local business

Photos: Opower’s Sweet Offices in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

The D.C. digs of LivingSocial may have been voted one of the “World’s Coolest Offices,” but Arlington’s own Opower may be giving them a run for their money.

The five-year-old company, which works with utility providers to help consumers become more energy efficient, occupies two floors of an office building in the Courthouse neighborhood. The offices are reminiscent of a Silicon Valley internet startup, complete with fish tanks, scooters, remote control helicopters, Lego sets, inside-jokey signs, a teleconferencing robot, and — of course — copious amounts of free food and caffeinated beverages.

Opower was founded in Arlington in 2007 by two long-time friends, Dan Yates and Alex Laskey. Since then the company has experienced rapid growth. In 2010, when President Obama paid the offices a well-publicized visit, the company had about 75 employees. Today it has 240 employees, about 200 of which are in the Arlington office. The rest are at branch offices, including offices in San Francisco and London.

The company has been on a furious hiring spree, and they’re still looking for new employees, especially computer engineers. We’re told Opower has about 50 active job postings right now, and they’re hoping to hire a total of 100 new employees in 2012 alone. The hiring drive is evident in the offices: rows of empty desks can be seen, awaiting new occupants, and posters advertise a chance to win a free Vespa for helping to refer a new hire.

Also evident around the office: the company’s desire for an initial public stock offering. Each employee has a bottle of Champagne at their desk, to be popped open when an IPO is announced. Employees of the fast-growing firm, especially those who were hired early on, stand to gain big should an IPO take place.

Opower’s services reach about 10 million households, according to the company. The services reduce electricity consumption by an average of 2 to 4 percent — a total savings of one terrawatt since the company first launched.

More photos, after the jump.

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Program to Wax Nostalgic About Historic Businesses

By Katie Pyzyk

In Arlington, where it seems like something new is always being built, sometimes it’s difficult to remember which businesses used to exist. A history program taking place tonight is hoping to jog your memory.

“Do You Remember?” is being billed as an interactive journey through Arlington’s commercial history. Charlie Clark, a longtime contributor to the Arlington Historical Magazine, will lead the program.

The program will look at now defunct businesses such as Herbert’s Youth Fashions and McCrory’s Five and Dime. Attendees can also share their memories of beloved businesses from decades past.

“Do You Remember?” is free and takes place tonight from 7:30-9:00 p.m. at the Central Library.

Owner Looking for New Tenant for 3100 Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

With its sole office tenant set to move out by May 2013, the owner of 3100 Clarendon Boulevard is looking for a new occupant.

Floors 2 to 14 of the 14-story Class A office building are for rent for an asking price of between $44 and $48 per square foot, according to a real estate website. The building offers tenants “direct access to the Clarendon Metro via a below grade walkway from the lobby,” “panoramic views” and a “great signage opportunity,” according to the commercial real estate firm that’s helping to lease it.

The ground floor of the building has retail tenants like Mister Days and Mad Rose Tavern.

As reported in September 2010, the Defense Intelligence Agency will be moving out of the building by May 2013, in favor of a leafy, tech-oriented office park in Reston. That is leaving nearly 215,000 square feet of prime Clarendon real estate open for new potential office tenants.

The new tenants can move in as early as July 2013, according to the real estate listing.

Flickr pool photo by wfyurasko

Pedro and Vinny’s Caters for Texas Congressmen

By ARLnow.com

Pedro and Vinny’s, the tiny take-out burrito eatery at 2599 Columbia Pike, has some new friends in high places.

The restaurant had the rare privilege of catering a congressional event last week, thanks to a devoted fan: Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). Barton has a home in Arlington Heights, not too far from Pedro and Vinny’s, and has become a regular customer since it opened last summer.

When it recently came time for Barton to arrange the catering at a weekly lunch for Republican members of congress from Texas, he asked his staffers to approach the restaurant to see if they’d be up for the task. It would be tough to appease the discerning palates of the Texas lawmakers — whose lunch is usually catered by a rotation of larger, more established restaurants like Hill Country Barbecue and Tortilla Coast — but owner Roger Coroneo said he was up for the challenge.

Sean Brown, Rep. Barton’s press secretary, said the office was a bit worried about their “outside the box” choice of a caterer. After all, Pedro and Vinny’s is essentially housed in a glorified shack in the corner of a CVS parking lot. In the end, though, Coroneo and company delivered 30 freshly-made burritos to the halls of congress last Thursday — 10 chicken, 10 beef and 10 pork — and won over the crowd.

