local business

Arlington-based South Block looks to expand in D.C. area and beyond

By Caroline Gage
1/3

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Fueled by its signature açai bowls, local juice bar South Block is hitting a growth spurt.

The smoothie, juice and açai bowl spot opened its newest location in Amazon’s HQ2 in July, marking its 15th storefront in the D.C. area and fifth in Arlington in the last 12 years.

Its founder, Amir Mostafavi, says he has no intentions of slowing down, either. Armed with the company’s first capital raise, he aims to add another 15 locations to the D.C. area while exploring other regions of the U.S., as well.

“I still think there’s there’s opportunities in Arlington County alone, let alone the [D.C. area],” he said. “But, you know, we do we do have aspirations to go into new markets as well.”

ARLnow caught up with Mostafavi to discuss the wave of success South Block is riding and the new course he is charting. He says the key is not growing so quickly the brand loses sight of its mission to make a positive impact on customers, the environment and employees.

“We’re going to grow [South Block] at whatever pace we can keep up with to maintain the same quality of product and company culture, because I’ve seen too many awesome brands fail because they try to grow too fast,” the founder said.

For instance, Mostafavi says he will continue using fair trade açai and will not take shortcuts for cheaper ingredients or labor. The booming popularity of the antioxidant rich fruit in the United States has resulted in cheaper product tied to child labor flooding the market.

Mostafavi also emphasizes leadership development and guest experience because of his negative experiences in the food service industry.

“I really strive, even to this day, for perfection in the quality of the product, but mainly in what we stand for and how we treat our people — the people that work for us [and] the people that come through our doors,” he said.

These are lessons Mostafavi said he and his team learned because South Block got its start in Arlington — which continues to lead the nation as the fittest “city.”

“Customers in Arlington, they know what they’re looking for,” Mostafavi said. “They’re health conscious, and they will ask questions, and so, you know, if you’re trying to take shortcuts or if your product is inferior, I think Arlington customers are very savvy and aware of that.”

Mostafavi started South Block after five years of running a popular juice bar called Campus Fresh at George Washington University. He chose a 700 square-foot space on the south block of a new building at 3019 11th Street N. to house the new business.

“The name ‘South Block’ kind of represents that idea of building a community on your block,” Mostafavi said, referencing the company’s mission.

Mostafavi says he did not open the smoothie shop with expansion plans. About two years in, when lines were stretching out the door, he realized it was time for South Block to grow.

As South Block continued adding locations, Mostafavi considered ways to give back as well.

In 2019, he started the nonprofit Fruitful Planet, which provides fresh produce to people in need. A percentage of all of South Block’s proceeds, are put towards the initiative. The Fruitful Planet Cafe, which operated during pandemic, gave 100% of its proceeds to the nonprofit. Fruitful Planet says it has donated nearly 65,000 pounds of produce.

“Our mission statement is to build healthier communities one block at a time,” Mostafavi said. “So the way I look at that is that’s everyone in our community, not just people that can afford, you know, a $10 smoothie.”

Twenty-eight Arlington companies make 2023 Inc. 5000 list

By James Jarvis
Twenty-eight Arlington-based companies made the 2023 Inc. 5000 (via Inc. 5000)

A total of 28 Arlington-based companies are featured in this year’s Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the nation’s fastest-growing privately owned companies.

Several Arlington-based firms that made the list specialize in technology such as AI, machine learning, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Others perform various professional services for the federal government, including information technology, financial consulting and engineering.

For the second year running, Piedmont Global Language Solutions took the top Arlington spot at No. 424 — 37 places up from last year. The firm specializes in translation and language training and is located in Ballston on N. Glebe Road.

Although the numbers have fluctuated in recent years, Arlington added five more companies to the list compared to last year. Thirty Arlington companies made the list in 2021 and 2020, and 34 in 2019. Notably, only 10 of the companies on this year’s list were also featured in 2022.

Below is the list of all Arlington-based companies included on this year’s Inc. 5000 list.

  • 424. Piedmont Global Language Solutions (PGLS), 1,363% — A Ballston-based company founded by a first-generation Somali-American that provides language services and training.
  • 691. Echo Five Group, 853% — A government services company located at 4717 Old Dominion Road.
  • 938. Black Cape, 628% — A veteran-owned software company that offers machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions to help government and commercial clients. The company is based in Ballston.
  • 1,205. C3 Integrated Solutions, 489% — An IT firm that offers cyber-security to government contractors. The company announced in November 2022 it would merge with Massachusetts-based Steel Root. C3 is based in Clarendon.
  • 1,233. MarginEdge, 478% — A restaurant management software company located along Fairfax Drive in Ballston.
  • 1,391. Green Powered Technology, 420% — A veteran-owned green energy technology firm that provides policy analysis and support services in sustainable energy for businesses and government agencies. The company is based in Courthouse.
  • 1,549. PhoenixTeam, 370% — A technology company that “specializes exclusively in the design, delivery, and care of mortgage technology solution in the federal and commercial spaces.” The company is based in Ballston.
  • 1,807. Simatree, 309% — A human resources business consulting firm located in Ballston.
  • 1,827. HUNGRY, 307% — A corporate catering company located along Fairfax Drive in Ballston.
  • 1,867. Competitive Innovations, 301% — A technology services and consulting firm serving federal government agencies. The company is based in in Buckingham.
  • 1,874. Elite Strategy Global, 300% — A security consulting and risk management firm located in Ballston.
  • 1,952. Interos, 287% — A financial technology firm based in Ballston involved in supply chain risk management. The company is the first private Arlington startup to reach a billion dollar valuation in 2020.
  • 2,098. Lovelytics, 267% — A data visualization company located in Courthouse that helps clients gather, organize and visualize their data. The company was featured last year by ARLnow for doubling its staff.
  • 2,242. Allied Title & Escrow, 247% — A real estate company headquartered in Clarendon.
  • 2,343. Blake Willson Group, 236% — A veteran-owned business located in Courthouse that provides technology services, such as accounting, IT and cybersecurity , t0 the federal government.
  • 2,647. Nuvitek, 203% — A digital platform company in Rosslyn that provides cloud computing services to the federal government.
  • 2,721. Spartan Shield Solutions, 197% — A veteran-owned accounting and finance outsourcing firm
    Financial Services located in Clarendon.
  • 2,899. Fors Marsh Group, 182% — A research and communications firm based in Ballston.
  • 2,967. Level Access, 176% — A business management consulting company located in Courthouse.
  • 2,989. Organizational Development Resource Group, 174% — A woman-owned company based in Rosslyn that provides “professional services to the federal government.”
  • 3,117. Clarendon Partners, 166% — A woman-owned financial consultancy firm located in Clarendon.
  • 3,177. Matlock, 162% — A woman-owned software company headquartered in Clarendon that provides information technology services for the federal government.
  • 3,614. Aminad Consulting, 135% — A management consulting firm that provides “dedicated to generating realistic and implementable change” for federal agencies, specifically the Department of Defense. The company is based in Ballston.
  • 3,772. Bullpen Strategy Group, 126% —  A public affairs advocacy and strategic advisory firm that has offices in Rosslyn.
  • 3,901. 540.co, 120% — A company that describes itself on its website “we are a forward-thinking company that the Federal Government turns to in order to…#GetS***Done.” It’s based in Crystal City.
  • 4,205. STEMBoard, 106% — A woman-owned engineering firm that provides “professional services and technologies” to the federal government and businesses. The company is headquartered in Clarendon.
  • 4,712. Royce Geo, 85% — A tech company that provides geospatial intelligence, training and data modeling for the defense and intelligence community. The company is located in Ballston.
  • 4,852. Erickson Immigration Group, 79% — A law firm that “focuses exclusively on providing legal guidance on strategic corporate immigration.” The company is located in Courthouse.

A mother-daughter duo from Ukraine is bringing Eastern European beauty practices to Arlington

By Hallie LeTendre
1/6

A mother-daughter duo, originally from Ukraine, are offering Eastern European beauty services in Clarendon.

Natalia Vyberg and her daughter Anna moved to the U.S. four years ago. Upon their arrival, the duo opened two salons in Northern Virginia: Beauty Bar Lashes and Beauty Bar Nails.

Energized by the success of their original locations, they combined them into one salon, now in Clarendon: The Beauty at 3110 Washington Blvd. It offers eyelash services, facials, manicures and pedicures.

