business closing

Shirlington-Area Pool Hall Lucy’s ARL Closes

By ARLnow.com

Lucy's ARL (photo via Facebook)Lucy’s ARL, a quirky pool hall near Shirlington, has closed its doors.

Via Facebook, the business invited its loyal customer base to “have that last shot” last night (Sunday).

“Due to recent events, Amy and I have been forced to do a little soul searching & have made the heart breaking decision to close Lucy’s Arl Shirlington,” the Facebook page said. “We appreciate all of the love and support y’all have given these last couple of crazy years and will be here til the wee hours to have that last shot and make a few more memories. Brave the cold and get your assets to Lucy’s! Deep discounts and indoor smoking!”

Lucy’s opened in the summer of 2011 at 2620 S. Shirlington Road, replacing the former Champion Billiards. It was run by Misti Wise and Amy Borek, former Champion bartenders who gave Lucy’s a unique personality of its own. Their tagline for the pool hall: “Shrews. Brews. Cues.”

It’s unclear which events led to the closure. Wise and Borek could not be immediately reached for comment.

Photo via Facebook

Red Mango Closes in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Red Mango has closed in Clarendon Red Mango has closed in Clarendon

The Red Mango frozen yogurt shop in Clarendon has closed.

We’re told the store’s last day was Friday. The sign has been removed and the interior has since been almost completely emptied out. Workers could be seen changing the locks today.

Red Mango opened at 2831 Clarendon Blvd on May 21, 2010. It was the first store of its kind to open in Arlington during the most recent frozen yogurt craze. A competitor, Pinkberry, opened one block away in 2011. It remains in business.

The franchisees of the Clarendon Red Mango location could not be reached for comment.

Bailey’s Closes in Crystal City

By Katie Pyzyk

Bailey's closes in Crystal CityBailey’s Sports Grille (2010 Crystal Drive) has closed in Crystal City.

Workers could be seen removing the Bailey’s sign from the building today. The Crystal City location has also been removed from the sports bar’s website.

The Bailey’s in the Ballston Common Mall is still open and employees there did not have any information about any possible plans to close.

A tipster tells ARLnow.com that the space formerly occupied by Bailey’s in Crystal City is being considered for a possible music and comedy venue.

Hat tip to @hamblinj

Leek American Bistro Closed?

By Katie Pyzyk

Leek American Bistro(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) It appears that Leek American Bistro (801 N. Quincy Street) in Ballston may have closed down.

Tipsters report the restaurant has looked deserted for several days. ARLnow.com staff stopped by today (Wednesday) and noted that the restaurant is dark, the doors are locked and the tables have been removed from the dining area.

Leek opened one year ago this month in the former Thai Terrace space.

Last week, Eater DC posted an article saying Leek closed briefly for renovations. The article included a photo of a sign in Leek’s window indicating the restaurant would re-open last Friday, November 8. That sign was not in the window, however, when ARLnow.com staff stopped by today. Nobody could be seen inside the restaurant, performing renovations or otherwise.

Leek’s Facebook page has not been updated since August. The restaurant’s owner could not be reached for comment.

Toscana Grill in Courthouse Changes Management

By Ethan Rothstein

Toscana Grill closesToscana Grill is under new management, resulting in some confusion as to whether the restaurant is actually open.

The Italian restaurant’s website, SpaghettiYaFace.com, was recently updated to say the restaurant was closed for good. However, that site was maintained by Joe Smith, who was managing the restaurant the last two years.

Smith’s contract with Toscana’s owner ended last week, but the restaurant, located in Courthouse Plaza (2300 Clarendon Blvd), has continued operations. Manager Nargis Mughal said some changes are planned, including a new menu.

Smith could not be reached via email, but the Spaghetti Ya Face Facebook page announced Oct. 20 that the restaurant shut down. In a reply to a customer comment, Smith or someone else managing the page wrote about the closure: “tried to plan it for November but [the] owner strong armed us.”

Mughal said Smith did not renew his contract because Smith was starting another restaurant in a new city.

Toscana had to close for more than a month earlier this year after a burst pipe covered the restaurant’s floor with three inches of water. It reopened in late June.

Fatshorty’s in Clarendon to Close

By ARLnow.com

Fat Shorty'sLess than 7 months after opening, Fatshorty’s in Clarendon is set to close.

The restaurant, which specializes in sausages, mussels, beer and cupcakes, will close on Sunday, Oct. 27, according to an email sent to Groupon customers who previously purchased a coupon for Fatshorty’s.

The restaurant was a collaboration between local restaurateur Aaron Gordon (of Red Velvet Cupcakery and other restaurant concepts) and Hell’s Kitchen winner Rahman “Rock” Harper. It opened in April.

“Yes, we are closing,” Gordon confirmed to ARLnow.com this morning. “Our reasoning is that we were not making enough revenue and are being bought by another restaurant group.”

Additional details were not immediately available.

Fatshorty’s offered a “sausage blow out” this past weekend, offering half-off all sausage sandwiches, according to a Facebook post.

Hat tip to Benjamin M. and Richard H.

