new business

A ‘champagne boutique’ hopes to open in Crystal City within the month

By Matt Blitz
1/3

Beauty by Society Fair, a “champagne boutique,” is hoping to start serving bubbly in Crystal City within the next month, co-owner Zena Polin tells ARLnow.

The store at 576 23rd Street S., which we first reported about in October, is set to be a combination of retail store, bistro and wine shop. The small, 800-square-foot space will include a front room offering items for sale and a side room with 10 seats. The business’s focus will be selling locally produced gifts, serving fresh cakes and treats, and providing space for a glass of wine or, yes, champagne.

“We want this to be a place where you come at the end of the day for wine and a piece of cake,” Polin says.

Beauty by Society Fair is owned by notable local restaurateurs Zena Polin and Meshelle Armstrong, who are also behind Hummingbird Bar & Kitchen in Old Town Alexandria. Both are associated with Eat Good Food Group, which owns a number of local restaurants including Mattie and Eddie’s in Pentagon City and is helmed by Meshelle’s husband, chef Cathal Armstrong.

This new shop is somewhat of a revival of Alexandria’s Society Fair, a gourmet food market that closed in 2019, and its offshoot location on Columbia Pike, which shuttered in 2014.

“The front [of the shop] will be most reflective of what Society Fair used to look like,” says Polin. “With fresh baked cakes, candy, and treats… and gifts, with a large focus on local and women-owned companies.”

Polin also credits Cheesetique, with locations in Del Ray and Shirlington, as an inspiration.

The residential-looking building is the former home of Agents of Style, a consignment boutique. The look fits the shop’s motif well, notes Polin. The aim is to appeal to the local neighborhood and community, while also being less than a mile from Amazon’s new headquarters in Pentagon City.

The location was scouted out by Armstrong prior to the concept being fully formed.

“We jumped on it before [the concept] was quite ready, but that happens,” says Polin. “We’ve been working on it for about a year.”

The shop is essentially ready to go, with the owners just waiting on inspections. They believe that Beauty by Society Fair could be open by the end of February.

While the store may not be as big as some of its predecessors, Polin thinks this is the perfect size and fit for the moment.

“With the way the world is working now, something smaller and more manageable is the way to go,” she says. “It’s a function of the times.”

Burger joint with a side of a hookah lounge is coming to Langston Blvd

By Matt Blitz
1/3

A burger restaurant and a hookah lounge are expected to open on Langston Blvd later this year.

All About Burger is gearing up for a new location at 5009 Langston Blvd, owner Mohammad Esfahani tells ARLnow, with the hope it will start serving by May or June of this year. This will be the local chain’s eighth location and third in Arlington, including restaurants in Virginia Square and Ballston.

This will be All About Burger’s largest location yet and will include a 5,000-square-foot rooftop cafe and deck.

Additionally, a hookah lounge is also planned in the back of the building. That should open closer to the end of the year, Esfahani says.

Back in 2019, ARLnow reported that the businesses were set to come to a vacant building on what was then called Lee Highway. However, that project seemingly stalled until early last year, when a new permit revealed that a build out was finally on the verge of happening.

Last month another permit was applied for to finish the work, which is about 70% done. Esfahani says the three year delay has been due to permitting and construction delays.

All About Burger’s menu consists of burgers, cajun fries, onion rings, milk shakes and a “secret menu” with chicken wings, grilled cheese and turkey burgers.

Esfahani cited a lack of higher-quality burger options in North Arlington as why Langston Blvd is a perfect spot for All About Burger’s next location, though there are two fast food spots nearby.

“There’s no burger place like us around here,” Esfahani says. “McDonald’s and Wendy’s are different. We have fresh burgers, fresh buns, fresh french fries. We wash and cut potatoes ourselves. Everything is fresh.”

The burger spot will be situated a half a block from relatively new Bob and Edith’s Diner and just west of Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, about a three minute walk.

All About Burger originated as a result of a split with another burger joint, Z-Burger. Esfahani and his brother Ebrahim were once partners in that business, but a legal settlement handed branding and naming to his former partner Peter Tabibian. Esfahani was able to retain four locations of Z-Burger, including the one on Wilson Blvd near Clarendon, but he had to rebrand. Hence, the name change from Z-Burger to All About Burger.

