I-CE-NY closed in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
I-CE-NY in Shirlington appears to have closed.
The windows of the Thai rolled ice cream shop are blacked out, the awning has come down, no equipment appears to be inside, and all signage is gone.
ARLnow reached out to the business for confirmation, but has yet to hear back as of publication. Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), which owns the Village of Shirlington (as well as Pentagon City’s Westpost), also was not able to confirm the closure.
Earlier this week, a tipster sent ARLnow a photo that showed on a sign on the door that read “Store Closed,” before the windows were blacked out.
I-CE-NY opened in Shirlington at 4150 Campbell Avenue just over three years ago. Originally from Thailand, the company specializes in rolled ice cream with mix-ins. In the United States, it first opened in New York before expanding to more than a dozen shops across eight states.
Prior to I-CE-NY, Knits Etc. was in that location in Shirlington.
Along the Mount Vernon Trail near Gravelly Point, with the Capitol in the background (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A motor scooter on the Mt. Vernon Trail at Gravelly Point (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Mattress Store Goes Night Night — From local tweeter @CartChaos22202: “The Mattress Firm location along S. 15th Street in Pentagon City has closed… but try not to lose sleep over it.” [Twitter]
Santa Visiting Fairlington Next Week — “It was touch and go for a while, but it appears Santa Claus will be able to take part in an annual Fairlington tradition after all. The Fairlington Citizens Association is working to bring Saint Nick to the community for his annual ride on an Arlington County fire truck. The event is slated to take place on Saturday, Dec. 11.” [Sun Gazette]
Lane Closure for Bridge Maintenance — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Routine deck maintenance work continues on Shirlington Road Bridge through Dec. 11. One travel lane closed at a time, 7am to 7pm including weekends. West sidewalk remains open.” [Twitter]
Opioid Test Strips Are in Demand — “Months after Arlington County’s Department of Human Services started the pilot program to dispense 100 fentanyl-testing strips, the county is renewing its opioid response grant as demand continues to grow. ‘We were out of those test strips within the first couple of weeks. Since then, since the middle of August, we’ve dispensed 604 test strips,’ said Emily Siqveland, who runs the county’s new Opioid Treatment Program.” [WTOP]
Elections Office Ready for Rerun — “Yes, Virginia, there may be a rerun of all 100 House of Delegates races in the new year. Maybe not, but possibly. If so, personnel in the Arlington elections office will be ready, they say. ‘We’ll just have to wait and see how this process plays out,’ said Gretchen Reinemeyer, the county’s director of elections, in a look-back-and-look-forward report to the county’s Electoral Board on Nov. 30.” [Sun Gazette]
Reminder: Arlies Voting — Don’t forget to cast a vote for your favorite bakery, ARLnow commenter, coffee shop or brunch spot. Voting in the Winter 2022 Arlies awards closes on Monday. [ARLnow]
It’s Friday — It’s going to be a bit windy today, with sunny skies, a low of around 40 and a high near 58. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Sunrise at 7:10 a.m. and sunset at 4:46 p.m. Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 55 and wind gusts up to 20 mph. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 51. [Weather.gov]
Bumble Coffee, a mix of espresso, orange juice, and caramel at This is Fine Coffee (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
After nearly two years of serving up a unique range of coffee — most famously the orange juice-espresso blend called bumble coffee — Kino Coffee (2607 Wilson Blvd) has closed its doors for good.
Owners Anna Tsybko and Jason Blevins said in an Instagram post that the coffee shop and independent movie venue would be closing on Sunday after they decided not to renew their lease.
“This Sunday (11/28) will be Kino Coffee’s last day,” Tsybko and Blevins said. “We made the challenging decision not to renew our lease at 2607 Wilson Blvd. Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey over the last two years!”
The owners emphasized the difficulty of the decision in an email to ARLnow.
