Clarendon

Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon has temporarily closed due to ‘lackluster sales’

By James Jarvis
Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Chicken + Whiskey in Clarendon “temporarily” closed last week, leaving its future uncertain.

Situated at 3033 Wilson Blvd, the D.C.-based South American rotisserie chicken and whiskey bar concept made its debut in the Northern Virginia dining scene last June.

Since its opening, however, the Clarendon outpost — one of four Chicken + Whiskey locations in the D.C. area — has experienced “lackluster sales,” according to a press release.

“Rather than continue to absorb dramatic financial losses throughout the typically slower winter months, the company has decided to conserve its resources, close the doors, and re-open at more appropriate time,” the company said in the release.

Co-owner Desmond Reilly said the Clarendon location’s failure was surprising.

“We thought Clarendon would love our Peruvian Chicken concept,” he said in the release. “We are going to rethink our product offerings and hopefully come back stronger than ever!”

Led by Chef Enrique Limardo, also the head chef at Immigrant Food and D.C.’s Seven Reasons, the restaurant chain serves Peruvian-style chicken, arepas and sandwiches and has a full cocktail and whiskey bar.

Limardo also co-founded the newly opened restaurant Surreal — described as an  “elevated diner” concept — in Crystal City.

Chicken + Whiskey is managed by SRG Concepts, which also operates several other restaurants in D.C. and Maryland, including the Vietnamese street food restaurant Doi Moi, The Walrus Oyster & Ale House and Bennie’s Pizza.

Bennie’s Pizza is also “temporarily closed” for the holidays and is working out some “culinary details” before reopening, according to the restaurant’s Instagram.

Within the last few months, Clarendon has seen the closure of a handful of other businesses, including Mediterranean restaurant Cava Mezze, the international bakery Le Pain Quotidien and outdoor goods store Orvis.

Though located at an address across from the Clarendon Metro station, Chicken + Whiskey is in the rear of the building, fronting N. Garfield Street in the former Hunan Number One space. Another restaurant in the same building but closer to the Metro station, Bar Ivy, closed just over a month ago.

Hat tip to @SCG703 and various other tipsters

Wild fight near Clarendon caught on camera

By ARLnow.com
Fight near Clarendon caught on camera (courtesy Dave Statter)

An early morning fight near Clarendon was caught on camera over the weekend.

The brawl happened around 2 a.m. Saturday along the parking-lined section of Fairfax Drive at the western end of Clarendon. The video shows one person being knocked to the ground and a car ramming the side of another car, amid a fight that appears to be between two groups of people.

Police arrive on scene near the end of the video.

According to public safety watcher Dave Statter, one of the people to post a photo of the fracas on social media, it’s just the latest in a series of fights over the past month or so associated with Clarendon nightlife.

In addition to fights that take place outside, “there are also multiple police calls each weekend night for fights inside the bars in the 3100 block of Wilson and Clarendon,” Statter wrote last week.

Le Pain Quotidien in Clarendon has closed

By James Jarvis
Le Pain Quotidien on Clarendon Blvd (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Le Pain Quotidien in Clarendon closed its doors over the weekend.

A notice on the doors of the bakery, located at 2900 Clarendon Blvd near The Crossing Clarendon shopping center, confirms the Arlington outpost of the international chain closed on Sunday.

“We’ve been lucky to call Clarendon our home for years and humbly thank our guests for helping us build a community in the time we’ve spent in this space,” the notice says.

Known for its assortment of baked goods, breads, salads, sandwiches and beverages, Le Pain Quotidien operates about 50 locations nationwide, including what are now six in the D.C. area. The Clarendon Blvd location was the only one in Arlington.

A representative from Le Pain Quotidien declined to provide details about the closure when ARLnow visited today (Tuesday).

Within the last few months, several other businesses have also closed nearby, including Mediterranean restaurant Cava Mezze and outdoor goods store Orvis.

Crash in front of Clarendon cannabis dispensary damages police cruiser

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 7 p.m.) A two-vehicle crash in Clarendon damaged an Arlington County police cruiser this afternoon.

The crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Danville Street. The second vehicle involved, a red hatchback, came to rest on the sidewalk, steps away from the entrance to the Beyond/Hello cannabis dispensary.

Officers were responding to an incident in the Ballston area at the time of the crash.

“At approximately 2:45 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person with a knife in the area of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard,” said ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb. “An officer responding to the scene was travelling westbound on Wilson Boulevard when a vehicle travelling northbound on N. Danville Street collided with them. The driver of the vehicle was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”

“The preliminary investigation into the suspicious person determined the victim was stopped in her vehicle on Fairfax Drive when the male suspect approached and displayed a knife,” Shorb said late Friday afternoon, of the Ballston incident. “The victim fled the area in her vehicle and called police. Responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody. Charges are pending for the suspect and officers remain on scene investigating.”

https://twitter.com/ARLINGTONAF/status/1740824665340403987

Two apprehended after reported robbery in Clarendon Metro

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Two men could be seen in handcuffs near the Clarendon Metro station this afternoon, after a reported robbery that left one person injured.