Esfahani tells ARLnow that his brother is no longer a partner in the business.

Nighthawk Pizza in Pentagon City hopes for late March opening

By Matt Blitz
1/6

Nighthawk Pizza, the beer and food hall with a “’90s vibe,” is aiming for a late March opening in Pentagon City, co-owner Scott Parker tells ARLnow.

The newest venture from the local serial entrepreneur was initially expected to start serving  in the late fall, but supply chain hang-ups (a common refrain these days) pushed the date a few months.

The restaurant is a much-anticipated addition to Westpost, the retail and dining center formerly known as Pentagon Row, filling the large former Champps space.

The head chef is Johnny Spero, breakout star of Netflix’s Final Table and one of the buzziest chefs in the D.C. region right now. The menu will feature thicker-crust Sicilian pizzas and a crisper, thinner tavern-style pizza as well as sandwiches, smoked wings, fried cheese curds, ribs and ice cream sundaes.

The beer will be from Northern Virginia-based Aslin Beer Company, which will brew “approachable low ABV beers, that will be reminiscent of old-world styles for the working class.”

The 10,000 square foot beer and pizza eatery is leaning hard into the ’90s vibe with the design inspired by the after-school hot spot “the Max” on the television show “Saved by the Bell.”

“The whole space is not going to be as bright or as loud, but when we were looking for design touches, that was the inspiration,” Parker says. The interior is currently under construction, so photos are not available quite yet to compare Nighthawk to Zack Morris’s favorite place to hang out.

There will also be an outdoor bar, which pairs nicely with Westpost now permitting “sipping and strolling.” Meaning, patrons can roam the shopping plaza with a drink in hand.

Nighthawk Pizza is the latest from Parker, well known in Arlington not just for his restaurants but barbershops, boxing gyms and doggy daycares.

He says one of the reasons he chose to open his newest creation at Westpost was because of the abundance of buzzy openings in recent months, including Lucky Danger, Mattie and Eddie’s, and soon-to-open Banditos Bar & Kitchen. Amazon’s arrival in the neighborhood is driving these restaurants to set up shop in Pentagon City, says Parker.

As to why Arlington is constantly the setting for Parker’s new businesses, he says it’s because of the clientele.

“There are so many people who are doing well professionally right out of college,” he says. “It’s just a great demographic with a lot of people who have disposable income. For the business I’m part of, that just fits well.”

Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream opens in Pentagon City, scooping some unique flavors

By Matt Blitz
1/5

Opening an ice cream shop in the winter wasn’t exactly Rollin Amore’s plan, but he’s been pleasantly surprised by how good business has been so far.

“I’ve had at least 30 to 40 people the first four weeks basically come back two, three, four, five times,” Amore, owner and ice cream maker at Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream at Westpost in Pentagon City, says. “I’ve built up a loyal following in such a short period. That’s a testament to the product.”

Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream, named after the owner’s youngest daughter, opened in December (after initially aiming for a summer opening) in a space at 1201 S. Joyce Street that’s been a bit of a revolving door for businesses. The delayed opening was due to supply chain issues, a common refrain these days.

This is Amore’s first foray into the ice cream business, after spending nearly four decades in finance.

Saying that retirement isn’t for him, he decided to turn his longtime passion of cooking into a new business. One of the biggest thrills he has is watching people enjoy what he makes.

“This is a real passion, a labor of love,” he says, speaking to ARLnow on the phone while behind the counter at the shop. “I don’t need to work, so this isn’t for money.”

Amore makes all the ice cream in-house and says he’s hyper focused on quality and flavor. That means roasting bananas for hours or grilling ubes (purple yam from Asia).

“Most everything comes from scratch. I’m not using any flavorings because they tend to be unnatural. I try to get the flavor from whatever it is I’m making. By doing that, the [ice cream] is a little better than most.”

Amore also has given himself the unfortunate job of being the taste tester, having a creamy spoonful of every single batch that comes off the line.

“That’s the hardest part of the job,” he jokes.

One of every five or six batches doesn’t make the cut and gets thrown out, he notes.

The ice cream purveyor finds inspiration everywhere. On a recent trip to a local Harris Teeter, a whiff of spearmint led him to make a whole new flavor of ice cream. Quickly creating a small batch, his spearmint ice cream sold out nearly as fast.