Through a translator, Natalia told ARLnow her Ukrainian techniques draw U.S. customers to The Beauty and keep them coming back.

“In Ukraine, beauty services are held to a high standard. Our clients get those high standards of a Ukrainian service that is focused on perfection at The Beauty. It takes a special technique and materials to do this,” she said.

To meet those standards, Natalia, who owns The Beauty, also orders most of her tools and products from Ukraine.

The Vybergs are originally from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city and one of Russia’s main targets since invading Ukraine last year 2022. Natalia, a 20-year veteran of the beauty industry, opened five salons in Kyiv before opening salons states-side.

Her daughter Anna followed in her footsteps, opening a salon in New York City after The Beauty in Clarendon took off.

Now, she travels almost weekly from Arlington to New York to help run and work at both salons, noted an employee at The Beauty. The employee said this is partly because some clients only want Anna to handle their beauty regimens.

Her mother requires all her employees go through Ukrainian beauty training courses. Natalia said she mostly hires Ukrainian immigrants to work at The Beauty, though she made an exception for two from Russia.

“They are American citizens and have lived here for many years now,” she said. “We are not involved in politics or interested in political questions. We welcome anyone to work at the salon who can provide good services.”

Now, the mother-daughter duo are looking to hire new employees to handle their Clarendon customer base.

After four decades in Arlington, Rick’s Tattoo is moving to Bailey’s Crossroads

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

Rick’s Tattoo on Langston Blvd is moving at the end of the month.

The long-time Arlington tattoo parlor, self-described as the oldest in Virginia, was established in 1980 at 4818 Langston Blvd.

Manager Amy Barrow, who is overseeing the move after 16 years at the tattoo shop, says leaving Arlington — the shop is moving just over the county line to Bailey’s Crossroads — is bittersweet but there were more options, for less money, outside the county.

“Finding a place that meets our needs for as big as we need was difficult,” she said. “There was not much available.”

Rent was expensive and, anticipating plans to redevelop in a few years, some property owners are only offering shorter leases. Barrow instead wanted to find a new location for years to come.

She settled on a storefront in a shopping center in Bailey’s Crossroads at 5916 Leesburg Pike, up the road from a large shopping center where Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike intersect. The new digs are on the ground floor and have ample parking — both steps up from the current second-floor studio with limited parking spots shared with other businesses.

“We’re just raising the bar, getting to code, and getting ready to ride out another 15 years in a new location,” she said.

Everything entailed with moving — finding contractors, getting permits and dealing with supply chain issues — has prolonged the move. Barrow began looking for a new place in April 2022.

“It’s been challenging,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot [about] how to build a business from the ground floor.”

As for Rick Cherry, the owner of the eponymous shop, he lives in Florida now, traveling the country to tattoo expos and demonstrating his handmade tattooing implements, according to the website for the business.

Over the years, his establishment has racked up recognitions, which hang on available wall space, greeting customers. That reception is a far cry from the cool treatment Cherry got from Arlington when he opened, however.

For the first five years, the county would not let him have a sign outside the door, says Barrow.

“Arlington County did not want him in town,” she said. “He kept them in court for five years. Finally he was able to put a sign on the door. And here we are.”

Hat tip to Buzz McClain

Arlington-connected restaurant owners capture RAMMY Awards

By ARLnow.com
1/5

No Arlington-specific restaurant walked away from Sunday’s RAMMY Awards with new hardware for the display case, but it was not a total shutout for the county’s food scene.

As in years past, the big winners were mostly D.C. restaurants. But unlike last year, when Ruthie’s All-Day was honored as Casual Restaurant of the Year, no Arlington-only eatery was singled out.

This was the 41st annual edition of the regional awards program, organized by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and held at the Washington Convention Center.

There were three winners with Arlington connections.

RASA — a growing, local fast casual Indian restaurant chain with a location in Crystal City — won for Favorite Fast Bites. Co-founders Sahil Rahman and Rahul Vinod took the stage before a large crowd of local restaurant industry figures to accept the award, thanking their team and their fathers, who are also restaurant owners.

Kevin Tien, who won for Chef of the Year for his now-closed D.C. restaurant Moon Rabbit, operates hot chicken eatery Hot Lola’s, with locations in Ballston and Rosslyn.