“The decision not to renew our lease was a difficult one. With constant and persisting COVID uncertainties we made a challenging decision not to renew our lease,” they wrote. “We announced early last week that it was going to be our last one. We saw nothing but an incredible amount of support from our customers and community in general, who shared how meaningful Kino was to them.”
“We are proud to say that given the unfortunate circumstances of the pandemic we were able to build a healthy business, as well as create this community around our coffee shop,” the owners added. “We received emails, cards, and personal messages that showed so much appreciation and we will always treasure it!”
Kino Coffee, under its original name This is Fine Coffee, replaced the former Blümen Cafe in January 2020 — which unfortunately was just two months before COVID hit Arlington. The cafe added an indie theater and rebranded to a more cinematic feel last December.
The cafe’s legacy will continue in disgusted looks from this reporter’s girlfriend as he mixes coffee, orange juice, and caramel every few days.
Xsport Fitness on Columbia Pike is closing next month (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Xsport Fitness on Columbia Pike is closing next month (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Xsport Fitness is closing its Columbia Pike location on December 15.
A flyer posted on the door of the gym at 2301 Columbia Pike provides confirmation, while noting that “we have outgrown this location!”
While that message seems to suggest that the gym is moving to another location, that does not appear to be the case, at least, as of yet.
ARLnow called the gym and an employee said that the staff was “just as shocked as everyone else” about the closure. They noted all memberships are transferable to other regional locations, including Alexandria, Merrifield, and Woodbridge.
The flyer also says that Arlington members get a “membership upgrade” that’s valued at $200 a year, but employees said that they themselves are not exactly clear what that means.
The location’s general manager also could not provide any more details about why the gym was closing or any relocation efforts.
ARLnow was reached out to Xsport Fitness’s corporate office, but has yet to hear back as of publication.
A decade ago, the gym opened on Columbia Pike as a 24-hour facility. Then, in March 2020, many gyms closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. While gyms were allowed to reopen in the summer, there were significant restrictions. Xsport Fitness reopened, but never moved back to being 24 hours.
ARLnow reached out to to the building owner to see if another business is moving in and leasing the space but has not yet heard received a response.
Thaiphoon at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Thaiphoon in Pentagon City is closing for good this weekend, we’re told, set to be replaced by a “taco temple” in spring 2022.
The Thai restaurant located in Westpost — formerly Pentagon Row — is closing on Sunday, Nov. 21, an employee confirmed to ARLnow. The owners made the decision to not renew their lease at the shopping plaza on S. Joyce Street, we’re told, and there are currently no plans to open another location at this time.
Thaiphoon has been serving customers for more than a decade at Pentagon Row.
This is the first Virginia location of the self-described “taco temple.” The 3,000-square-foot restaurant will serve classic fare like tacos, quesadillas, and margaritas, and is planning to have outdoor seating.
Thaiphoon’s D.C. location is still open, though it’s run by separate ownership than the Arlington location, the employee noted.
A slew of new restaurants and businesses are opening in Westpost over the next year, but that also has come with a number of closings.
Pines of Florence is opening in Cherrydale (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A menu from Pines of Florence, which is opening in Cherrydale (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Pines of Florence is opening in Cherrydale (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated, 11/16) Long-time local restaurant Pines of Florence — and its owner — are each making an unlikely comeback.
The Southern Italian eatery will once again be cooking, this time in Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood, after stints in Virginia Square, Columbia Pike, and Old Town Alexandria, owner Jimmy Khan confirms to ARLnow. It’s coming to 2109 N. Pollard Street, the space formerly occupied by the recently-closed Portabellos restaurant, in a one-story shopping strip just off of Langston Blvd.
The plan is to have a “soft opening” this Saturday, Nov. 20, says Khan, where customers can bring their own beer and wine (there will be a service fee). Khan expects to have their liquor license in about two weeks and will have a “grand opening” then.
The opening comes a year and a half after Khan suffered through a protracted and nearly fatal battle with COVID-19.
