business closing

Restaurant 3 in Clarendon to Close

By ARLnow.com

Restaurant 3 (2950 Clarendon Blvd) will serve its last meals tonight (June 1).

The Clarendon restaurant has announced that it will close its doors for good after last call tonight. Co-owner Jonathan Williams says he and fellow co-owner Greg Cahill, who also owns nearby Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Boulevard), have decided to sell the 221-seat restaurant.

“It has been a fun and exciting ride,” Williams said of the restaurant’s four and a half years in business. “I’m very appreciative for the neighborhood support. I’m proud of my staff and proud of what we’ve built.”

Restaurant 3 opened in October 2007 and served what was described as “classic American cuisine accented with innovative, regional twists.” Rebranded as “3 Bar and Grill” in 2010, the restaurant became notable for its pig roasts and annual Bacon Week, which earned it airtime on Sunday Night Football and the Travel Channel.

Williams declined to discuss the decision to sell the restaurant, but admitted that Clarendon has become an increasingly competitive market for restaurants. Just two weeks ago Market Tavern, another large restaurant along Clarendon Boulevard, closed amid bankruptcy proceedings.

“I think everybody’s aware of how competitive this neighborhood is,” Williams said.

Williams confirmed that another restaurant will eventually take 3’s place, but would not reveal the identity of the new restaurant or its owners. He also emphasized that nothing will change at Whitlow’s, where he used to serve as general manager before opening Restaurant 3 with Cahill.

“The [Whitlow’s] rooftop has been successful and we’ll continue to operate over there,” he said.

Williams was vague about future plans, but said that he hopes to do something bacon-related again. For the time being, he’s focused on finding new jobs for the restaurant’s 35-40 employees. Anyone interested in hiring his restaurant employees, he said, should email [email protected].

Photo via Facebook

Market Tavern in Clarendon Closes

By ARLnow.com

Seven months after opening, Market Tavern in Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd) has closed its doors.

The steak-centric restaurant opened last year over Thanksgiving weekend, following extensive renovations to the former Harry’s Tap Room. The revamped restaurant featured a bar and lounge area downstairs and a dining area called the “Chophouse” upstairs. Overall seating was reduced during renovations — from 275 to 155 — and pricing was raised in conjunction with the eatery’s more upscale vibe.

Market Tavern’s menu included steaks, burgers, flatbreads, and other entrees, in addition to 26 beers on tap, 70 wines by the glass, and a selection of hand-crafted cocktails. There was also a self-serve “bread bar” upstairs.

Owner and restaurant industry veteran Michael Sternberg acknowledged that the pricey renovations left him with little financial wiggle room once business did not meet initial expectations, but he says he’s still not sure why Market Tavern never quite caught on with diners.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and I thought this was a terrific restaurant,” Sternberg said. “I liked the service, I liked the food, I liked the decor, and I don’t know why we didn’t catch on in this neighborhood. I spend my nights awake just wondering about it.”

Reviews of Market Tavern were mixed, at best. The Washington Post’s Tim Carman said he’d go to the nearby Ray’s the Steaks over Market Tavern “nine times out of 10,” and Yelp reviewers gave the restaurant 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Market Tavern served its final customers last night after Sternberg reached an agreement to sell the restaurant last Friday, May 11. The restaurant is expected to remain closed for several months while the new owners obtain permits and make changes to the space for a new restaurant concept.

Sternberg declined to identify the new owners, except to describe them as “local, well-established restaurateurs.”

Market Tavern has been in bankruptcy since February. A bankruptcy court must approve the sale before the restaurant can officially change hands, Sternberg said.

Sauca Restaurant on Columbia Pike Closes

By ARLnow.com

 

Less than a year after it first opened, Sauca restaurant at 4707 Columbia Pike has apparently closed.

The eatery was shuttered and dark last night, with only a single piece of printer paper in the door to announce its demise. It read: “Regretably [sic] Sauca has closed this location. Thank you for your patronage and wishing you all the health and happiness in the world.”

Sauca was unique in that it took the menu from an existing fleet of food trucks and tried to build a brick-and-mortar restaurant around it. Despite the fact that it added a lush outdoor patio, a liquor license, and happy hour specials to the food-truck-to-restaurant formula, we’re told that Sauca still struggled to attract a consistent customer base to its slightly off-the-beaten-path location.

Sauca is owned by Farhad Assari, a former international investment banker who left a lucrative gig in Dubai to move closer to his family and pursue his culinary dreams. The Sauca Twitter account has not been active since last Tuesday.

Sam’s Corner in Clarendon to Close?

By ARLnow.com

The mysterious Sam’s Corner deli at 3201 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon may be getting ready to close, according to a tipster.

The no-nonsense, cash-only deli has fascinated some locals with its irregular hours, its general lack of customers, and its ability to remain in business in a high-rent area. But the business may be closing soon after all.

The daughter of the older couple who own the deli has told friends that her parents will be shutting down the restaurant, perhaps by the end of the month, according to our tipster. The owners have simply decided to retire, we’re told.

An emailed request for comment was not returned.

Photos: Getting Ready for Office Construction in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

About a month from now, in early May, a groundbreaking is expected to be held for a new 280,000 square foot mixed-use office project in Clarendon.

In the meantime, the block on which the project will be built (3001-3003 Washington Boulevard) is looking more and more like a ghost town.

