The Broiler’s second location in Clinton, Maryland (via The Broiler/Facebook)
After 64 years of serving subs and pizza in Arlington, The Broiler has expanded into Maryland, per the company’s social media accounts.
The long-time eatery, a local institution that opened back in 1959 on Columbia Pike, held a grand opening for its second location, in Clinton, Maryland, in late October. It announced the move to Clinton, which is about a 20-minute drive east of National Harbor, earlier this fall.
A video tour accompanying the grand opening announcement included footage inside and outside the restaurant as well as a montage of its famed cheesesteak sandwiches and pizza.
Khalid Elayan, the owner, opted not to comment on the new location.
The Westmont construction site on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Despite weathering the pandemic, small businesses along Columbia Pike are now facing a new set of economic challenges, including rising rent, inflation, new developments and ongoing road work.
Deputy Director of the Columbia Pike Partnership Amy McWilliams sat down with ARLnow’s James Jarvis to delve into the economic hurdles that these small businesses are still confronting, nearly four years post-pandemic. McWilliams offers insight into the enduring strength of the small business community, emphasizing its continued resilience.
A man whose stroke on the pickleball court was most unwelcome has allegedly been identified and arrested.
Police say a 49-year-old Arlington resident was taken into custody Monday after a peeping incident along Columbia Pike Friday night.
Just before 7 p.m. Friday, according to Arlington County police, the man was spotted masturbating while peeping into a business on the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street. A source tells ARLnow that the business was a boxing gym.
Police were only told about the incident the next day, but a “review of evidence in the case” led them to the suspect, who was then also linked to a public masturbation incident on the morning of May 3 at the Walter Reed Community Center pickleball courts.
ARLnow previously reported about a pair of masturbation incidents at the Walter Reed courts in April. A police press release makes no reference to those incidents.
The suspect is currently being held in jail on two counts of public masturbation and one count of peeping, according to police.
More, below, from the ACPD press release.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Patrol Section is announcing the arrest of a suspect following investigations into exposure incidents. Alexei Rodriguez, 49, of Arlington, VA is charged with Public Masturbation (x2) and Peeping. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 1:45 p.m. on November 4, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of S. Edgewood Street for the late report of a peeping. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 6:55 p.m. on November 3, the occupants of an open business allegedly observed the suspect peeping through a window and masturbating before leaving the scene on foot. Following the review of evidence in the case, officers identified the suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest. He was taken into custody on the morning of November 6.
As a result of the ongoing criminal investigation, officers identified Mr. Rodriguez as the suspect in an exposure incident from May and obtained an additional arrest warrant. At approximately 10:44 a.m. on May 3, a patrol officer was contacted by a community member regarding a male suspect allegedly observed masturbating by the courts of the Walter Reed Community Center located at 2909 16th Street S.
Crime prevention and control is a key initiative of the Arlington County Police Department and officers are committed to conducting active patrols throughout Arlington and comprehensive follow-up investigations to identify, deter and prevent criminal activity. Community members observing in-progress criminal activity should report information immediately for police investigation by calling the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.
Papillon Cycles owner Bailey Garfield (right) and store manager of 14 years John Harpold (staff photo by James Jarvis)
After a nearly 50-year ride, Papillon Cycles on Columbia Pike shuttered on Tuesday.
The bike shop, founded by Ted Decapiteau in 1976 and later acquired by Bailey Garfield in 1989, shared a heartfelt goodbye on its Facebook page yesterday.
April fool’s 1976-Halloween 2023. It’s been a long strange trip, and Awesome! Thanks Customers Friends Family, STAFF! Owners, BAILEY! and long ago TED! But honestly ALL of you crazy riders. We are closed officially tonight. LOVE PEACE PEDALS!
Although his retirement was already on the horizon, Garfield, 70, shared with ARLnow he had hoped to hand over the reins to a new owner. However, the business had become increasingly unprofitable post-pandemic due to a combination of factors, including a lack of foot traffic, supply chain issues and the soaring rent costs.
“The bicycle industry, in general, is not good right now. Every week some of our major suppliers are showing signs they’re in economic distress… It’s a perfect storm,” he told ARLnow, adding that he knows several other small business owners on the same block who are also still struggling.
The building at 2801 Columbia Pike — housing Papillon and other neighboring retailers on the block — may be razed for a mixed-use development, according to filings with Arlington County.
The Christopher Companies proposes building an 88-unit, 7-story building with 5,800 square feet of retail space, UrbanTurf first reported in 2022.