Initial reports suggest the robbery happened inside the Metro station just before 1 p.m. Police converged on the scene amid 911 calls about a pair of suspects in ski masks running through Clarendon following the robbery.

Medics were also dispatched to the station to treat the victim, who was injured inside the station.

A half hour after the robbery, both Arlington County police and Metro Transit Police were still on scene, questioning two handcuffed men on either side of Wilson Blvd.

ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage declined to provide additional details, instead referring ARLnow to Metro Transit Police.

AIM to move headquarters but cannot yet close chapter on financial concerns

By Jo DeVoe
Arlington Independent Media in Clarendon (file photo)

(Updated at 12:20 a.m. on 12/7/23) After a 2-year search for new digs, Arlington Independent Media is on the cusp of moving from its long-time headquarters in Clarendon.

Next week, Arlington’s public access TV channel, community radio station and media training provider intends to sign a lease for space in Courthouse Plaza, says its CEO Whytni Kernodle. The building is owned by JBG Smith and home to Arlington County headquarters.

The cash-strapped organization is having to look outside its coffers to leave before its Dec. 31 deadline. The organization disclosed it had $31,000 in cash on hand during its November meeting, according to Lynn Borton, a former producer with AIM who was in attendance.

Kernodle requested $350,000 in funds that Comcast sets aside for expenses by public institutions, Arlington Public Schools and the county government. She also intends to fundraise another $25,000.

Once settled in Courthouse, Kernodle envisions an “On Air!” sign attracting passers-by to come and listen to music and watch AIM produce live shows. Next year, she wants to add public speaking events.

“The really great community media organizations are out in the community without waiting for people to come to their location,” she said. “We’re coming to the community as opposed to expecting the community to come to us.”

AIM will retain its rent-free second location in a county-owned building in Green Valley, for which it pays an “affordable license fee,” according to the county.

Kernodle says it was not a viable headquarters because it was too small and too far from the broadcast tower AIM uses in Courthouse for live shows. She also did not want to give up a North Arlington presence.

The move comes as the organization faces pressure to clarify its finances and rely more on fundraising, membership fees and advertising, and less on county funding, for its operational expenses.

AIM also faces existential pressures from consumers choosing streaming over cable, as fewer cable subscriptions means less funding for Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access Channels — and fewer viewers.

Streaming, along with better technology and the dominance of social media, can also weaken the value of AIM’s core offerings — professional-grade equipment, studios and training for content creators — says Rodger Smith, a senior instructor in the George Mason University Department of Communication.

“Why go to AIM when I can be in my house and I can create a podcast that still sounds broadcast quality or I can produce video,” says Smith, who is also the faculty advisor for WGMU, the campus online radio station. “They have to offer a service that [people] can’t find anyplace else.”

Rocky finances and a forthcoming  governance document

AIM will be leaving a building where the rent almost sank it financially, but its woes are not behind it.

When AIM lost free rent at 2701 Wilson Blvd as part of a 2016 local cable franchise agreement, it racked up $80,000 in debts and nearly went under, even after the county paid its market-rate rent for several months, says Borton.

While serving as AIM’s president, she got collections officers to stop calling in 2019 and negotiated a lower rent. The organization has known it needed to move since 2021, when the new owner of 2701 Wilson Blvd opened the Beyond Hello dispensary next door, with plans to take over AIM’s space, Borton said.

All this time, the county tried to wean AIM from county support, proposing, then lessening, cuts after outcry from AIM staff and listeners.

The organization continues to face financial transparency challenges, as it is behind on its Form 990s. The IRS makes public these nonprofit tax forms so people can gauge an organization’s financial health.

(more…)

Bar Ivy in Clarendon appears to have closed

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 3 p.m.) There’s no official word on its website, but it looks like Bar Ivy in Clarendon may have closed permanently.

The “West Coast-inspired” restaurant at 3033 Wilson Blvd, noted for its expansive and verdant outdoor patio, opened in the summer of 2022. Earlier this fall it introduced a breakfast and coffee menu, in addition to existing lunch and dinner service.

Bar Ivy was the first Virginia venture of Blagden Hospitality Group, which is behind Tiger Fork, Hi-Lawn and Calico in D.C. A promised second Bar Ivy location in Bethesda was last reported in May to be opening in early 2024.

A PR rep for Bar Ivy did not respond to a request for confirmation, sent earlier this week, that the restaurant was closing. But the evidence is mounting.

“A friend was to have their holiday party at Bar Ivy, but were informed… the restaurant is permanently closed,” one tipster told ARLnow. Another tipster pointed out that Bar Ivy’s Facebook page says it is “permanently closed,” in an update made on Tuesday.

No one answered the phone at the restaurant today, during what should be business hours. And Bar Ivy’s online reservation page lists no available future dates.

A sign outside, however, says it is “closed this week for private events.”

Blagden Hospitality closed gastropub Fainting Goat, on U Street NW in the District, this past May, Washingtonian reported.

