Five Guys

NEW: Five Guys looks to return to its original Columbia Pike location after redevelopment

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Five Guys appears set to return to its original location near the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road.

Since its 1986 founding in Arlington’s Westmont Shopping Center, Five Guys has grown into a huge international burger-and-fries chain. But it has maintained its local roots, including a Northern Virginia corporate headquarters that will soon be moving to Alexandria.

Now, it is expected to open a new location on the ground floor of the Westmont apartment building that’s replacing the former strip mall. A leasing brochure seen by ARLnow suggests it will be taking a 2,400 square foot space along Columbia Pike, the second retail business listed on the leasing plan in addition to a new Allcare urgent care clinic along Glebe.

The brochure says construction on the building is expected to wrap up within the next three months or so. It is unclear how long after that Five Guys might open.

So far, Five Guys has not responded to ARLnow’s request, sent Tuesday, for confirmation of the new location.

The company has two existing Arlington locations, in Courthouse and at Reagan National Airport. The status of a previously-announced Clarendon location, in part of the former Whitlow’s space, is unclear.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A dad gets pelted by snow in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Pole Finally Removed from Pike — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “That utility pole awkwardly lingering in the intersection of Columbia Pike and S Frederick Street has been removed. Good night for a cozy fire.” [Twitter]

Men at Memorial Still a Jan. 6 Mystery — “A few months after the Capitol attack, in March 2021, ARLnow published a story that featured several of Westcott’s photos with the faces of the men blurred out. Westcott was also in touch with some of the online sleuths investigating the Capitol attack, but nothing emerged that definitively identified the men or linked them to the broader Oath Keepers conspiracy, or figured out precisely how they fit into the puzzle.” [Huffpost]

Arlington-Founded Five Guys Takes Paris — “Scandal on the Left Bank: the legendary bookshop Gibert Jeune is being replaced by a Five Guys fast food outlet (apparently popular in the United States and Barack Obama’s favourite).” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Today will be partly sunny, with a high near 38. Sunrise at 7:14 a.m. and sunset at 5:29 p.m. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with a high near 41. [Weather.gov]

Five Guys Appears to Be Opening in Part of the Former Whitlow’s Space

By ARLnow.com

Whitlow’s recently closed in Clarendon, with hopes of opening elsewhere, but its former space will not be vacant for long.

The owner of the building at 2854 Wilson Blvd, which was unable to negotiate a lease renewal with the long-time local watering hole, appears to be dividing the restaurant — which includes a basement, a ground-level floor and a rooftop bar — into at least three separate tenant spaces, according to building permits.

The first tenant is likely to be Five Guys.

The burger chain confirmed to ARLnow that it will be opening a new restaurant in Arlington, but the opening is not expected until next summer.

“We’re a bit far out to confirm any dates, but we’re intending to open a new location in Arlington around summer 2022,” said Five Guys spokeswoman Jessica Lloyd.

The company has grown from one Arlington burger joint in the soon-to-be-redeveloped Westmont Shopping Center to an international chain with more than 1,400 locations in the United States alone. It currently has two Arlington restaurants: one down the street in Courthouse, at 2300 Wilson Blvd, and another at Reagan National Airport.

Permits posted in the windows, bearing the project name “Five Guys,” indicate that the property owner is first planning an asbestos abatement.

So far there’s no word on what else might open in the building, nor whether Whitlow’s is closer to finding a new location.

Hat tip to David Kinney

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Career Center Redevelopment Could Be Big for Pike — County and school officials are moving forward with a redevelopment of the Arlington Career Center site, which holds the possibility of helping to shape the future of Columbia Pike. “We see this as a huge opportunity to create a crown jewel of Columbia Pike. The only question is the amount of money that might be invested,” said Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization Executive Director Cecelia Cassidy. [InsideNova]

N. Va. Real Estate Continues Upward Trajectory — As illustrated by a table showing the past four decades of Northern Virginia real estate sales and average prices, the local real estate market has been on a long-term upward trend. Last year continued the trend, with a 4.1 percent increase in prices and a 6.9 percent increase in total sales. [InsideNova]

Five Guys at DCA Closed for Renovations — The Five Guys burger restaurant in Terminal C of Reagan National Airport is reportedly closed, temporarily, for renovations. [PoPville]

TechShop Evicted in Crystal City — Financially troubled makerspace chain TechShop has officially been evicted from its location in Crystal City. [Washington Business Journal]

Some Experts Say Prepaid Property Tax Will Be Deductible — Don’t ask for a refund of your prepaid property taxes, say some tax experts. Despite the IRS stating that taxes prepaid to jurisdictions like Arlington County will not be deductible on your taxes this year, before a cap on state and local tax deductions goes into effect, some experts believe that legal challenges to the IRS determination will prevail. [Washington Post]

Applications Accepted for ‘Neighborhood College’ — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and effect change through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program, which meets on eight consecutive Thursday evenings, beginning April 12, 2018.” [Arlington County]

Five Guys ‘Temporarily Closed’ in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Five Guys location at 2300 Wilson Blvd in Courthouse has been temporarily closed for at least the past week.

“Attention: This location will be temporarily closed,” says a sign on the door of the popular burger restaurant. “We apologize for this inconvenience. Please visit our other nearby locations during this time.”

Online ordering from the location is also listed as “temporarily unavailable.”

It’s unclear why the eatery is closed. Workers could be seen inside the restaurant yesterday, performing some sort of work on or in the ceiling. Thus far a phone call to a company spokeswoman has not been returned.

When ARLnow.com drove by today a group of firefighters could be seen walking up to the restaurant and then walking back, empty-handed, to their truck.

The first Five Guys opened in Arlington in 1986. The company is now headquartered in Lorton and has well over 1,000 locations nationwide.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Development Planned in Virginia Square — The Dittmar Company has submitted plans for a two-tower, 500-unit apartment complex two blocks east of the Virginia Square Metro station. [TBD]

Meade Street Bridge Study Underway — Residents gathered at Arlington Temple United Methodist Church last night to discuss possible improvements to the Meade Street Bridge and adjacent intersections. County planners are looking at ways to make the bridge safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. They’re also seeking ways to improve the aesthetics of the bridge, which connects Rosslyn and North Lynn Street with the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood across Route 50. [Ode Street Tribune]

Remember the First Five Guys on Columbia Pike? — Fast-growing burger chain Five Guys is now based in Lorton, but the company has roots in Arlington. The first Five Guys opened in 1986 in the Westmark Shopping Center at the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike. [Pike Town Center]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Reed

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

A Drier Night At the Fair — The Arlington County Fair shut down early last night thanks to the rain. With any luck the rain will hold tonight so fair-goers can enjoy the rides and the concessions without an umbrella. If all else fails, however, the indoor exhibits will be open tonight. See the fair hours.

Restaurant Week in Clarendon — Clarendon Nights has a list of Clarendon and Courthouse restaurants participating in DC Restaurant Week.

Five Guys Wins More Praise — Five Guys Burgers and Fries has been getting some glowing news coverage lately. The chain, which started in Arlington, topped Zagat’s Best Burger category in survey results released Monday. The chain has been expanding rapidly recently, attracting local media attention everywhere it goes. Unanswered questions: How big can the now Lorton-based Five Guys get, and to what degree did national coverage of President Obama’s visit to a Five Guys last year boost its image?

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA