local business

Cinema Drafthouse Saves the Day For Soccer Club

By ARLnow.com

News of the recent neighborhood fracas over rap music being played at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) didn’t sit well with David Goodwin, Outreach Director of the Screaming Eagles soccer club.

The Arlington Brigade of the Screaming Eagles will be hosting a charity event at the Drafthouse Saturday night, and Goodwin wanted to let us know how accommodating  the theater was to his organization.

I was saddened to see the story the other day of a customer having an issue with the Drafthouse and their staff.

Here is a quick one that shows how customer-friendly the folks over there are:

The Arlington Brigade of the Screaming Eagles, a non-profit soccer club, were in a bind on where to show an international match this Saturday night (due to the delay by the USSF in releasing their TV deal for the event). Yet, the staff of the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse were extremely helpful in allowing us to take over one of their busiest nights of the week for a fundraiser for two soccer charities – love.futbol and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

As a result we hope to pack the place with soccer fans decked out in red, white and blue on Saturday night at 10pm for the USA vs. Chile match and raise funds to help create safe places for children to play both at home and abroad.

See more information on the USA vs. Chile viewing party here.

Metro Halal Cart Gets Evicted from Rosslyn Street Corner

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) For more than two years, the Metro Halal cart was a familiar sight at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Lynn Street, near the WJLA building in Rosslyn.

But now, after threats of being sued or arrested, Metro Halal owner Mohammad Khan has been forced to move the cart to a less trafficked, less familiar section of North Lynn Street. As a result, Khan says, his family and his business are suffering.

“It has affected my business very much,” said Khan, who also owns La’Jawab Kabob House on Lee Highway, where the cart’s food is prepared. “Today I lost money… In this bad economy, my business is destroyed by them.”

The “them” Khan is referring to is Monday Properties, which owns the 1100 Wilson Boulevard office tower. The company’s law firm has been sending cease and desist letters to Khan since May, ordering him to “stop trespassing” on the sidewalk. According to the letters, Monday Properties’ land ownership extends all the way to the curbs on Lynn and Wilson.

Although Khan reviewed the letters, he insists various county officials later told him that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Thus, when he received another letter in November, saying in bold-faced type that “you must immediately and permanently cease trespassing on the property,” Khan kept on serving hearty $5.99 meals to local office workers.

That was until Thursday, when, according to Khan, a police officer said he would be arrested if he did not move to a new spot.

“I was almost crying, because I knew it would take me another six months or one year to get my customers back,” Khan said. “I did not have time to tell my customers.”

Khan said he used to be able to sell between $300 and $600 worth of food in a given day, thanks in part to the convenient and familiar location. In his new location, he says, sales are down to $250 per day.

“That does not cover my expense,” Khan said. “And what about my family, my kids, my mortgage, my car payments?”

(more…)

Phil Keating, Lawyer and Business Champion, Dies at 51

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Phil Keating, a prominent figure in Arlington civic life, died suddenly last night at the age of 51.

Keating, an attorney with the Arlington firm of Bean, Kinney & Korman, just finished his term as the 2010 chairman of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

A New Jersey native, Keating earned his B.A. from Rutgers. He received his J.D., with honors, from George Washington University.

As an attorney, Keating represented business clients from individual entrepreneurs to large multi-national companies.

“He was just one of the best people you know,” said Leo Fisher, a managing partner at Bean, Kinney & Korman. “He was a very positive person, he had a great sense of humor… it was a pleasure to work with him.”

“We are absolutely stunned in disbelief,” said Takis Karantonis, director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, who worked with Keating on business issues related to the Pike. “This is a real loss for our community… he was a real civic champion.”

In addition to his work with the Chamber, Keating was a member of Arlington County’s Community Energy and Sustainability Task Force.

“It’s a little surreal that he’s not here today,” said 2010 county board chairman Jay Fisette, who ran in to Keating while eating lunch at a restaurant in Courthouse yesterday. “Our chairmanships coincided, and I got a chance to know him pretty well… He was very committed to the community as a whole, and that was reflected in his life and in his interactions.”

