friday, 5/5 – including discussing their 2023 Good Food Award winning lager, How Bout it. The tasting is free for all (ages 21+).

The Brew Shop is a local specialty beer and wine store in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood located at 2004 Wilson Blvd, and holds free beer / wine tastings every Friday from 5-7pm. For more information visit The Brew Shop’s website or follow on social media @arlbrew.

Go to Free Beer Tasting at The Brew Shop Features Black Narrows Founder Read more
News

TSA catches three guns in one day at DCA

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The banner year for gun confiscations at Reagan National Airport is continuing.

TSA agents stopped not one, not two, but three guns from being brought onto planes in carry-on baggage this past Friday. The three separate incidents — involving men from Rockville, Md.; Georgia; and Stafford, Va. — are not related, the TSA said.

So far this year officers have confiscated 37 guns at DCA, up from 29 last year and 14 in 2019.

More, below, from a TSA press release.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport prevented three travelers from carrying their handguns onto their flights today (Friday, Dec. 15). The incidents were not related.

It marked gun numbers 35, 36 and 37 that TSA officers at the airport have detected at the checkpoints so far this year, which is the most guns caught at the airport in a single year and the most caught in a single day. It also follows a national trend in seeing a spike in the number of travelers who are bringing guns to airport checkpoints across the country. The previous high number of firearms stopped at the airport in a single year was 30, which took place in 2021.

Early this morning, TSA officers stopped a Rockville, Md., man who was in possession of a 9mm handgun that was loaded with 16 bullets and was packed alongside a gun magazine that was loaded with 17 additional bullets.

Two hours late, TSA officers stopped a man from Georgia who was in possession of a 9mm handgun. The firearm was not loaded, but it was packed along with 15 accessible bullets.

Then this evening, a third man, this one from Stafford, Va., was stopped with a 9mm handgun loaded with 15 bullets.

The guns were caught as the men entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted the TSA to take a closer look inside the carry-on bags. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police confiscated the guns and cited the individuals on weapons charges.

Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and now each traveler faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

“Today, one of our busiest days of the holiday season, we unfortunately had three passengers bring their firearms to our TSA security checkpoints. Our officers remain engaged and alert and caught these weapons before they could be brought to the aircraft,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “I am disappointed to continue seeing an increasing number of travelers bring their firearms to checkpoints. It’s careless to do so and there is no excuse. Responsible gun owners know where their guns are at all times. These travelers now face a Federal civil penalty that could cost them thousands of dollars.

“The holiday travel season is upon us and this is no time to be toting a gun to our checkpoints, yet this morning it happened twice. That delays everyone and is an accident waiting to happen in a busy, crowded terminal,” Busch added.

Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

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