“We were a little nervous, but it actually went over really well from all reports,” Brown told ARLnow.com. “When it comes to food the members are not afraid to [voice] their pleasure or displeasure… And you know, in Texas we like to pride ourselves on knowing when we have a good burrito. ”

There’s now talk of Pedro and Vinny’s being added to the regular rotation of caterers for the Texas GOP delegation, perhaps even for larger events. Brown said the restaurant scored extra points by providing more than just tasty food.

“Their customer service is very good and they were very helpful every step of the way,” he said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Office Vacancies Up — Arlington and Alexandria were the only two D.C. area markets that saw a significant increase in office vacancies in 2011, according to recently-released data. Arlington, which had the lowest office vacancy rate at the end of 2010, ended 2011 with the same vacancy rate as the District of Columbia. The loss of government office tenants as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act is said to be to blame for the rise in vacancies. [Washington Post]

Howell Tries to Insert Viagra Provision Into Abortion Bill — State Sen. Janet Howell (D), who represents part of Arlington, tried to insert a bit of “gender equity” into a bill being considered by the Virginia Senate. The bill, SB484, would require that a woman seeking an abortion be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her fetus. Howell’s amendment, which was narrowly defeated along party lines yesterdsay, would have required men to receive a “digital rectal exam and cardiac stress test” before receiving a prescription for erectile dysfunction medication. [Blue Virginia]

Eleventh Street Lounge Closes — Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon closed up shop over the weekend to make way for a new office development. The restaurant’s management is reportedly hoping to relocate to a new space, at least temporarily. [Clarendon Nights]

Marine Beaten in Crystal City — Updated at 9:00 a.m. — NBC4 is revealing new details about a malicious wounding incident reported in last week’s Arlington County crime report. A Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan and who’s up for a Silver Star medal was severely beaten with a club outside the 7-Eleven on 23rd Street in Crystal City. The attack, which was caught on surveillance video, may have been precipitated by a racial comment. [NBC Washington]

Photo courtesy Dan Gifford

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Artisphere Gets Exclusive Photo Exhibit — Artisphere has scored a bit of a coup by becoming the first and only venue in the United States to host an exhibit of the personal photos of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. “These images reveal a little-known side of the artist and lifelong resident of Mexico City suburb and Arlington, Va. sister city, Coyoacán,” Artisphere said in a press release. “The collection of photographs in this exhibition reflect Kahlo’s tastes and interests, the experiences she shared with those close to her, and her complicated, but also thrilling, personal life.” [Artisphere]

General Assembly May Ban Motorcycle Checkpoints — State legislators are considering a bill that would ban police from setting up motorcycle-only safety checkpoints. Arlington is one of the jurisdictions cited as having conducted such a “discriminatory” checkpoint — during last year’s Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. [Virginian-Pilot]

Company: Moving Out of Arlington Was a Mistake — The non-profit research firm that’s planning to move in to this soon-to-be-built office development in Clarendon says they’re happy to be moving back to Arlington. “We had a brief moment of insanity and we moved to Alexandria,” a company executive is quoted as saying. “Now we just want to move home.” [Arlington Mercury]

Audi Dealership Coming to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

The shuttered Brown’s Used Car Super Center (3200 Columbia Pike) is set to become a new Audi dealership.

Architectural signs in the window indicate that the Arlington Audi dealership will be owned by Rosenthal Automotive, which also owns the Jeep/Chrysler dealership across the street. The Rosenthal Jeep/Chrysler site is set to be razed and redeveloped.

Already, Audi cars with “Audi of Alexandria” license plate holders are parked in the used car center’s parking lot. Rosenthal didn’t respond to an email request for comment, but one source said the new Arlington Audi will be replacing the Rosenthal-owned Audi of Alexandria dealership in Del Ray, perhaps as soon as this summer.

Hat tip to B.A.

Columbia Pike Burger King Offers Delivery Service

By ARLnow.com

The Burger King at 3627 Columbia Pike is currently one of few Burger King restaurants in the United States offering an experimental delivery service.

The Columbia Pike Burger King is offering delivery between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week, for a $2 delivery charge. The minimum order is $10 and tip is not included in the delivery charge. Customers in a limited delivery area around the restaurant can order burgers, fries, bottled drinks and other lunch/dinner items via a new “BK Delivers” website or by calling 855-OrderBk (855-673-3725).

Burger King has told national news outlets that it’s planning to expand the delivery trial to 16 U.S. locations by next week. The company’s delivery experiment is currently limited to restaurants in the D.C. area and a “Whopper Bar” concept restaurant in Miami Beach.

Burger King says the delivery service is being made possible by a “proprietary thermal packaging technology” the company has developed, which allows burgers to be delivered hot and fresh and fries to remain hot and crispy.