Rose Previte, who won for Restaurateur of the Year, will soon have an Arlington restaurant. Best known for Compass Rose and Maydan in D.C., Previte’s company No White Plates is building out Kirby Club, which has an existing location in the Mosaic District, in the former Iota Club space in Clarendon. The Middle Eastern concept, which in Clarendon was formerly to be called Tawle, is expected to open in the coming months.

Among those receiving RAMMY nominations this year but not making it to the podium were Snjezana Jaksic of Ambar Clarendon (Manager of the Year); Bridie McCulla of Liberty Restaurant Group (Pastry Chef of the Year); Bar Ivy in Clarendon (New Restaurant of the Year); and Ruthie’s All Day (Favorite Gathering Place).

Favorite Gathering Place and Favorite Fast Bites, which RASA won, were among the five categories for which members of the dining public — rather than a select panel — voted both the nominees and the winners this year, for the first time.

One notable backdrop for this year’s award ceremony is the July 1 implementation of D.C.’s new tipped-minimum wage law, which will raise the base pay of tipped restaurant staff significantly over the next few years. That has prompted some District restaurants to impose surcharges on customers and has also led to some speculation that Arlington could see an influx of new restaurants that would have otherwise opened across the river.

Arlington Soccer sponsor offers free coding lessons to Girls with Goals program

By Anya Wareck

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring Three Ballston Plaza. 

A sponsor for Arlington’s premier youth soccer league is helping girls hone their skills as players and coders.

Tim Yang, who owns an online coding school called 355Code, has been hosting classes for members of the Arlington Soccer Association Girls with Goals program this year.

Girls With Goals is a free, six-week after school club that helps low-income families at select elementary schools in Arlington Public Schools participate in sports. It aims to break down barriers to participation, including cost and transportation, while increasing membership in the soccer league.

Yang, who liked the mission of the program, decided to offer his services as a coding coach during a six-week session this spring at Drew Elementary School.

“I felt Girls with Goals was a great program and wanted to connect further,” he told ARLnow.

Tim Yang provides coding coaching to two girls through Girls with Goals (courtesy Jerome Boettcher)

Yang says elementary school students are the “perfect age” for the first stages of instructional coding.

In the last session, Yang — who has previously worked as a software engineer for the IRS, the bank Citigroup and Nike — conducted 45-minute classes. Girls warmed up with 15 minutes of typing, moving to 15 minutes of computer activities and then 15 minutes of theory connection, reflection and discussion.

After witnessing the girls’ passionate, dedicated attitude and persistence, Yang says he hopes to continue hosting classes for Girls with Goals this fall.

“The girls are great — they work very hard,” Yang said. “There is no reason not to [continue].”

The coding lessons were in part possible through the partnership Girls With Goals has with the Extended Day after school program through Arlington Public Schools.

Christyna Haskins, a program assistant supervisor, says coding was new to the girls and they love it.

“Every day they come in asking if he is coming today,” she told Arlington Soccer Association. “They really do enjoy it. Some of the girls said they want to do coding as they get older. So it has opened new doors for them.”

Yang offers classes for Javascript and Python to students from grades 4-12. This summer, he is offering a Javascript course for one hour a week, on Zoom or in person at 901 N. Glebe Road, according to the Arlington Soccer Association.

Local kabob shop donates meals to children fighting rare diseases

By Anya Wareck
Volunteers serve Arlington Kabob’s packaged meals at Children’s Inn (courtesy Susan Clementi)

Earlier this month, Arlington Kabob cooked up hot dinners for a cause.

About two weeks ago, the restaurant donated 75 individually packaged meals to the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health. The nonprofit provides housing and programming to young people with rare diseases being researched and treated at the NIH campus in Bethesda.

Arlington Kabob owner Susan Clementi says she was approached about a meal donation by longtime customer Gindy Feeser, who regularly serves dinners at the Children’s Inn with her coworkers.

Clementi said she worked with Feeser and her team at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) in Falls Church to offer a “moment of kindness” to kids living at the hospital, who lack normalcy in their day-to-day lives.

“One of my personal spiritual values is to stay involved and have awareness for my community,” Clementi said. “We at Arlington Kabob are always eager to support any great cause… and partner with [the restaurant’s dedicated customers] to make a small difference.”

Together, for the GDIT team’s June dinner contribution, Clementi provided the kabobs and Feeser provided the service.