“Phil was filled with humor and compassion, and was a consensus-builder,” said Sun Gazette Managing Editor Scott McCaffrey, who worked with Keating as a member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee. “[He] used his year as chairman to push the Chamber of Commerce to continue as an engaged partner in government and economic affairs in Arlington and the region.”

Keating was married with three children, including a daughter who recently graduated from college, a son who’s an undergraduate at UVA and a daughter who’s a junior in high school.

Lyon Park Business Owner Fires Back at Internet Critics

By ARLnow.com

The owner of the Eclectic Threads vintage clothing store in Lyon Park was apparently none-too-pleased with a few unflattering internet reviews of her business.

Yesterday “Tara S.” — presumably Eclectic Threads owner Tara Selario — went on the review site Yelp to respond to the store’s critics.

“Please go to Georgetown to complete your Halloween costume next year – let them deal with your complete lack of respect for other people’s property,” she said to someone who complained about “dour, snotty service” this past fall.

She had a more measured response to a gripe about the fact that many store transactions are cash-only.

“We do not accept credit cards under $100 because banking fees have gone up in the last few years but there is an atm across the street,” she wrote.

But to a woman who complained about a lack of parking, an abundance of “junk,” and a “growling” dog that inhabits the store during business hours, Tara S. had much sharper words.

The dog probably sensed your negative attitude – you’re clearly a nasty person . We’ve been in business for 10 years and we didn’t last this long selling over priced junk (obviously). There’s plenty of street parking for those capable of reading parking signs. We’ve never advertised our shop as an upscale boutique but it is very much a true vintage shop. Everything is sized and very well organized. There’s not a fur coat in our inventory that’s missing fur spots and just an fyi “divits” is spelled “divots” and it means “sod”.

The Yelp user community wasted no time in responding to Tara’s unapologetic retorts.

“If I went onto a business page and saw the owner making those kinds of comments, I would not step foot into her establishment,” one Yelper said today.

“Seeing the vicious attacks made on those who had negative comments makes me want to steer clear of this place,” said another. “Does she not know that if she wouldn’t have given a negative experience, there would be no negative comments? I’m not sure she understands what customer service is all about.”

Even with the negative reviews, Eclectic Threads (2647 North Pershing Drive) currently has an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars on Yelp thanks to a number of people who said they had a positive experience at the store.

The business has received considerable media attention over the past few years. Last year it was named the area’s best vintage boutique by Northern Virginia Magazine. It has also been featured in the Washington Post, the Arlington Connection, and on WTOP.

A phone call to Eclectic Threads for comment and confirmation of the postings went unanswered this afternoon. “Tara S.” was identified as the store’s owner on Yelp, which has its own owner verification process.

Photo via Yelp

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Freezing Rain and Snow Hits After Dark — It might not have been the monster storm that’s now hitting New York City and southern New England, but a relatively short period of freezing rain and snow made for some slippery conditions during rush hour last night. Most of the inch or so of snow we received is expected to melt today. If, however, unshoveled snow in front of someone else’s property is causing problems, you can report it via the county’s snow reporting form. Meanwhile, if you’re flying out of Reagan National today, you can check flight status here. Numerous flights have been canceled.

Dyszel Doc to be Screened at Artisphere Tonight — Dick Dyszel is a local television legend. During the ’70s and ’80s he played popular characters like Bozo the Clown and Count Gore de Vol on the Washington airwaves. “Every Other Night Is Halloween,” a documentary about Dyszel’s improbable career, will be playing at Artisphere. The film also examines the “de-evolution of local television” and the rise of the internet. The screening starts at 8:00 in Artisphere’s Dome Theater. Tickets are $6.