Rendering of proposed 7-story mixed development at 2801 Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)
Garfield said he is in the dark about the project but observed that Alexandria-based Seaport Properties hasn’t renewed long-term leases for several building tenants, including Papillon.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Eventually, they’re gonna put in a 6- to 8-story mixed-use building here and we’re seeing what they’re doing all up and down the Pike. I don’t see how this is going to be any different,” Garfield said.
Rappahannock Coffee along Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Rappahannock Coffee is set to close at the end of November, making way for a new café with a different name.
Located at 2406 Columbia Pike, the independent coffee shop first opened in May 2001, according to its website. Owner Gi Lee said that after two decades of brewing coffee, he is ready to retire.
“I’m too old,” Lee told ARLnow as he served a line of caffeine-deprived customers Tuesday morning.
While ARLnow could not confirm the exact last day of operation, Lee’s landlord, Yao Yao, said it would likely be in the final week of November.
The same week Rappahannock Coffee closes its doors, a new café plans to open under a different name, according to Yao.
“He’s gonna sell coffee and sandwiches… his plan is to start his business here as soon as possible,” Yao said.
Jose Lopez, the owner of the upcoming café, did not respond to requests for comment before our publication deadline.
A handful of other retail stores along Columbia Pike surround Rappahannock Coffee, including vape shop Thicker Cloudz and electronic repair shop Wireless Rxx.
At one point, the commercial strip that houses the businesses was slated to become a mixed-use development. Local developer B.M. Smith submitted plans to Arlington’s Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board in 2013 and in 2020 the County Board approved a special use permit.
B.M. Smith sold the properties to Yao in 2020, he said. The new owner put the plans on hold in 2022, citing economic conditions.
Yao maintains that he has no plans to revive the mixed-use development proposal any time soon, citing high interest and construction costs.
“The business environment and the economy are not very conducive for to the new development at this time,” he said.
The new café will operate in the interim and will have big shoes to fill. Over its nearly two decades in business, Rappahannock Coffee built a loyal following that has kept it afloat despite competition from the Starbucks that opened in the Penrose Square development across the street in 2015.
For Rappahannock, its following comes down to its in-house roasts.
“Big corporate coffee shops can’t control the time between roasting and brewing, giving up on achieving true coffee flavor,” the website reads.
Serious pedestrian crash at Columbia Pike and S. Greenbrier Street
Police and medics responded to a serious pedestrian crash and a collision with multiple injuries Sunday night.
The crashes happened just a half hour apart, with the pedestrian crash at Columbia Pike and S. Greenbrier Street first reported around 9:45 p.m.
Initial reports suggest that a middle-aged man was struck by the driver of a Toyota. The intersection remains closed and police are still on scene investigating as of publication time, which is usually indicative of a crash involving a very serious injury or fatality.
Around 10:15 p.m., another significant crash was reported, this time in northern Arlington. Initial reports suggest that at least three people, including a juvenile, were hospitalized after two cars collided at the intersection of Langston Blvd and Lorcom Lane.
After a cleanup, the intersection reopened about an hour later.
No further details were immediately available about either crash.
LOCATION: Columbia Pike / S Greenbrier St. INCIDENT: Traffic Collision IMPACT: Columbia Pike from S. Frederick St. to S Greenbrier St. is closed. Seek an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/1U05rrqe6p
INCIDENT: Traffic Collision LOCATION: Langston Blvd (Rt. 29)/Lorcom Lane IMPACT: The intersection of Langston Blvd (Rt. 29) and Lorcom Lane is closed in all directions. Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/RhQ25BN4BM
Arlington County police are investigating an armed carjacking over the weekend.
It happened shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike, near the Fairfax County line.
The vehicle taken was a BMW, according to scanner traffic and as noted by local public safety watcher Alan Henney. The car was later found nearby and recovered, according to police.
“The male victim was walking to his parked vehicle when he observed the two male suspects in the parking lot,” said today’s ACPD crime report. “The victim then entered his vehicle during which the suspects approached, brandished a firearm and demanded the victim’s belongings. The victim exited his vehicle and the suspects entered and fled the scene.”
“During the course of the investigation, the victim’s vehicle was located unoccupied in the area,” the crime report continues. “The investigation is ongoing.”
By ARLnow’s count, this is at least the 16th carjacking in Arlington so far this year. At least half of those carjackings have been of BMWs. ACPD reported 14 total carjackings for all of 2022.
Capital Bikeshare station along S. Barton Street in Penrose is being relocated to S. Wayne Street two blocks away (staff photo by James Jarvis)
New temporary location of Capital Bikeshare station to S. Wayne Street (courtesy of Arlington County)
S. Barton Street reconfiguration (courtesy of Arlington County)
Map depicting old,temporary and possible new location of Capital Bikeshare in Penrose (courtesy of Arlington County)
(Updated 9:55 a.m.) A Capital Bikeshare station in Penrose was relocated Wednesday to free up more street parking in response to concerns about safety and illegal parking.