Mimi’s menu of flavors consists of a mix of traditional favorites (mint chocolate chip and strawberry) and more eclectic ones, like ube, beet, and a flavor that Amore calls “Szechuan Spicy Girl.”

That one has roasted peppercorns, peanuts, and it’s savory as opposed to sweet. Plus, it’s got a “kick,” he says.

Amore is hopeful that the Pentagon City location is just the first of a chain of Mimi’s across Northern Virginia. While he’s a longtime D.C. resident, he thinks the Virginia suburbs is a better market for his brand of ice cream because the flavors appeal to “children and adults alike.”

As Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream settles into Westpost, along with a slew of other new restaurants and businesses, Amore is thrilled to be serving up scoops of ice cream he made himself to pleased customers. Even on a cold, winter’s day.

“The ice cream business is the best business in the world,” says Amore. “Because everyone is happy.”

Hair salon to open at Williamsburg Shopping Center, replacing froyo business

By Matt Blitz
Soon-to-be Adil’s Salon and Spa at Williamsburg Shopping Center (photo courtesy of Adil’s Salon and Spa)

A new hair salon is coming to Williamsburg Shopping Center in North Arlington, into the space formerly occupied by Zinga! Frozen Yogurt.

Adil’s Salon and Spa is looking to open at 2914 N. Sycamore Street by the end of February or early March, co-owner Adil Karkas tells ARLnow, despite just signing the lease and receiving keys this week.

“We wish we were going to open by Valentine’s Day,” Karkas says.

Karkas and his wife and co-owner, Nancy, have worked at area hair salons for more than two decades, including in D.C., Clarendon and Vienna. This is also their second salon, having previously opened one overseas. They’ll be joined by Karkas’s sister-in-law Linda, who is a colorist, making this business a family affair.

“Arlington is the place to be,” Karkas says on why he decided to open his own salon in the county.

The previous tenant Zinga! Frozen Yogurt closed in October 2020 after a seven-year run and a management change in that location.

Elsewhere in Williamsburg Shopping Center, a new bank tenant is still being sought to replace United Bank, which closed a year ago. Also in the center is Smoking Kow BBQ, named by the Washington Post in 2019 as one of the best barbecue joints in the region.

Halal pizza shop plans to open next month on Columbia Pike

By Matt Blitz
Future location of Papa Deeno’s Pizza on Columbia Pike (via Google Maps)

A new family-owned, halal pizza shop is looking to open next month on Columbia Pike.

Papa Deeno’s Pizza at 4109 Columbia Pike was initially supposed to open at the end of last year, but a family health emergency and supply chain challenges has pushed the opening by a few months.

The plan is now to open mid to late February, says co-owner Roxanne Mannan.

Mannan is opening the restaurant with her husband, Sapon Rahman, who’s been in the pizza business for more than 15 years. Owning their own pizza place is a fulfillment of a family goal.

“My daughter always wanted to have a pizza restaurant,” Mannan says. “She tells me ‘Mommy, my dream is to own a pizza shop.'”

So much so, that the 8-year-old designed the business’s logo, a slice dripping with cheese.

Papa Deeno’s Pizza from their website (Photo via screenshot)

What also makes the shop unique is that it will be all halal, similar to the taco shop La Tingeria in Falls Church.

“We are Muslim and eating out can be a challenge,” Mannan explains. “We thought it would be good to have some place that’s purely halal so people could have [that] choice.”

While the family doesn’t currently live in Arlington, Mannan attended Wakefield High School and grew up in the county. In fact, on Columbia Pike and in Quebec Apartments which is almost exactly across the street from where Papa Deeno’s will be.

“It really is a dream to find a place where I have a lot of memories,” she says.

Papa Deeno’s is expecting to do a brisk delivery business, with about 225 pizza deliveries over a course of a week, according to an October Arlington County staff report. That would potentially account for 30% to 40% of the business’s sales.

The menu consists of typical fare – pizzas, salads, pastas, sandwiches and chicken wings. The website also lists a second location in Chantilly that’s coming soon.

It’s moving into a space formerly occupied by Columbia Pike Cleaners.

Mannan notes that they understand it is a bit risky opening a restaurant during a pandemic, but believes this is the right time for her and her family.

She says, “When [customers] taste our product, I hope they can tell…the quality we can give to the community.”

