donuts

Astro Beer Hall to revamp basement following successful Shirlington launch and ‘overwhelming’ community support

By Madisson Weyrich
1/9

Astro Beer Hall’s second location in Shirlington is thriving four months after its opening.

Peter Bayne and Elliot Spaisman, two of the beer hall’s owners, said they receive more patronage in Shirlington than in their downtown D.C. location at this point.

“We opened up and it was like pure madness,” Bayne said. “We had so many people coming through the door. We were just trying to keep our heads on, essentially. It was overwhelming, the amount of support and love we felt from the community. People were even more excited than we were to get open.”

The beer hall’s second location opened Sept. 19 and has seen consistent business. Bayne credits much of the Shirlington location’s success to the mix of ages and professions in the area.

“They all interact and they all are like regulars together,” Bayne said. “It’s nice to see these cross-generational friendships that happen in the neighborhood of Shirlington… I was just really happy because we clearly picked great real estate to be at and something that we know is going to be there for a long time, and just a wonderful community to be a part of.”

Spaisman and former Washington Capital Jeff Halpern were childhood friends. They opened the first Astro Doughnuts — which later became Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken — in 2013, inspired by the doughnut shop they visited after hockey practice when they were kids in Bethesda.

The pair quickly expanded the business by offering fried chicken, chicken sandwiches with airy doughnut buns.

Elliot Spaisman (left) and Peter Bayne (courtesy Farah Skeiky)

Spaisman and Halpern later partnered with a hospitality development group, Tin Shop, and conceived the idea for a donut-shop-turned-beer-hall.

The 14,000-square-foot two-story beer hall features a game room, a 140-seat patio and a full-service coffee shop. The restaurant offers brunch, lunch, dinner, a variety of beer and cocktails, and of course coffee and doughnuts.

According to Spaisman, the most popular menu items across the board are the chicken fingers and the asteroid fried chicken sandwich. The most popular drink: the ‘Woke Up Sexy Again’ hazy IPA.

Following the Shirlington location’s successful launch, there are now plans in the works to revamp the basement area with pool tables, music and visiting DJs, giving the space more of a bar feel.

“We’ve been really happy with the level of business we’ve had and we’ve had a problem where we don’t have enough seats for everybody,” Bayne said. “It would be great for the basement to really have a nightlife activity, a spot that feels that it’s going to be a bar as opposed to a restaurant.”

Bayne and Spaisman are excited to add a level of nightlife to the beer hall and are hopeful this addition will open by the spring.

“It’s a busy operation and we’re having fun with it,” Bayne said. “Overall it’s been a great success.”

Astro Beer Hall and its donut robot hoping to start serving next month in Shirlington

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Astro Beer Hall is aiming to finally debut its donut robot next month.

The long-planned, two-level bar and coffee shop in Shirlington is hoping to open sometime in August, a spokesperson tells ARLnow. While no specific date is set as of yet, the 14,000 square-foot, space-themed Astro Beer Hall expects to open its doors in a matter of weeks.

Part of that space will be taken up by a take-out shop featuring a robot making “fresh fried to-order donuts right in front of our customers,” as co-owner Peter Bayne told ARLnow earlier this year.

The initial hope was to start serving in May, as a banner wrapped around the building noted in the spring before it was removed.

The spokesperson said construction and permitting delays — a common refrain for Arlington restaurants — pushed the debut back a few months.

Back in December 2021, it was announced that Astro Beer Hall was moving into the former home of Capitol City Brewing Co. The large space at the corner of Campbell Avenue and S. Quincy Street had been vacant since 2018.

Astro Beer Hall is part of the restaurant group Tin Shop DC, which also owns a number of local bars and restaurants including Highline RxR in Crystal City, and Quincy Hall in Ballston.

Along with a donut robot, the establishment will feature a large rectangular bar with a moveable glass wall opening to a sidewalk patio, two pool tables, and a section filled with arcade games. The artwork, murals, and color scheme are expected to match the venue’s space theme.