Shooshan Secures Financing for Founders Square Building — The Shooshan Company has successfully secured $100 million in financing to build the future headquarters of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in Ballston, part of the Founders Square development. (It’s worth noting that two workers were injured from a fall at the construction site yesterday.) A company representative says the financing allows them to concentrate on the construction of the building, which will be the first in Arlington to meet the DoD’s Minimum Anti-Terrorism Standards for Buildings. [GlobeSt.com]

Iconic Colony House Furniture Store to Sell Property, Relocate

By ARLnow.com

A “for sale or lease” sign on the side of Colony House Furniture at 1700 Lee Highway has prompted a number of people to email us and ask what’s going on with the iconic, 54-year-old store. Today, owner J.R. Diffee provided an answer.

The business plans to cash in on its prime real estate and relocate.

“This is not a going out of business,” Diffee said emphatically. “The property is for sale, the business is not.”

Diffee says he anticipates a developer buying the property, then leasing it back to the store until building permits are approved. In the meantime, Diffee says he will be looking for a new location.

Will he move the store to another address in Arlington?

“I’d love to,” said Diffee, an Arlington Chamber of Commerce board member. “I have three kids in Arlington Public Schools… I buy into the Arlington Way.”

Diffee said that while the furniture business was hurt by the recession, sales at the store were up 7.5 percent last year. Still, he said that the property the store has occupied since 1957 — adjacent to I-66 and within a long walk of  Rosslyn and Courthouse — is now worth more to a developer than it is to a furniture store.

Samuel Beckett’s Aiming for Saturday Opening

By ARLnow.com

After enduring several months of delays and setbacks, Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub in Shirlington (2800 S. Randolph Street) is preparing to open its doors on Saturday.

“The day has arrived!!! We will open at 3 p.m. this Saturday, January 8th,” owner Mark Kirwan announced on the pub’s Facebook page. “We will only have a restricted food menu. Please be patient with us as we smooth out the bumps for the first week. We look forward to providing you with a memorable experience.”

The elaborately-designed, Irish-themed establishment will be open seven days a week, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., according to Kirwan. For the first week in operation, it will not be open for lunch or brunch.

Kirwan has been a vocal critic of Arlington’s inspection and permitting process. He vented more frustration Tuesday night:

We had an inspection today, but the angry monster that is Arlington County still has a few “issues” … Thank you so much to everybody for hanging in there and being supportive.

New county board chairman Chris Zimmerman has pledged to improve the permitting process this year.

Photos via Facebook. Hat tip to Shirlington Village Blog.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

District Taco Announces Taco Eating Contest — This sounds like a recipe for some fun, or vomit, or both. District Taco (5723 Lee Highway) will be holding a taco eating contest at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10. Ten contestants will compete to see who can eat the most tacos (without throwing up — seriously, it’s a rule) in 15 minutes. If you think you’ve got what it takes, fill out an entry form and submit it by Thursday. See more information on the District Taco web site.

Blame Technology for Rising Rents — Has your rent gone up recently? If so, a software program may be to blame. A number of large landlords are now using “sophisticated computerized models” to figure out how to price rentals. Arlington-based AvalonBay Communities, which owns rental communities in Ballston and near Shirlington, recently started widespread use of a software package called “Rainmaker” to squeeze every last dollar out of its properties. More from the Wall Street Journal.

Rustico Does Brunch — Rustico’s new Ballston location has launched a Sunday brunch service. Go for the ricotta doughnuts, stay for the oatmeal and coffee-infused beer. More from We Love DC.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Zimmerman Promises Pro-Business Measures

By ARLnow.com

A week after Christmas, Chris Zimmerman is playing Santa Claus for local business owners.

Like the jolly elf, Zimmerman quietly listened to the hopes and dreams (and gripes) of business owners throughout the year, then delivered a tidily wrapped present in the form of his speech at the county board’s New Year’s Day organizational meeting.

Zimmerman, who was officially elected chairman of the county board earlier in the meeting, told the assembled few (and those “watching over their toes” on the county’s TV channel) that “to realize our goals for the community, we need businesses to succeed.”