“I had a 6% chance of living,” he tells ARLnow. “I was on a ventilator for 40 days. The doctors say it was a miracle I lived.”
During that time and his recovery, he took a long look at his life and decided he needed to do more for his family. That’s why he decided to reopen Pines of Florence.
“God gave me another life, so I wanted to do something for my kids, the next generation,” says Khan.
Pines of Florence’s last location was on King Street in Alexandria in a building that was set for redevelopment. While that was a big reason the restaurant shuttered in June 2020, the closing was also related to Khan’s own battle with COVID and his co-owner (and uncle) retiring.
After some time away, Khan is ready for a restart.
“Being a restaurant owner is in my genes,” he said. “I quit for a while, but I’m re-energized.”
Khan says the plan is to open even more restaurants in the coming years.
The new Pines of Florence will, like the previous iterations, serve pizza, sandwiches, and homemade pasta dishes, as well as beer and wine. It will replace Portabellos: An American Cafe, which closed just this past September, after 15 years serving the Cherrydale and Maywood communities.
Khan says he stands by his June 2020 words about wanting to do more for his community, including creating jobs and helping those less fortunate, particularly after his near-death experience.
“[This restaurant] is going to be meaningful for my family and the community,” he says. “I want to help.”
Time has expired for Spanish tapas restaurant and soccer-watching venue Copa Kitchen & Bar in Ballston.
The establishment at Ballston Quarter mall served its final brunches over the weekend after apparently failing to score with local diners. Of course, stiff opposition — in the form of the pandemic and a labor shortage — probably didn’t help.
Copa opened in March 2019, in a separate space adjacent to the Quarter Market food hall. It offered Spanish-inspired small plates, flatbreads, sangria from its “sangria garden,” outdoor seating and soccer matches on the bar’s TVs.
Late last month, however, Copa announced on its website it would soon close.
We’ve got some news to share about Copa Kitchen & Bar. We’re closing our doors and serving our last brunch on Sunday November 7th. We have had such a good time bringing you our Spanish inspired tapas and being a part of the Ballston Quarter family over the last two years. We want to thank every customer who has dined with us, watched games with us, followed our journey on social media or enjoyed a happy hour with us. We’d like to extend a special thanks to the customers who have supported us (and all restaurants) through the pandemic.
Today workers could be seen in the restaurant space, packing up items and removing some of the fixtures.
It’s the second time in just over a year that a soccer-centric restaurant has shuttered in Arlington. Summers Restaurant in Courthouse closed last fall ahead of a redevelopment project.
The last day for the fast casual stand known for their empanadas and peruvian coffee was Sunday, co-owner Giuseppe Lanzone tells ARLnow.
But the brothers went out in style, hosting a party on Sunday. There were Halloween costumes, free cookies, music, dancers, and alpacas.
“In Virginia, it’s much easier to bring alpacas,” says Lanzone, about the animal that’s native to the Andes and part of Peruvian culture. “Fewer regulations than D.C.”
Giuseppe and his brother Mario Lanzone are originally from Peru, but moved with their family to McLean in 1997. Before going into the food business together, Giuseppe was a two-time Olympic rower for Team USA.
The two started their first food truck in 2013. Soon, that one truck became two, then three. Next, the brothers started working with the Peruvian Embassy in D.C.
This got them enough attention to open their first outpost inside of the Latin market La Cosecha in Northeast D.C., next to Union Market. Soon, they were getting accolades from a number of localmediaoutlets.
But then the pandemic hit.
It was at this time that Lanzone was living on Crystal Drive in Crystal City. He would often go for runs and walks “since there wasn’t much else to do” and passed the unoccupied stand (which was previously a rotating cast of pop-up eateries) at the privately-owned park.
“It was just an empty space. I kept think ‘what would be better than being able to stop outside and grab a coffee and an empanada,'” he says. “I didn’t want the space to go to waste.”
In April 2020, he and his brother partnered with National Landing Business Improvement District and made a deal with park owner JBG Smith to bring their Peruvian cuisine to Crystal City.