“I think most of us know by now how lucky we are to have a gem like Arlington Kabob in our neighborhood,” Feeser said in a recent post that received considerable attention on the social media platform Nextdoor.

She said delivering a car full of kabobs to Bethesda was “a mouth-watering experience.”

“Once delivered, they were gone in minutes,” Feeser said in her post, which garnered nearly 530 reactions. “Bellies and hearts, full.”

Arlington Kabob is located at 5046 Langston Blvd in the Halls Hill/High View Park neighborhood and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The restaurant was founded by Clementi a decade ago and, as reported earlier this year, is noted for its partnerships with local schools on various fundraising initiatives.

New bike shop in Lyon Park to host grand opening event Saturday

By Anya Wareck
New Velocity bike shop
Interior of the storefront (photo courtesy of John McClanahan)

Velocity Bike Cooperative is hosting a grand opening for its new Arlington location this weekend.

The location at 2647 N. Pershing Drive has been serving customers for a few months, but will formally celebrate its opening on Saturday, June 10. The event will include a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. and giveaways.

“During Saturday’s celebration, we will offer a 20% discount on bikes and accessories,” said John McClanahan, a volunteer for the cooperative. “Giveaway items will include socks, shirts, caps, and basic tune-ups with pickup at Arlington. And, we’ll offer coffee, water, juices, and small pastries.”

Founded by John Patterson and Christian Myers in 2009, Velocity aims to foster an inclusive biking community through “affordability, education, and embracing the fun of riding,” according to its website.

The new Lyon Park location is its second location; the first is at 2111 Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood.

Velocity’s storefronts facilitate sales, bike donations, bike education, as well as do-it-yourself and full-service repairs. Regular shop hours in Arlington are Tuesday-Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Here are a dozen businesses listed for sale in Arlington this summer

By ARLnow.com
Business sale question graphic (photo illustration by ARLnow)

Arlington is full of great local businesses, and sometimes those businesses change hands.

We occasionally check in on the state of local business by taking a look of the entities being offered for sale via BizBuySell, an online aggregator. The businesses are described but usually not named in the listings.

When ARLnow last checked in this past October, we highlighted eight businesses for sale, including restaurants, a moving company and a salon.

Today, we have a dozen to highlight, including one that appeared — for some reason — via a real estate listing.

1. 2900 N Sycamore Street – Williamsburg Deli ($65,000)

Perfect Location with Huge Potential Deli. Deli has demonstrated its pandemic proof with steady sales generated by a well-established core customer base within the neighborhood. Great business opportunity for first-starters.

2. Fantastic Corner Cafe’ and Market ($145,000)

European café and market. Serving breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and deserts. All types of coffees, lattes, and teas. Pastries and bagels. Sandwiches, soups, and salads. Chips, candy, cigarettes’, and Ice cream, Refreshments, select micro beers, and fine wines. Inside and outside seating. A real must see.

3. Newly Renovated, Beautiful restaurant with Patio for Sale ($60,000)

Beautiful newly built out Restaurant, brand new equipment. Big patio. Price for a quick asset sale as Seller wants to pursuit different opportunity.

4. High Volume Restaurant & Bar in Prime Location ($1,100,000)

High volume restaurant & bar in a prime location of Arlington surrounded by residential & office buildings. This restaurant has been in business for over 10 years and averages an immaculate $3,200,000 in annual sales. Beautifully built out with a full service bar serving some of the best wines and specialty cocktails in the area.

5. Specialty Dessert Boutique Franchise ($149,000)

Specialty dessert & gift franchise locations for sale. For a low price of $149,000 you can be the owner of 2 dessert franchise businesses located in Arlington & DC. The current owner of these locations is absentee and we are looking for a new hands on owner to take this established business to the next level.

6. Top rated/top sales with great revenues Burger ($450,000)

Top rated gourmet Burger with potential growth in different directions. Located next to a bustling high-rise residential area. It is not just a burger joint, but also a bar and a hanging out place for the community. With top sales and great revenues, it’s evident that this burger have become a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

(more…)

Mastercard and Mercedes dealership among Best Business Award winners

By ARLnow.com
1/10

Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz of Arlington and a behavioral health clinic in Courthouse are among the latest winners of the annual Arlington Best Business Awards.