Chains and “no trespassing” have gone up around the block. The former BB&T Bank has been boarded up, as has the former Eleventh Street Lounge and Potomac Crossfit locations. The block’s long-time stalwart, T.A. Sullivan and Son cemetery monuments, now has a sign outside announcing its new location, in Vienna, and thanking the community “for allowing us to serve you for more than 100 years.”

BB&T Bank, meanwhile, also has a new location. The bank branch has moved into the old PNC Bank space at 3033 Wilson Boulevard, near the Clarendon Metro station.

The office project’s developer, Penzance, says it expects to wrap up construction in “early 2014.”

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Clarendon Spa, Tanning Salon Relocates

By ARLnow.com

Update at 10/4/12 — Phantacee Salon and Spa did not permanently close. It relocated to 2814 Washington Blvd in Lyon Park.

There has been some turnover among spas and salons in Clarendon.

The Phantacee Hair Salon and Spa at 3033 Wilson Boulevard recently closed up shop. Signs in the window indicate that a Casal’s dé Spa and Salon location will be opening in its stead.

Casal’s, which currently has two locations in northeastern Ohio, describes itself as a full-service, non-tipping salon.

“We operate with a team of hair, color, nail, massage therapy and esthetic experts committed to the health and beauty of our clients,” the Casal’s website says. “From day one, Casal’s has been a departmentalized salon and spa, staffed with the best professionals in their fields.”

Meanwhile, the Hollywood Tans location at 3000 N. Washington Boulevard has also closed. Customer accounts were moved over to the newer Palm Beach Tan location at 2900 Wilson Boulevard. Hollywood Tans customers were notified of the change via email last Friday.

 

Castro’s Bakery Closed in Bluemont

By ARLnow.com

 

The Bluemont location of Castro’s Bakery is no more.

The family-owned bakery closed about a month ago, we’re told. Signs have been taken down from the storefront at 5515 Wilson Boulevard and all equipment has been removed from the interior.

An employee at Castro’s Seven Corners location (6276 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church) confirmed that that location has remained open. So far, there’s no official word on why the Arlington location closed.

Las Delicias Restaurante Closes

By ARLnow.com

It appears that Las Delicias Restaurante (1621 S. Walter Reed Drive) has closed.

A tipster first noticed that the Latin/Mexican restaurant was closed and its sign had been painted over two weeks ago. As of Thursday afternoon, there was still no activity inside the eatery.

Las Delicias had poor reviews on Yelp — a cumulative average of only 2 out of 5 stars — and was the scene of a violent brawl in January.

Hat tip to Tony B.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

‘Housing 4 Hipsters’ Attracts a Crowd — Arlington’s inaugural “Housing 4 Hipsters” event attracted a crowd of about 100 young people Monday night, though it seems unlikely that any of the attendees were actually “hipsters” in the literal sense. [Washington City Paper]

ShoeFly to Close — Clarendon shoe store ShoeFly is closing up shop after 10 years in business. The store is planning on holding a going-out-of-business sale. [Washington Business Journal]

Va. Congressional Districts Approved — The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Virginia’s redrawn congressional districts, allowing the state’s congressional primaries to move ahead on time. The primaries are scheduled for June 12. [Office of the Attorney General]

‘Green Patriot’ Award Nominations — George Mason University is seeking nominations for its “Arlington Green Patriot” awards. The award “recognizes an individual, business or organization that exemplifies sustainability in more than one aspect of their recent life or operations to better civic life in Arlington.” An online nomination form is available. The deadline for nominations is March 30.

Will Chevys Restaurant in Pentagon City Close Next?

By ARLnow.com

With the Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant in Ballston Common Mall (pictured) now permanently closed, is the Chevys location in Pentagon City (1201 S Hayes Street) far behind?

A source who had advance knowledge of the closing of the Ballston Chevys tells ARLnow.com that the financially-troubled restaurant chain is indeed planning on closing the Pentagon City location, perhaps as soon as this weekend or next week.

That’s contrary to what employees at the restaurant told us. A Chevys Pentagon City employee said earlier this week that the eatery was “going strong” and would remain open.

Chevys Pentagon City is one of the county’s larger restaurants, with a seating capacity of over 150.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Office Vacancies Up — Arlington and Alexandria were the only two D.C. area markets that saw a significant increase in office vacancies in 2011, according to recently-released data. Arlington, which had the lowest office vacancy rate at the end of 2010, ended 2011 with the same vacancy rate as the District of Columbia. The loss of government office tenants as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act is said to be to blame for the rise in vacancies. [Washington Post]

Howell Tries to Insert Viagra Provision Into Abortion Bill — State Sen. Janet Howell (D), who represents part of Arlington, tried to insert a bit of “gender equity” into a bill being considered by the Virginia Senate. The bill, SB484, would require that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her fetus. Howell’s amendment, which was narrowly defeated along party lines yesterdsay, would have required men to receive a “digital rectal exam and cardiac stress test” before receiving a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication. [Blue Virginia]

Eleventh Street Lounge Closes — Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon closed up shop over the weekend to make way for a new office development. The restaurant’s management is reportedly hoping to relocate to a new space, at least temporarily. [Clarendon Nights]

Marine Beaten in Crystal City — Updated at 9:00 a.m. — NBC4 is revealing new details about a malicious wounding incident reported in last week’s Arlington County crime report. A Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan and who’s up for a Silver Star medal was severely beaten with a club outside the 7-Eleven on 23rd Street in Crystal City. The attack, which was caught on surveillance video, may have been precipitated by a racial comment. [NBC Washington]

Photo courtesy Dan Gifford

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