A bank might be coming to the former The G.O.A.T. space in Clarendon

By Matt Blitz
1/2

A bank could be coming to the former The G.O.A.T. space across the street from the Clarendon Metro station, a reliable source has told ARLnow.

A year ago, the sports bar closed after about three years in operation at 3028 Wilson Blvd. Previously, it was the chili-serving Hard Times Cafe before that closed in 2016.

But earlier this month, an ARLnow reader tipped us off that construction was going on at the space. An issued Arlington County permit confirms that interior renovations are ongoing, including removing the once-prominent staircase at the front connecting the first and second floors.

There were thoughts the space was being renovated for a new venture by The G.O.A.T. co-owners local serial entrepreneur Scott Parker and chef Mike Cordero, or, even, a hotly anticipated rebirth of Whitlow’s on Wilson. Neither appear to be the case.

Both Parker and Cordero confirmed they are no longer tenants and not involved in the revamping of the space. Parker also owns nearby Don Tito, Bearded Goat Barber, the soon-to-open Nighthawk Pizza, and a number of other local businesses. Cordero owns Taco Rock, including the location in Rosslyn.

Former Whitlow’s manager Jon Williams also said the beloved now-shuttered watering hole wasn’t making a comeback quite yet.

“I’m still looking for the right place,” he wrote to ARLnow. “Hopefully soon.”

The Whitlow’s former space seems set to become two separate entities, a Five Guys and restaurant, as well as possibly live entertainment concept “B Live” from Michael Bramson.

At the moment, it’s unclear the exact bank that would occupy the prime location on Wilson Blvd or when it could open.

The source said it’s likely that the bank would only occupy the first floor, leaving the second floor potentially available for a local venture.

ARLnow reached out to the Rappaport Company, which is the leasing agent for the Underwood Building (named after the former owners), for confirmation and more details, but a company representative declined to provide comment.

Korean rice dog eatery looking to open in Crystal City next month, Ballston in March

By Matt Blitz
1/3

It still may be another month or two before Korean rice dog eatery Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast opens in Arlington.

In November, we reported that the fast casual franchise was set to open two new locations in Arlington, one in Crystal City and one in Ballston, perhaps as soon as December, as part of the franchise’s country-wide expansion.

However, it appears both locations are now delayed in opening, restaurant spokespeople tell ARLnow.

The Crystal City location at 509 23rd Street S is now aiming for a mid-February opening while the Ballston Quarter one at 4238 Wilson Blvd is looking at March.

ARLnow has asked for any reasons behind the delay, but has not gotten a response to that inquiry as of publication.

The Crystal City eatery is moving into the space formerly occupied by Taj of India and in the neighborhood’s restaurant row. Last month, a significant fire caused nearly $2 million in damage to restaurants next door. It remains unknown if this had any impact on Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast’s opening there.

The Ballston Quarter location is taking over the lower level stall that was formerly Mi & Yu Noodle Bar, which closed about a year ago.

Korean rice dogs are comparable to corn dogs, but more elaborate. The deep fried treat is quite popular in South Korea and is now enlisting fans in the United States as well.

“Unlike a typical hot dog, we specialize in using a stick to deep fry our signature item until it crips golden brown,” says the Oh K-Dog’s website. “It’s the perfect snack filled with your choice of mozzarella cheese, squid-ink, rice cake, potato, and more.”

Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast will also serve egg toast, another Korean speciality that’s reminiscent of a breakfast egg sandwich.

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant looks to open within the week at Penrose Square

By Matt Blitz
1/7

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant at Penrose Square is planning to finally open within the week, owner Tsutomu Nakano tells ARLnow.

Back in July, the four-year-old sushi restaurant was forced to close its location at Westmont Shopping Center on Columbia Pike due to the shopping center’s impending redevelopment. However, plans were in place for the restaurant to move up the Pike to Penrose Square with a hoped-for opening date in September.

But the restaurant still wasn’t open in November, due to supply chain issues and delays in getting county permits.

While the Takohachi is finally readying itself to start serving in January, hiring employees has continued to be a challenge (something that’s been the case across the region and country). Nakano says he’s still looking to hire, particularly servers.

Takohachi Japanese Restaurant is known for its sushi, tempura, and Japanese food. The interior of the new space is quite a bit larger than the previous iteration, with a wooden bar in the middle with sectioned-off seating areas to the left and right.