From controversies and lawsuits over the county’s sign ordinance to business openings and renovations delayed by tie-ups with the county’s permitting process, the past year has seen a steady procession of news that cast an unflattering light on the county as a place to do business. Numerous business owners who have spoken to ARLnow.com off the record have complained about what they see confusing, unnecessary and costly regulations and processes in Arlington.

The new board chairman, it seems, has gotten the message.

“From time to time it is good to re-examine how we do what we do,” Zimmerman said. “Local government has an important oversight role to play… but good regulation exists for a purpose, not as an end in itself.”

“The county should be seen as a facilitator, a partner with small business,” he added. “We do not intend to throw unnecessary obstacles in the path to success.”

Zimmerman said he will convene a “chairman’s roundtable” to find ways to “streamline processes,” to improve “quality of and access to information about [zoning] requirements” and to provide “friendly customer service to business owners.”

Of particular interest to Zimmerman is the oft-bemoaned sign ordinance, which the county is already in the process of rewriting.

“I think it is fair to say that among residents as well as business owners, there is a growing sense that our existing ordinance doesn’t quite achieve the result we want,” he said. “Many feel it is overly restrictive and unnecessarily hard to understand and comply with. There has to be a better way. In 2011, we’re going to find one.”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Area Bars Ring In New Year’s With Ringing Cash Registers — Initial reports from the field suggest Arlington bars and restaurants did big business on New Year’s Eve. In particular, two Irish bars brought in plenty of green. Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse was crowded, he hear. Another tipster tells us that the cavernous Columbia Pike watering hole P. Brennan’s — which charged a $5 cover for an evening that included a champagne toast and live music — was so busy that it apparently ran out of glasses. Said our Pike partier: “Congrats to them… higher cover next year?”

HGTV Couple Moves to South Arlington — A recent episode of HGTV’s House Hunters featured a couple who ended up moving from a condo in the District to a house in the Shirlington Crest development, reports Shirlington Village Blog.

Arlington Man Arrested in N.C. Over Hair Gel Purchase — A 23-year-old Arlington man has been arrested in Burlington, N.C. and accused of trying to buy goods with counterfeit $100 bills. The man bought hair gel and conditioner at one store and was attempting to buy hand lotion at another store when he was arrested, police said. A local newspaper that reported the arrest listed an Arlington address for the man that, as far as we can tell, does not exist. More from the Greensboro News-Record.

Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Artisphere Gets Latin Flavor — Arlington’s Guajillo restaurant and the District’s Casa Oaxaca restaurant have been chosen to jointly run a full-service restaurant and bar in Artisphere, the county’s new cultural center. The county board is expected to formally approve a lease at its Jan. 22 meeting. More from TBD.

Le Village Marche Merging with Verbena — Two Shirlington Village stores are becoming one. Le Village Marche, a French housewares store, is moving into the larger retail space of Verbena, a stationary store under the same ownership. The mew store, which will inherit the Le Village Marche name, will continue to offer many of the same products and services as Verbena. More from Shirlington Village Blog.

Bowen McCauley Dance Gets Creative With Funding — Bowen McCauley Dance, an Arlington non-profit, was profiled on the PBS Nightly Business Report last night. Faced with a major financial shortfall after Virginia pulled a third of its funding, the dance company doubled down, increasing the scope of its programs by drawing on cash reserves. More from PBS. (Scroll down to the final few paragraphs.)

Readers Help Raise Money for Charity — Thank you to everybody who bought raffle tickets to support Doorways for Women and Families over the past 36 hours. The raffle is now over, and thanks to ticket purchases from the readers of this and three other local web sites, our friends at What’s the Deal raised a total of $2,615 for four very worthy causes. (Update at 11:35 a.m. — The total raised for Doorways is $487.50. We’ll pitch in the additional bucks needed to bring it to a nice, even $500.00.)

Flickr pool photo by Christaki

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