The event, organized by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, was held earlier this week at Army Navy Country Club. It also included three inductions into the Chamber’s Arlington Business Hall of Fame.

Mastercard is based in Purchase, New York, but has a technology hub in Ballston. Its ubiquitous logo tops the office building at 4250 Fairfax Drive.

More, below, from a Chamber of Commerce press release.

On May 16, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 37th Annual Arlington Best Business Awards at Army Navy Country Club, sponsored by Arlington Community Federal Credit Union. The Best Business Awards are presented to area businesses that consistently deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders or offer a unique approach to delivery of goods or services, achieve significant growth or stability over the lifetime of their business, display an interest and concern for the success of the Arlington community, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The 2023 Best Business Award Winners are:

  • Home Energy Medics — 2023 Sustainable Business of the Year
  • National Capital Treatment & Recovery — 2023 Nonprofit Business of the Year
  • Mercedes-Benz of Arlington — 2023 Retail Small Business of the Year
  • Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute — 2023 Service Small Business of the Year
  • Mastercard — 2023 Large Business of the Year

This prestigious awards dinner recognized businesses in the Arlington community that go above and beyond to serve clients and make Arlington a great place to work and live.

“We’ve been doing business in Arlington for 86 years, and we’re very proud of our history,” said Mark Zetlin, of Mercedes-Benz of Arlington. “We always aim to take the best care of our customers, and we are proud to be valued by this diverse community.”

Following the presentation of the awards, the Chamber inducted the late Bert W. Johnson, Lola C. Reinsch, and Robert H. Hawthorne into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame.

The inductees captivated the sold-out crowd as they shared inspiring tales of how their upbringing influenced their careers. From leveraging family connections within the Arlington Chamber to secure their first post-college job to joining a traveling circus on the weekends, the Hall of Fame speeches not only entertained the audience but also showcased the diverse paths that led these individuals to their success.

Mr. Johnson served as the first professional County Manager for Arlington, from 1962 to 1976. He had the insight to develop the Rosslyn neighborhood as an office center and was instrumental to the Metro subway system construction in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

Ms. Reinsch is the second-generation President and CEO of the Reinsch Companies. She noted that her father specifically wanted to develop properties along Columbia Pike, due to its proximity to the Pentagon and Washington DC. Her philanthropic efforts have led to her directing capital campaigns for VHC Health and Marymount University.

Mr. Hawthorne most recently was the Market President for United Bank, before retiring in 2021. Despite his monumental career in banking, Hawthorne never forgot the community that helped raise him. He noted that he first started with the Chamber, helping his bank at the time win the Arlington Chamber membership campaign, which lead to him initiating the first Membership Development Committee of the Chamber. Hawthorne would become the Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 1997. He also co-founded the Leadership Center for Excellence in 2000 and served as its first Chair.

“One of the biggest things that I’ve really seen the Chamber become is a place where there is a nice balance between small, medium, and large businesses,” said Robert H. Hawthorne. “I know that the business community will continue to help the Chamber, and keep up the good work!”

The Arlington Business Hall of Fame honors men and women with a connection to Arlington County who have demonstrated a long record of successful management, expertise, and business skills, along with notable achievements and exceptional civic and community involvement.

Loyal Companion in Lee Harrison Shopping Center is now Wag N’ Wash

By Vernon Miles
1/3

Just one month after both Loyal Companion stores in Arlington closed amid the chain’s bankruptcy, both locations are back as new pet stores.

In the Lee Harrison Shopping Center, Loyal Companion is still the sign above the storefront, but inside it has been converted into Wag N’ Wash, a pet store with a focus on pet hygiene.

Wag N’ Wash is a national chain with a few locations in the region, including one in Vienna.

As far as conversions go, the changes inside are fairly minor. Staff at the store, located at 2501A N. Harrison Street, said “it’s mostly the same stuff” with the same dog washing services Loyal Companion offered, just under a new name.

One of the few notable changes, staff said, is that eventually Wags N’ Wash will have a self-serve dog wash.

Meanwhile, a store manager at Dogma Bakery & Boutique said the new location near Clarendon — at 2509 Franklin Road — will have a soft opening later this week, perhaps on Wednesday, March 15, depending on when the shelves get set up. The store expects to be fully open next week.

View More Stories