Good Company Doughnuts to fill a hole at Amazon’s HQ2 early this summer

By Matt Blitz
1/4

Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe is looking to open its new location at Amazon’s HQ2 in early summer.

Construction is nearly complete on the 3,000-square-foot second location of the Ballston-based donut shop, which is coming to 1400 S. Eads Street, managing partner Charles Kachadoorian told ARLnow. The plan is to open there in late May or early June, he said.

Like Peruvian Brothers, that hoped-for debut aligns with Amazon’s schedule for the first phase of its new Pentagon City office complex, also known as “Metropolitan Park.” Back in July, it was announced Good Company and a number of other local businesses were opening at HQ2 Phase 1.

The eatery first opened on N. Glebe Road in Ballston in 2019 and has since become popular as well as crowded on weekends, with lines and seating sometimes spilling onto the sidewalk.

That history played a big part in how this new location is being approached and designed, Kachadoorian said.

“It’s almost twice the size… compared to our tiny little spot in Ballston,” he said. “We’ll have more seating, indoor and outdoor seating, and we will have a great flow which we are excited about. Folks tend to get cramped up here in Ballston.”

The larger space will allow the cafe to have dinner service as well, a feature of the Ballston location prior to the pandemic. The menus will be pretty much the same at both locations.

“The [food] will be very, very similar. I’m sure there will be small things,” Kachadoorian said. “But, for the most part, the bulk of the menu is the same. The donuts are the same and the same coffee.”

The new Pentagon City location isn’t the only one that Good Company will be opening in the coming months. The company just completed construction on a new commercial baking facility in Tysons that will allow the majority of the baking to shift to that location. The hope is that it will open as soon as next week and alleviate some of the customer congestion often found in Ballston.

“We [currently] make everything in Ballston. We’ve spilled out of the kitchen into the dining room, so it’s time to get some more capacity,” Kachadoorian said.

Beyond baking for the two Good Company locations, the Tysons facility will also pick up the slack with the wholesale items the shop sells to area coffee shops and for catering. One of those places that Good Company provides pastries to is Misha’s in Old Town Alexandria.

Kachadoorian said he expects the company’s wholesale offerings and commitments to increase “dramatically” over the next few months due to the opening of the new Tysons commercial baking facility.

There’s also a plan to open a Good Company location in D.C. in the spring of 2024, but exact plans have not been finalized as of yet.

For the moment, what Kachadoorian is most excited with the new Pentagon City location is getting to know the community.

“It’s a new neighborhood. What’s really fun thing when you open a restaurant is getting to know everybody from the area,” he said. “So, we hope that, just like it has in Ballston, it becomes a really cool spot for people to gather and weave the fabric of the community a little bit.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Walking along Columbia Pike at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Man Sentenced for Philly Fire — “The first protester to face sentencing for setting police cars ablaze during the 2020 racial injustice protests in Philadelphia received a 364-day federal prison term on Monday — nearly nine months less than the time he’s already spent behind bars since his 2020 arrest. Ayoub Tabri, 25, of Arlington, Va., has been incarcerated since he confessed to FBI investigators that he threw a lit road flare into a Pennsylvania State Police car during the demonstrations that erupted in Center City.” [Philadelphia Inquirer]

No Change in HQ2 Construction Plan — “Amazon.com Inc. has confirmed it is pausing construction on office towers as part of planned expansions in its two main Seattle-area and Nashville hubs, but it is not halting its hiring at either location, nor does it plan changes to its HQ2 campus thus far… ‘We remain committed to bringing 25,000 jobs to HQ2 and are looking forward to celebrating the opening of Met Park next spring and breaking ground at Pen Place early next year,’ Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Homebuyer Demand Still High Here — “Fears of an autumn of disquiet and a winter of discontent in the real-estate market may be growing, but in Arlington, summertime buyer interest remains strong, according to new data. The county led all D.C.-region localities in the monthly T3 Home Demand Index, created by the Mid-Atlantic multiple-listing service Bright MLS.” [Sun Gazette]