A sign outside the Columbia Pike Burger King indicates that the restaurant is still hiring delivery drivers.

Hat tip to @shtickstickler

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Backyard Chicken Debate Rages On — Egg-laying hens aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, according to an Arlington resident whose neighbor had an illegal chicken coop. “I can tell you that I thought we had excessive flies, we had rodents; the chickens do make noise and there is a smell,” Darryl Hobbs told WUSA9 at a community discussion about backyard chicken raising last night. Chicken supporters dispute claims that their coops are unsanitary, and say that egg-laying hens produce a steady stream of healthy, tasty and sustainable food. [WUSA 9]

Shoplifting Suspect Flees Down Metro Tracks — Metro trains were temporarily shut down near the Pentagon City station Tuesday night after a shoplifting suspect jumped on the tracks in an attempt to get away. The man, who’s accused of shoplifting from the Nordstom’s in Pentagon City, was eventually caught by Metro Transit Police. [NBC Washington]

Hope Wants Insurance Exchange — Arlington’s Del. Patrick Hope (D) is one of the Democratic lawmakers hoping to pass a law to create a state-run health insurance exchange during the new General Assembly session in Richmond. All states are to have an insurance exchange in place by the end of 2013 under the Obama health care plan. “It will allow small businesses and individuals the opportunity to leverage similar to or even greater resources than that of large employers, using that clout to drive better pricing, choices and quality,” Hope said. [Roanoke Times]

Yoga, Pilates, Spinning in Clarendon — Mind the Mat, a new yoga and Pilates studio, opened in Clarendon this week. The studio, at 3300B Fairfax Drive, is offering free classes this week. Meanwhile Revolve, an indoor cycling studio that opened at 1025 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon late last year, is holding its official grand opening celebration tonight from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Correction to Item Yesterday — A Morning Notes item yesterday erroneously stated that County Board member Walter Tejada was seeking the creation of a proposed Office of Latino Affairs in Arlington. In fact it’s BU-GATA, a tenants-rights organization, that is proposing the office’s creation. Tejada told ARLnow.com that he supports improving services for Latino residents, but doesn’t think the creation of a separate county department is necessarily the best way to go about it. “I don’t think it’s the thing to do,” he said. ARLnow.com regrets the error.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet Now Open

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) There’s no shortage of variety at Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet, a new restaurant located between Crystal City and Potomac Yard at 3600 S. Glebe Road.

Hee Been’s nearly 80-foot-long dinner buffet features some 85 different items representing three different types of cuisine: Korean, Japanese and Thai. The buffet offerings include soups and salads, a wide selection of freshly-prepared sushi and sashimi, hot and cold noodle dishes, grilled-to-order steaks, various types of seafood and Korean specialties, plus fresh fruit and desserts (tip: try the cold cinnamon tea).

The family-owned restaurant has been off to a relatively slow start since its Christmas Day soft opening, thanks in part to its inconspicuous location. Hee Been is located at the back of the off-street cluster of eateries and shops on the ground floor of the relatively new Eclipse condominium building in the far southeast corner of Arlington County. Though in close proximity to busy Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1), the restaurant’s existence is hardly noticeable to anybody who doesn’t live in the Eclipse.

Hee Been, with its modern interior and soft background music, is open for both lunch and dinner. The weekday all-you-can-eat buffet prices are $14.99 for lunch and $26.99 for dinner. Weekend prices are a couple of dollars higher. The lunch features most of the selection of the dinner buffet, we’re told, minus some of the higher end items like the crab legs and grilled-to-order steaks.

In addition to the buffet, Hee Been offers a la carte options like Bento boxes and bibimbap. The restaurant also has a full bar with beer, wine and cocktails. Among the specialties are Korean beers like Cass and OB and bottled drinks like Bek Se Ju and Chum-Churum. A happy hour menu, still in development, promises beers as low as $2, cocktails as low as $5 and half-priced wines.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

‘Bookhouse’ in Bluemont Profiled — The Washington Post profiles the Bookhouse, a rare book business in Bluemont run by Natalie Hughes, 80, and her husband Edward, 91. The couple say they plan to close the business — which features a collection of about 30,000 volumes — in a year or two. [Washington Post]

Board Declines to Appoint Tie-Breaker — The Arlington County Board, down to four members since Barbara Favola resigned on Dec. 31 to start her new career as a state Senator, has opted not to appoint a designated tie-breaker, as permitted by state law. Instead, measures that garner a 2-2 tie vote will simply fail. [Sun Gazette]

Sign Spinners Featured on News Broadcast — The sign spinners we photographed during a training session have been now been profiled by Fox 5. [MyFoxDC]

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