For the last 18 months, they’ve been serving out of the stand. But their contract is now up as renovations near.
“It was an incredible experience being part of the community,” Lanzone says. “National Landing BID and JBG were great partners to us.”
The 1.5-acre park at 1601 Crystal Drive is scheduled to undergo renovations during the winter, a spokesperson for JBG Smith confirms to ARLnow. It will reopen in the spring of 2023.
New vendor kiosks, an updated performance platform, a bar with a terrace, and restrooms will all be added. There will also be updates to the water feature, a widening of sidewalks, and improved walking and cycling connections.
What it won’t include, though, is the Peruvian Brothers — but that doesn’t mean they are disappearing from Arlington.
Lanzone said they are in discussions for opening a small brick and mortar in the neighborhood. While nothing is finalized and ready to be announced, there have been “talks” about opening up a new outpost that would be accessible to those who work at Amazon’s nearby HQ2.
“We are big fans of National Landing and Amazon and want to be part of the new development,” Lanzone says. In terms of the neighborhood, the feeling seems to be mutual.
“We have greatly enjoyed and appreciated our collaboration with Peruvian Brothers in National Landing,” said Amy Rice, Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing at JBG Smith. “We were thrilled to be able to offer them a temporary outdoor location during the height of the pandemic, and that setting proved to be a hit for National Landing residents.”
“As the transformation of National Landing continues, we are actively working with Peruvian Brothers to find a more permanent home with us in the neighborhood,” Rice added.
Jimmy John’s in Rosslyn is now closed (Staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Jimmy John’s in Rosslyn has made its last sandwich.
The chain’s location at 1512 Clarendon Blvd in Rosslyn has permanently closed, the franchise owners tell ARLnow.
“Sales simply never recovered after the pandemic,” writes Jessica Manning, who owned the shop along with her father and her husband. “It was a difficult and incredibly emotional decision for us.”
Its last day was September 28, closing after lunch. The family also own the Jimmy John’s in Ballston on N. Quincy Street as well as a location in Woodbridge, Virginia. Both remain open.
Manning says that they were able to find all of their Rosslyn employees other jobs.
“Everyone is healthy and we were able to get all staff members another job immediately so that’s really all that matters,” she writes.
Rappaport Company, which is offering the retail space for lease, tells ARLnow that the space formerly occupied by Jimmy John’s is available and they “are actively marketing the space for lease.”
Jimmy John’s on Clarendon Blvd first opened in 2013, more than eight years ago, in what was then the new-Sedona Slate apartment complex.
That block of Clarendon Blvd has seen a number of openings and closings. Most recently, in 2020, barre fitness studio LavaBarre closed, with dog daycare Playful Pack taking its place this summer.
Zoup! Eatery in Ballston (Photo via Instagram/Zoup! Ballston)
Soup and sandwich purveyor Zoup! is serving its final bowls in Ballston this week.
Jim Beverley, owner of the franchised location at 4401 Fairfax Drive, tells ARLnow that Zoup! is closing this coming Friday, Oct. 15. It opened almost exactly two years ago, in October 2019.
“Regrettably, in the end the pandemic just took too large a bite out of our sales and staffing levels for us to survive,” writes Beverley.
Not only has hiring been difficult for the entire restaurant industry, but many office workers continue to work remotely amid Covid waves, shrinking a large potential lunchtime customer base for fast casual restaurants in business districts, like Zoup!
The restaurant tried to give back to the community amid tough times, providing free and reduced-price catered meals to area clinics, hospitals, and homeless shelters. This includes providing meals to Bridges to Independence and Historic Christ Church in Alexandria, Beverley writes.
The location had stayed open nearly the entire pandemic, but was closed on weekends this summer.
“During that time we were down to one person staffing the store at a time on weekdays,” Beverley notes.
The chain is known for its soups, mac and cheese dishes, and sandwiches. While there are other locations in the region, this is the only one owned by Beverley and the only Zoup! in Arlington.