GW Parkway Work Starting Soon — “For the first time since the George Washington Parkway was completed 60 years ago, the scenic past-its-prime commuter route — combined-with-a-national park and trail system — is getting a major rehabilitation. And it will begin soon. ‘We anticipate by late summer to be involved in transition lanes,” said Charles Cuvelier, superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.'” [WTOP]

RIP @UnsuckDCMetro — Matt, the creator of the Twitter account @unsuckdcmetro and a indefatigable critic of WMATA, reportedly passed away over the weekend. Here’s a podcast episode we recorded with him in 2018. [ARLnow, Apple Podcasts]

Arlington Donut Shops Make Local List — “Whether it’s breakfast or dessert, anyone with a sweet tooth will surely agree that doughnuts are an irresistible choice. This American staple will always be a crowd pleaser, and these NoVA spots will show you exactly why.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Tuesday — Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 74. Sunrise at 6:00 am and sunset at 8:32 pm. [Weather.gov]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A pedestrian tunnel under Route 50 near the National Guard Readiness Center (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus W.)

DCA Sign Changes Start Tomorrow — “We’re making it easier to find your gate! Beginning June 4, we will be updating our signage to include a letter in front of each gate number. Don’t worry, no airlines or gates are actually moving!” [Twitter, DCist]

Summer Reading Program Underway — “The Arlington County library system’s summer-reading program kicked off June 1 and will run through Sept. 1. ‘Readers of all ages are invited to immerse themselves in reading, participating in 500 free programs and explore the 2022 theme, ‘Oceans of Possibilities,” library officials said.” [Sun Gazette]

Weekend Road Closures — “There are planned road closures to accommodate the 2022 Armed Forces Cycling Classic bicycle races, which will take place during the weekend of Saturday, June 4 – Sunday, June 5, 2022.” [ACPD]

New Name for Park Near HQ2 — “Before the HALRB’s meeting of May 18, it looked like “Teardrop Park” would be a runaway choice for the new space, which will be bounded (in a teardrop shape) by South Eads Street and Army Navy Drive and bisected by 11th Street South… But at the HALRB meeting, Berne stopped that train in its tracks by countering with “Arlington Junction Park,” which would pay homage to an important trolley-line nexus of the last decade of the 19th century and the first four decades of the 20th.” [Sun Gazette]

Free Donuts Today — “It’s National Donut Day on Friday, and several eateries in Virginia and Washington, D.C., are offering a sweet deal or two to lure in donut lovers across the state.” [Patch]

Paper Calls for Return of SROs — “One wonders if Arlington’s School Board members will have a change of heart, now that there is a national drumbeat for more, not less, public-safety presence in schools. Sadly, one presumes not.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Friday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 65. Sunrise at 5:46 am and sunset at 8:31 pm. [Weather.gov]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rainy day in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

‘Midsummer’ Starts Next Month — “Synetic Theater, the home of American Physical Theater and movement-based storytelling, announces the return of its acclaimed adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed and choreographed by company co-founders Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili. The production runs June 30 through July 24.” [Synetic Theater]

Local Donut Shop Expanding — “The owners of a Ballston doughnut shop and cafe are building out a commercial kitchen in Tysons to support a growing wholesale business and its own planned expansion… Charles Kachadoorian, a Good Company co-owner, said the shop has outgrown its capacity at 672 N. Glebe Road in Ballston, from which it produces sweets for its cafe, for other coffee shops to sell retail, and for its own catering business. It plans to expand across all of those avenues, Kachadoorian said, including with a new shop in Crystal City in the shorter term and one in D.C. in 2024.” [Washington Business Journal]

GOP Concern Over ‘Missing Middle’ — “Several Arlington Republicans have expressed your concerns about the County’s proposal to upzone single-family residential plots in neighborhoods across the county. We are passing along information from Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future (ASF), should you decide you want to make your voice heard on this issue.” [Arlington GOP]