“We fail to see how relocating the Bikeshare station will help with the illegal parking at Penrose Square, as those problems existed well before the Bikeshare Station’s installation in 2022,” Chris Slatt, president of Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County, told ARLnow.
Slatt — who also serves on Arlington’s Transportation Commission — argues relocating the bikeshare station two blocks away along S. Wayne Street won’t solve the numerous traffic and safety-related issues that have plagued the square.
Instead, he says it will make “life more difficult for people choosing not to drive to the area, such as Bikeshare users.”
The planned relocation is meant to address “double-parking from pick-up/drop-off traffic at one of the Penrose Square retailers,” Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesperson Claudia Pors wrote in an email.
“In the new configuration, the curbside lane next to the retailers will be turned into 15-minute pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) parking, and travel lanes will shift toward the west side,” she said.
The county did not specify which retailer it was referring to. However, Slatt and a nearby business owner previously noted that the illegal parking issue worsened after the Starbucks (2413 Columbia Pike) moved in eight years ago.
Pors said the plan is to move the bikeshare station back to Penrose Square in 2025 once Segment D of Columbia Pike Multimodal Improvements Project — slated to start next week — is finished and the “station is determined safe to move to this final location.”
Pors said the S. Wayne Street location was chosen because of adequate sidewalk width, continuous sunlight — used to power the bikeshare station — and its proximity to public space.
The station’s new permanent location has not been confirmed, but Pors said the county is seriously considering “the grassy area in front of the wall at the south end of the plaza, near the Burrito Bros.”
Construction prevented the station being moved there now.
“Segment D construction will at times close sidewalk access in front of the plaza and narrow travel lanes on the Pike, which could add a pinch point or prevent people from accessing the Bikeshare station,” Pors said.
While Slatt says he generally supports moving short-term parking for vehicles to the other side of S. Barton Street, he disagrees it should come at the cost of the bikeshare station.
“This location was chosen in 2022 through a community conversation and online survey which indicated majority support for putting the station on Barton Street,” Slatt said, adding its proximity to the grocery store and park is more convenient than the new temporary location.
Slatt also voiced his frustration that residents were only told about the move last Wednesday, and there wasn’t enough time for the community “to comment, object, or suggest other solutions.”
Pors said the county typically does not “seek input on temporary relocations of Capital Bikeshare stations.” Moreover, she noted that relocating it to privately owned spots in the plaza would have been more time-consuming process, whereas moving the station to S. Wayne Street was more convenient because it’s a public space.
Penrose resident Christiann MacAuley — also opposed to the relocation of the bikeshare station — said she thinks there may have been “some miscommunication” between the county and residents.
“It’s surprising was that apparently ‘the community’ was consulted, but none of the transportation or bike people in the neighborhood seem to have heard anything about it,” she told ARLnow.
Either way, MacAuley said, “it’s hard to imagine how the new plan will fix any of our traffic problems here.”
Those problems, as documented by a local resident on social media, include drivers making illegal U-turns, double parking, and making other unsafe driving maneuvers while rushing to pick up their orders at Starbucks.
Slatt said Starbucks should put up signs encouraging customers to instead use the garage, which offers an hour of free parking. He also advocated for more parking enforcement in the area.
Cars: illegal u-turn Cars: no stop for stop sign Cars: endangering pedestrians Cars: honk honk Cars: illegal parking Arlington: hmmm not sure what to do… maybe get rid of bike share I guess 🤷♂️ https://t.co/XR8ApdI6ec
New Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya opens on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Mt. Fuji Roll with spicy tuna, salmon, spicy crab, tempura crunch spicy mayo and eel sauce from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Yakitori assortment with chicken thigh, chicken wing, chicken heart, bacon with enoki, shishito, shitake and oyster mushrooms from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Kimchi ramen with beef, bean sprouts, kimchee, seaweed and a poached egg from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Bao bun with pork belly, pickled jalapeno, scallion and Bonzai Fizz with sencha-infused haku, lemon, vanilla syrup, matcha powder and egg white from Ryu Izakaya (staff photo by James Jarvis)
New Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Co-owner of Ryu Izakaya Jenny Seesiadkha prepares maka sushi (staff photo by James Jarvis)
New Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
New Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya on Columbia Pike (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new restaurant specializing in Japanese street food opened last week on Columbia Pike.