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Don Zientara poses for a portrait at the main console in Inner Ear Studio in Green Valley in October 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Weitman and Zientara check out a new piece of equipment (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Acme Pie Co. owner Sol Schott looks at the first pressings of albums recorded at Inner Ear Studio, on display in the lounge prior to the studio’s closing (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Art and albums and memorabilia on display at Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Art and albums and memorabilia on display at Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Art and albums and memorabilia on display at Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
First pressings of albums line the wall in the lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
At the former Inner Ear Studios, owner Don Zientara and Mike Weitman, left, work on music Weitman wrote (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Weitman and Zientara check out a new piece of equipment (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Art and albums and memorabilia on display at Inner Ear Studios in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
First pressings of albums line the wall in the lounge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Don Zientara at work at Inner Ear Studios in 2014
No big sign, just a buzzer and a mailbox on a nondescript building in an industrial area in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington’s Inner Ear Recording Studios is secure in its place in music history, no matter what happens next.
The venerated recording music studio tucked away on S. Oakland Street in the Green Valley neighborhood, near Shirlington, is where some of the region’s most iconic punk and rock acts have recorded.
Fugazi, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and, one of the biggest acts in rock, the Foo Fighters, all have plied their trade here in this nondescript, gray building that sits between a brewery and a used tire shop.
There are first pressings of albums recorded there hanging on walls, memorabilia strewn about, and equipment new and old line the studios. The place looks lived in, likely a product of numerous all-nighters and decades gone by.
Some have called it the Abbey Road of Arlington, comparing it to the famed London studio that the Beatles recorded in.
But owner Don Zientara balks at these comparisons and accolades. For him, Inner Ear is home, where he’s been recording music for the last 31 years.
“Sure, I’ll take it but I don’t know” he tells ARLnow. “I just do the work and do the best we can.”
This piece of Arlington and music history, though, will soon come crumbling down.
Earlier this year, Arlington County bought the property that Inner Ear has called home for a generation. The $3.4 million sale was part of an agreement made in June 2019 between the county and the property owner. The plan is to demolish the buildings there, including the recording studio, to make way for an arts and industry district, including space for festivals, markets, movie screenings, and concerts.
Arlington Cultural Affairs director Michelle Isabelle-Stark told the Washington Post that they were essentially saving the property from being bought by a private developer that would put a “self-storage in there.”
Zientara tells ARLnow he’s “all for that” plan and doesn’t seem all that phased about the recording studio’s impeding physical demise. The building, with a leaky roof and dull gray exterior, itself isn’t in great shape, he admits.
While a music studio would certainly fit into an arts district ethos, Zientara — who has a background in electronics — doesn’t think the county would be up for managing one.
“It takes a lot,” he says. “You have to keep it running, keep it working, keep all of the components working, which means a lot of repair and maintenance.”
The county says that Inner Ear has until the end of the year to vacate the premises. Zientara said he doesn’t know when they are actually leaving. Meanwhile, he’s tying up loose ends, moving equipment, and recounting memories.
Last month, (local) rock icon Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters stopped by to record with Northern Virginia-based punk pioneer Scream.
“Yeah, [Grohl] came in. Had some hot dogs and hamburgers,” Zientara says, sounding not all that impressed. “He played some timbales… there’s a lot of people that come through. When you stick around a long time, that happens.”
When asked about his favorite memory here, Zientara says it’s like asking “what’s your favorite breakfast?,” as in every memory is a good one.
“Is it pancakes? Is it eggs? Is it huevos rancheros? A breakfast burrito? All of it is good, just really good.”
Zientara isn’t necessarily done yet, though. While Inner Ear will no longer exist in its present place or form, he’s starting the search for other locations.
“I want a house, garage, whatever. Anything,” he says. “Some place that’s set up… a storefront costs more. Plus, it attracts attention. I don’t need that. Studios don’t want attention.”