Planetarium Supporters Look to Future — “Boosters of the Arlington school system’s planetarium are hopeful that new budget funding will enable the facility – shuttered since before the pandemic – to reopen with a permanent teacher attached to it by fall. School Board members in early May overruled Superintendent Francisco Durán and dropped in nearly $150,000 to support the David M. Brown Planetarium for the coming school year. Durán had proposed keeping the facility closed for another year.” [Sun Gazette]

Rosslyn Walk Planned — “When you’re out and about, do you find yourself contemplating how sidewalks, land use, and street connectivity influence your experience and enjoyment of public spaces? If so, make sure to RSVP to WalkArlington’s upcoming “Walk and Learn” focused on street design in Rosslyn on Wednesday, May, 25 from 5:30 – 6:45pm.” [GGWash]

W-L Boys Win District Soccer Tourney — “With the Washington-Liberty Generals hosting the championship match of the Liberty District boys soccer tournament, head coach Jimmy Carrasquillo expressed some pre-game concerns. The top-seeded Generals (15-0-1) entertained the third-seeded Yorktown Patriots in an all-Arlington clash, and Carrasquillo knew the rematch would be much tougher than his team’s 4-0 regular-season victory over its neighborhood rival.” [Sun Gazette]

Some Cicada Stragglers Spotted — “Have you ever been late to a party? I mean really late, so late that by the time you arrived, the party was over and the guests were long gone? If so, then you have something in common with the periodical cicadas that have been popping up in the last few weeks from Maryland to Tennessee. They’re a year late to the raucous party billions of their fellow Brood X cicadas threw last summer.” [Washington Post]

It’s Tuesday — Rain in the morning, ending in the afternoon. High of 65 and low of 56. Sunrise at 5:50 am and sunset at 8:23 pm. [Weather.gov]

Good Company Doughnuts could lose half its patio seating to a new bus shelter

By Jo DeVoe
Customers enjoy outdoor dining at Good Company Doughnuts & Café (courtesy photo)

Locally-owned Good Company Doughnuts & Café in Ballston is trying to save its bustling outdoor patio from being downsized by a county transportation project.

Arlington County is installing a bus shelter in front of the business at 672 N. Glebe Road before the winter. Good Company co-owner Charles Kachadoorian says the shelter will obscure much of the storefront from the street and halve the available outdoor seating, both of which will hurt business.

“Our indoor space is small, so we continue to limit seating to our beautiful outdoor patio in order to keep our staff and neighbors as safe as possible. Unfortunately, we are at risk of losing more than half those patio seats,” he said. “We requested the county delay the installation and relocate the shelter to an area on the sidewalk that will serve the intended purpose while allowing for Good Company, a locally-owned and operated business that truly cares about its neighbors, to continue to thrive.”

Located on the ground floor of the 672 Flats apartments, Good Company not only stayed afloat during the pandemic but provided free lunches to Arlington public school kids. Meanwhile, the patio became a popular open-air gathering spot for locals and tourists seeking coffee, breakfast, lunch and of course, decadent donuts. Kachadoorian says there’s been a “huge response” from patrons and neighbors who want to see the patio stay.

The plan to build the shelter at the corner of N. Glebe Road and 7th Street N. was approved as part of the site plan for 672 Flats in October 2015, said Ben Aiken, the director of constituent services for the county. Arlington received $12,500 for the bus shelter from 672’s developer and a $6,000 bus shelter grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation as part of the bus stop improvement program.

That’s four years before Good Company opened in April 2019.

“There was no way they would’ve known in 2015 that there’d be this restaurant with neighborhood appeal,” Kachadoorian said. “The important thing for us is to get the site plan adjusted and move the bus stop.”

Arlington County says the project will not impact the seating Good Company is permitted to operate.