Baja Fresh, Zpizza Close in Rosslyn

By Ethan Rothstein

Baja Fresh in RosslynThe Baja Fresh and Zpizza in Rosslyn have closed for business.

The restaurants, at 1100 Wilson Blvd, closed earlier this month. In July, the possibility they could close became apparent when Monday Properties, which owns the building, applied for a county permit with plans to combine the two spaces into one restaurant with outdoor seating.

Baja Fresh’s phone is disconnected and the space is closed this afternoon. Much of the interior signage has been removed.

A Zpizza employee at its Lyon Park location confirmed that the Rosslyn location closed last week.

So far, no restaurant has signed a lease for the soon-to-be renovated space, according to Aaron Twersky, marketing director for building owner Monday Properties. However, Monday anticipates signing a restaurant in time for a possible spring or summer 2014 opening.

7-Eleven at Lee Highway and George Mason Closing

By Ethan Rothstein

7-11 on Lee Highway and George Mason closingThe 7-Eleven store at the corner of Lee Highway and N. George Mason Drive is expected to close later this month.

Franchise owner Aziz Ali told ARLnow.com that 7-Eleven’s corporate arm instructed him to close his doors by Oct. 21. The building is owned by Virginia Hospital Center, according to property records.

Ali said he and his wife purchased the 7-Eleven franchise earlier this year — in February, according to a 7-Eleven spokeswoman — but was informed two weeks ago that he would have to shut his doors.

“They didn’t tell us anything else,” Ali said. “We were completely in the dark. I asked ‘what if we don’t want to leave?’ and they said ‘we’ll force you out.'”

Before Ali purchased the location, it was a corporate-owned store. 7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said 7-Eleven has operated on a month-to-month lease with the hospital for two years, and had been in negotiations for a long-term lease, but it “could not be renewed at a favorable rate.”

A representative of Sam Torrey Shoe Service, in the storefront adjacent to 7-Eleven in the building, said that its business would remain open.

Escape DaySpa in Clarendon Closes

By Ethan Rothstein

Escape Day Spa closes (courtesy photo)Escape DaySpa, a nail salon on the ground floor of the Reserve at Clarendon Centre apartments at 3000 Washington Blvd, closed abruptly Monday.

The interior of the space was almost entirely emptied out by Tuesday afternoon, ARLnow.com was told.

The owner left phone numbers for the spa’s nail technicians on the sign, so their regular customers could contact them to try to make appointments elsewhere.

When asked for explanation for the closure, someone answering messages sent to the spa’s email address said only: “The landlord wants the space back after the lease.”

Courtesy photo

Change, Closure for Caribou Coffee in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Caribou Coffee logoThe Crystal City location of Caribou Coffee (2100 Crystal Drive) will be closing at the end of this week and the coffee shop’s Shirlington location will eventually be converted to a Peet’s Coffee and Tea store, ARLnow.com has learned.

According to employees, the Crystal City location will close its doors after Sunday, April 14. The store is currently offering merchandise like coffee, mugs and coffee makers for 50 percent off, we’re told.

The Shirlington location will remain open for now but will be converted to a Peet’s Coffee and Tea store “at some point this fall,” an employee said.

Peet’s, which opened its first store in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, is majority owned by a German private equity firm that purchased the Caribou chain last year. Caribou announced on Monday that it’s closing 80 “underperforming” stores and converting another 88 to Peet’s locations.

Wiinky’s in Ballston to Close

By ARLnow.com

Wiinky's in Ballston (photo via Google Maps)(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Just shy of its two year anniversary, Wiinky’s in Ballston is set to close.

Wiinky’s (3902 Wilson Blvd) will serve its last burgers on Sunday, March 31, according to a sign in the window. Restaurant employees said they were told that Wiinky’s and several other small businesses on the block are closing to make way for a new pet store, possibly a Petco location.

“Unfortunately, the ownership of our building has changed hands and the new landlord has opted not to renew our lease in favor of a large corporation that will pay a much higher price for the space,” the sign said. “We appreciate the support you gave given us the last few years… In the mean time we will be looking for a new location in the Arlington area so don’t be surprised to see a new and improved Wiinkys in the future.”

The burger and hot dog joint opened in April 2011. Despite skepticism about its young owner and its earnest, low-frills food offerings, the restaurant has remained in business and has even attracted a 4/5 star review average on Yelp. A manager tells us business has picked up in the last year and is now “really good,” especially at lunchtime and during late night hours (when it also offers a delivery service).

We’re told that the new Wiinky’s, should it reopen elsewhere, may apply for a permit to serve beer and wine.

“We’re going to keep our ears and eyes open, looking for a place in Arlington,” said owner Ryan Shandel. “If we find a place that’s affordable and makes sense, then we’ll make a move.”

Shandel said the closure is “a sad and sudden thing to happen,” but added that he’s grateful for the support of the community and for the opportunity to learn while on the job. He said he hopes customers will stop by one last time before the restaurant closes on Sunday.

So far, Petco hasn’t responded to a request for comment.

Hat tip to @PeoplesEyebrow. Photo via Google Maps.

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