Nakano, who is the chef and owner, moved to America from Japan about two decades ago and opened his first restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. In 2017, he opened Takohachi at Westmont Shopping Center. However, only two years later, the Arlington County Board approved a redevelopment plan that included a six-story mixed-use building with 250 apartments and 22,500 square feet of retail space.

The sushi restaurant and a number of other longtime businesses there have since closed. The shopping center is now rubble, demolished earlier in 2021.

Takohachi did get a reprieve, thanks in part to the Columbia Pike Partnership, which assisted the restaurant’s move a few blocks away to 2501 Columbia Pike.

It’s been more than two years since that space was occupied, with the last tenant being Josephine’s Italian Kitchen. Prior to that, Marble & Rye and Red Rocks were in the location. None of the three restaurants made it more than three years there, though.

Nakano says the reason he wanted to continue to keep Takohachi on Columbia Pike is because of the “regulars” who helped support the business over the years.

Along with this new Arlington location, Nakano also owns another Takohachi in Centreville which opened a few months ago.

Trek to buy local bike shop Spokes Etc.

By Matt Blitz
1/2

Trek Bicycle is buying all six Northern Virginia-based Spokes Etc. bicycle shops, Spokes Etc. owner Jim Strang confirms to ARLnow.

That includes the Spokes Etc. location in Ballston at 3924 Wilson Blvd.

Trek, which manufactures bikes and operates its own retail stores, already has a shop in Clarendon on Wilson Blvd, a mere nine-minute bike ride from the Spokes location in Ballston. The two stores were one and two, respectively, in this year’s Arlies for favorite bike shop in Arlington.

Spokes Etc. made the move into Ballston in 2018, replacing Freshbikes.

The locally owned and operated bike company was founded in 1985 and prides itself on not being “a company that gives ‘cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all’ service,” according to its website.

Beyond selling bikes, Spokes Etc. also fixes, services and provides free monthly roadside maintenance clinics.

There are five other Spokes Etc. locations, in Fairfax, Leesburg, Vienna, and two in Alexandria: Belle Haven and N. Quaker Lane, near Fairlington.

ARLnow has reached out to Trek about what the sale could mean for the local shops, but have yet to hear back as of publication. Strang declined to comment on whether all current Spokes Etc. locations will remain open after the sale.

Trek has been on a bike store buying spree as of late, with deals to buy independent bike retailers in Maryland, New York and several Western states announced in the past two weeks.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

Cosmetic business now open, trendy dentist opening soon at Ballston Exchange

By Matt Blitz
1/7

(Updated, 1/27/22) Get a facial and your teeth cleaned all in one day at two new cosmetic-centered businesses opening in Ballston Exchange, the office complex on Wilson Blvd across from the mall.`

The wellness center NM Aesthetics opened in October on the second floor of 4201 Wilson Blvd. The business offers “non-surgical cosmetic work led by an all-female team,” including fillers, hydrafacials and microdermabrasion.

The 3,000-square-foot space features a large lobby, “fun neon signs” and plant walls.

The business started in 2018 as a concierge service for which owner Megan Francis traveled around the area offering the cosmetic work, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow.

Right before the pandemic, Francis moved into Sola Salon Studio on N. Glebe Road, a business that hosts other solo entrepreneurs. Then, this past fall, Francis opened her own space down the street.

Meanwhile, the trendy dentistry practice Tend is opening by the end of the month after a several month delay. It’s also located in Ballston Exchange, on the ground floor.

The plan is to open on Wednesday, Jan. 26, a company spokesperson tells ARLnow, with customers already able to book appointments. It didn’t open in the fall due to “the proliferation of the Delta variant this summer that put some bumps in our schedule,” the spokesperson notes.

Tend advertises itself as a dentist that feels like going to the spa. Appointments are booked through an app, offices are Instagramable, and patients can watch The Witcher on Netflix (or The Babysitters Club, whatever the preference) with noise-canceling headphones during dental work.

There are 20 other Tend locations across the country, including five in D.C., but this is the first in Virginia.

Ballston Exchange has had plenty of comings and goings in recent months, including D.C.-based taqueria El Rey and a group of nonprofits supported by billionaire Charles Koch, which will be moving from offices in Courthouse.

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