“Arlington is committed to supporting our small businesses and we have been in close contact with Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe on this issue,” Aiken said. “The business will still be allowed to keep their approved outdoor dining, as it does not impede access to the bus stop…. While the restaurant has indicated the bus stop’s location will take away half of their dining, it appears this is because of an unpermitted expansion beyond their approved seating area.”

The row of seating closer to the road is not permitted because of the dimensions of the proposed bus shelter, confirmed Kachadoorian. He says he’s been talking with the county about his extra seating and his desire to see that row made permanent.

He says the patio can’t expand around the corner, as the sidewalk is not wide enough, but the shelter could move further south on N. Glebe Road where it wouldn’t block a business.

“For us, it’s more important to have the patio, so we’d be willing to help defray the cost or do whatever needs to be done to move the shelter,” he said.

Aiken maintained that Good Company’s storefront should still be visible after the shelter is in place.

“The bus stop uses our lowest profile shelter design, is transparent, and should not significantly impact the visibility for Good Company,” he said.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Mutual Aid Agreements Under Review — “The force Park Police officers have used against protesters could cost the agency its working relationship with some local police departments. In a statement to News4, Metropolitan Washington’s Council of Governments confirms it is now planning to review the regional mutual aid agreement which governs those relationships.” [NBC 4, Connection Newspapers]

Planning Commission to Restart Meetings — “After a layoff of four months, the Arlington Planning Commission soon will be back in business – albeit in ‘virtual’ format, at least for the time being. Having last met on March 11, the advisory panel will hold its first COVID-era gathering on July 6, catching up on a backlog of items but likely focused on matters headed for County Board consideration later in the month.” [InsideNova]

More Changes to Marathon Planned — “Our working solution is to break the 45th MCM up into 24 waves that will start over an expanded window of time on event morning. This plan will necessitate a smaller field of in-person participants. Those in the late waves will have less time to Beat the Bridge. Twelve minutes per mile is the best we can offer at this time. It possibly might have to go even lower.” [Marine Corps Marathon]

Four Bond Referenda Planned — “Arlington taxpayers would be asked to approve four bond referendums totaling just under $92 million in the November general election… More than half the total amount – $50.8 million – will be used to address stormwater-management issues. Additional bonds are being proposed for transportation and Metro ($30 million), infrastructure ($7.5 million) and parks ($3.6 million).” [InsideNova]

District Doughnut Promotion — “To celebrate the reopening of our Ballston Quarter store, we are treating you to extra doughnuts! From Friday, June 26th through Sunday, June 28th, the first 50 customers each day will receive a free doughnut with any purchase.” [Facebook]

Here’s Who Adopted Cupid the Cat — Cupid, an injured kitten brought to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington after being shot in the head with an arrow, has a new adoptive mother: NBC 4 meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts. Cupid made a recent appearance on the station’s morning weather report. [Instagram]

Sugar Shack Donuts on Columbia Pike to Rebrand as Plant-Based Cafe

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Like its sister location in Alexandria, the Arlington branch of Sugar Shack Donuts is leaving the chain, rebranding and adding an expanded menu.

In a sign posted in the window of the donut shop at 1014 S. Glebe Road, the shop’s owners said the new restaurant will be a bakery, cafe and coffee shop called Elizabeth’s Counter. It will specialize in “delicious, sustainable and plant-based foods.”

Elizabeth’s Counter will continue to serve donuts but will add more to the menu, like plant-based burgers and bowls.

The new cafe is named after Elizabeth Gregory, reputed to be the first person to make a donut. Gregory made the donut for her son Captain Hanson Gregory, for whom the Captain Gregory’s speakeasy at the Old Town Alexandria Elizabeth’s Table (formerly Sugar Shack) is named.

“To honor that culinary event and the other food she packed for her son’s sea voyages, we have chosen her as the namesake for our new venture,” the sign said.