Giant menorahs to be lit in celebration of Hanukkah starting next week

By James Jarvis
Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington’s menorah lighting in 2015 (via Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington/Facebook)

Menorah lights are set to brighten up Arlington after Hanukkah begins next Friday.

On Sunday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m., Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington, a local branch of the global Jewish outreach organization, will light its “giant 9-foot Menorah.”

The annual event will take place at Chabad’s community center at 1307 N. Highland Street in Clarendon.

The celebrations extend to Monday, Dec. 11, with another giant menorah lighting at 5:30 p.m. at Metropolitan Park (1330 S. Fair Street), close to Amazon’s second headquarters in Pentagon City.

Both events will have “lively Chanukah music” to set the festive mood, according to their respective event descriptions. Attendees can indulge in hot potato latkes, hot cocoa, donuts and chocolate gelt. They will also receive a complimentary dreidel.

Admission is free but registration is required, as reservations are open until each event reaches capacity.

“Security will be present” at both events, Chabad Lubavitch noted.

The menorah-lighting tradition, a fixture for over a decade, often draws local officials. Previously, the events were held at the Pentagon Row ice skating rink and outside the Clarendon Metro station.

Photo via Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington/Facebook

Pamplona in Clarendon set to close next month

By James Jarvis
Pamplona in Clarendon on Nov. 27, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Pamplona, the Spanish tapas restaurant and sangria bar in Clarendon, will close next month, according to a social media post.

The restaurant, which opened in 2017 in the space formerly occupied by SoBe Bar & Bistro, shared its farewell message on Instagram last week.

“It has been an amazing run, but the time has come for Pamplona’s final turn! To our loyal regulars, guests and friends, we can not say thank you enough; just know we could not have done it without you,” the post said.

“We want to thank our staff (past and present) for their hard work and dedication throughout the years. We formed countless memories with all of you, and we will forever be grateful,” the restaurant said.

Its final day appears to be Saturday, Dec. 16, per the post.

A representative for Pamplona could not be reached before publication. Its owner, Mike Bramson, also owns The Lot, an open-air beer garden that began its long goodbye this year ahead of development plans for the site it occupies.

Former Dunkin’ in Clarendon to become a Jersey Mike’s Subs shop

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A former Dunkin’ in Clarendon is set to become a new Jersey Mike’s Subs.

The sandwich shop is looking to move into the storefront at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Garfield Street, a block from the Clarendon Metro station, according to the beginnings of a permit application filed with Arlington County. The spot has been vacant for two years.

Arlington does not yet have a Jersey Mike’s Subs location, though another one is in the works at the base of the Westmont Apartments at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. The closest current locations are in Falls Church and Alexandria.

Jersey Mike’s Subs franchisee Beth Wiley is bringing forward both the Clarendon and Columbia Pike locations. She says the process has just started for the Clarendon location: an architect has completed drawings and soon, a contractor will review the project and estimate costs.

The new Clarendon outpost will move into a former Dunkin’ that also housed a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. It opened in 2017 and closed in 2021, just as a new Dunkin’ came online near Clarendon on Wilson Blvd.

“It’s helpful because it was already a restaurant,” Wiley said. “The work is not quite as extensive. It’s a remodel, as opposed to starting from scratch… Everything is in pretty good shape.”

The county processed the initial request for interior alterations to the nearly 1,400-square-foot space at 3009 Clarendon Blvd last week and now awaits plans and documents, the permit records say.

As for the Pike location, Wiley says the county is reviewing plans, submitted a month ago, and she has a contractor lined up. All that remains is getting the go-ahead from landlord Republic Properties, which held a grand opening for its new development earlier this month.

The franchisee says the two locations could potentially open sometime this spring.

Wiley says she is excited to bring the brand to Arlington as it expands beyond suburban strip malls and into more urban areas.

“When I signed on for Jersey Mike’s, I signed on for Arlington,” she said. “I grew up in this area… It seemed like a great opportunity, if you find the right sites, and here we are, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Hat tip to Chris Slatt

Cava Mezze’s 12-year run in Clarendon appears to have come to an end

By James Jarvis
A “For Lease” sign sits in the window of Cava Mezze in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Cava Mezze has quietly shuttered in Clarendon, with a “For Lease” sign recently placed out front.

This comes after the restaurant — the upscale original version of the popular, publicly traded Mediterranean chain — changed its status to “closed” on the company’s website last month. Google, however, still lists it as “temporarily closed.”

During a visit to the eatery at 2940 Clarendon Blvd on Oct. 4, ARLnow observed minor construction and scattered materials inside. A manager, seen turning away puzzled would-be customers, said the closure was due to renovations but offered no details on when the restaurant might reopen.

Now, the “For Lease” sign sits in the window of the restaurant, which first opened in 2011, strongly suggesting that the closure is permanent.

Neither the company nor the property manager CBRE responded to ARLnow’s request for comment before publication.

Both Cava Mezze locations in Rockville and Olney, Maryland, are still open, as are the two fast-casual Cava locations in Rosslyn and Ballston.

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