Ryu Izakaya, located at 3030 Columbia Pike, on the ground floor of the Days Inn hotel, celebrated its soft opening last Thursday after almost a year of renovations. It moved into the former home of Rincome Thai, a Pike mainstay.
The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner but the owners may adjust the hours a grand opening set for later this month, Panni Satayayuk, the restaurant’s marketing director, told ARLnow.
Satayayuk noted the owners are keen on gathering customer feedback before the grand opening.
“We still try to get feedback from our customers and how they like the soup. How do you like the fish, or is it too sweet? Is it too salty too sour?” she said. “So we are like in a learning process on this our first few days.”
The restaurant is co-owned by two couples, Ben and Bow Jaypakdee and Tony and Jenny Seesiadkhaall, who immigrated to the U.S. from Thailand more than a decade ago, Satayayuk said.
While none of the owners are of Japanese descent, Satayayuk said Ben and Bow have spent the past decade working in Japanese restaurants in D.C. Tony and Jenny, who co-own Absolute Noodle and Sushi Bar in D.C.’s Chinatown, also have backgrounds in Japanese cuisine, specifically making sushi.
The four friends started talking about opening a new restaurant in 2020 when Absolute Noodle started making a profit in 2018, according to Satayayuk. The idea was to have a more casual Japanese restaurant dining experience with smaller plates and a bar that is open late.
“Right now in Japan, they started doing this trend called izakaya,” said Satayayuk. “It’s like street food. People drink at night having like… tapas, but the Japanese version.”
A few highlights from the menu include the Mt. Fuji Roll — spicy tuna, salmon, crunchy tempura and eel sauce — and yakitori assortment.
Satayayuk noted part of the restaurant’s mission was to expose more people to Japanese street food like yakitori and donburi, in addition to more mainstream staples like ramen and sushi. The other motive was to appeal to a younger crowd.
“In this Arlington area, there’s not many [options for a] younger vibe for Japanese food,” Satayayuk said.
The owners also chose the Columbia Pike location, in part, because it was less expensive to open a restaurant in Arlington than D.C. and there is a lot of new growth nearby.
“The food price would have to be higher to pay for the market rent everything [in D.C.]. So, here is still not easy, but it’s less challenging,” she said.
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Julia M.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
Tesla crash at Columbia Pike playground (photo courtesy Marcio S.)
The driver of a Tesla careened down a hill and smashed into a playground over the weekend along Columbia Pike.
The crash happened around 1:45 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the Wildwood Park apartments, on the 5500 block of Columbia Pike.
No other vehicles were involved, according to police, and no injuries were reported.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the driver was attempting to park in the 3400 block of S. Jefferson Street when the vehicle proceeded down a hill and struck a fence, wall and utility pole,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.
Scanner traffic suggests the vehicle — a Tesla Model Y with Maryland temporary tags — overturned at least once while going down the hill but came to rest upright.
The playground, which is “usually packed with kids,” was empty amid a steady rain, a tipster tells ARLnow.
The driver, a 59-year-old Maryland woman, “was issued a summons for reckless driving,” according to Savage. She works at a nearby senior living facility, online records suggest.
A sneak peek at Celtic House’s new red oak bar, soon to host rare whiskeys and bourbons. (courtesy of Celtic House)
Site of Celtic House Whiskey Bar (staff photo by Matt Blitz)
Celtic House on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)
Architectural drawing of proposed Celtic House expansion (via Arlington County)
Celtic House on Columbia Pike says it plans to unveil its new whiskey and bourbon bar beneath the existing restaurant “later this fall.”
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the pub said the centerpiece of the new bar will be a handcrafted, solid red oak bar, offering a range of rare whiskeys and bourbons. The additional dining space will also add 60 seats to the main restaurant’s current capacity of 90-100 patrons.
Celtic House initially hit a snag when it filed for a permit in March to renovate its newly leased basement unit — previously a defunct dry cleaning business — because the shopping center is located in a historic district.
Despite these hurdles, the permit was approved in August and construction started downstairs that same month.
General Manager Chris Devenney told ARLnow the new bar will be a seamless extension of the existing restaurant. A staircase will connect the two units but the new downstairs bar will have a separate entrance, too.
The main dining area will remain open throughout the renovation, Devenney said.
“Our main pub and restaurant is still fully operational. We’re hoping it will remain fully operational during construction,” he said.
Devenney envisions the new bar doubling as a space for hosting events such as birthdays, rehearsal dinners, funeral wakes and showers.
Although he could not confirm an exact opening date, the general manager said he hopes it will be in the next few months.
“I don’t want to give false hope in case we run into an issue with construction or it’s going to take us longer just getting things ready,” he said.