The Alexandria location is already in transition, and staff at the Columbia Pike location said they expect to start seeing changes gradually over the next couple weeks, with new items and updated decor. The sign said the first items will likely be the new bakery offerings, moving up to things like roasted brussels sprouts later.

New Veteran-Owned Cafe and Donut Shop Opening Soon in Ballston

By Airey
1/7

(Updated 05/04/19) Ballston will soon be home to a new veteran-owned cafe serving up breakfast, lunch and doughnuts all-day.

The owners of Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe say they’re eyeing a soft opening on Sunday starting at 6:30 a.m., pending final health and permitting inspections this week.

The cafe is located at 670 N. Glebe Road, on the bottom floor of the 672 Flats apartment building.

Good Company is run by Charlie and Melissa Kachadoorian, his sister Kate Murphy and her husband Jim Murphy, and Tim Terry and Ana Terry.

Tim Terry, Jim Murphy, and Charlie Kachadoorian are Army, Navy, and Air Force veterans.

“We just need a Marine,” joked Kate Murphy.

“We will feed lots of Marines. Marines love doughnuts,” replied Tim.

Good Company will be serving handmade doughnuts baked by Kate Murphy. She uses a 60-quart, 300-pound mixing machine for mixing the dough so heavy she said a forklift needed to move it into the kitchen.

The machine mixes 50-pound batches of dough, which she says yields around 300 doughnuts.

Murphy says she’ll be baking cake and yeast-raised doughnuts with flavors from cinnamon sugar to butter crunch.

The cafe will also serve “light breakfast fare” like smoothies and yogurt parfaits along with”rustic pastries” like quiche and lemon scones. Soups, salads, and sandwiches will be served at lunch, with a signature “Cubano” sandwich made with pork braised in-house daily.

The family enterprise says they hope to expand with dinner offerings after a grand opening planned for Memorial Day, and eventually add a liquor license.

The subway-tiled eatery features a map of Arlington on the wall by the tables, and giant donut-mixer whisks as lampshades.

Good Company partnered with Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee for their brews.

Doughnut-Focused Cafe On the Way for Ballston Apartment Building

By Alex Koma

A new cafe will soon offer up handmade doughnuts, coffee and more in Ballston.

Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe plans to move into a space at 670 N. Glebe Road, just under the 672 Flats apartments, according to co-founder Charles Kachadoorian.

Kachadoorian told ARLnow that the restaurant is targeting an “early 2019” opening date, after signing a lease at the new building this summer.

While the Ballston location will be the first for Good Company, Kachadoorian says his family is no stranger to the doughnut business. His sister, Kate Murphy, spent decades whipping up her own doughnuts at a shop in New Hampshire before moving to Arlington to join Kachadoorian, and he says they “decided to partner up and open a new cafe that’s a little more innovative than the old one.”

He expects the cafe will offer a full range of soups, salads, sandwiches and other “light fare,” with some limited dinner options as well. Kachadoorian added that the cafe struck a deal with Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee for its brews, and will even someday offer craft beer, wine and cocktails for thirsty customers.

That being said, however, Kachadoorian says “there is no upstaging these doughnuts.”

“They’re made fresh every night in the shop, by hand, by experienced bakers,” Kachadoorian said. “My sister and her husband probably have about 60 years of making doughnuts between them.”

The cafe will offer up both cake donuts and yeast-raised donuts, with “traditional flavors and also a few of the more funky ones,” Kachadoorian said. He isn’t ready to set a firm opening date quite yet, but expects to start construction in the “near future.”

“We’re a family business, and we’re really excited about bringing the food we’re passionate about to the community,” said Kachadoorian.

Depending on when Good Company opens its doors, it could become the first retailer to set up shop in the new 672 Flats building, located just across from the Ballston Quarter development.

The apartments have space set aside for several other businesses on its ground floor, though Kachadoorian was unsure if others will join Good Company in the near future. A spokeswoman for the Chevy Chase Land Company, which purchased the development last week, said they have yet to announce any additional retailers at the site.

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