new restaurant

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Korean Burger Joint Looks To Arlington — Kraze Burger is coming to the D.C. area, and the Korean company has its sights set on Arlington. So far, though, no leases have been signed in the county. More from the Washington Business Journal.

BBC Visits Ray’s Hell Burger — President Obama’s burger summit with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev continues to pay publicity dividends for Ray’s Hell Burger. BBC News recently came calling and got a tour of the über-busy burger joint from owner Michael Landrum.

Meet Ballston’s Twenty-Something Civic Leaders — TBD profiles James Schroll, 25, and Conor Marshall, 24 — roommates, recent University of Mary Washington grads, and the newly-elected president and vice president of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association.

Home Sales Volume Falls, Sale Prices Up — The Sun Gazette has the latest real estate stats for July.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Fire Works Pizza Sets Opening Date

By ARLnow.com

Update on 8/16 — The opening date has been pushed back to August 23, TBD reports.

Fire Works Pizza, the massive new wood-fired pizza restaurant in Courthouse, has set next Wednesday, August 18, as a tentative opening date.

Fire Works Courthouse now has its own web presence and Facebook page, complete with photos of the nearly-completed interior.

“[The] build-out had gone well,” says general manager Jon Hoffmeyer. “[We] need to make some minor adjustments here and there, but that’s to be expected.”

Hoffmeyer says he’s expecting an initial crunch of curious first-time customers when the restaurant opens.

The Arlington location is the company’s first attempt to expand beyond its original Leesburg restaurant. It should surpass the Leesburg location in scope — with more beer (30+ on tap, 100+ in bottles), more seating (276 inside, 112 outside, pending County approval) and an expanded menu.

Not everyone is thrilled about the restaurant’s arrival, however.

“Have you seen the tacky, cheap red gate they put up around the location?” one anonymous design critic asked in an email.  “All it needs is some kindergartners running around within the fence… If they’re going to ruin a beautifully done courtyard and fountain area with their cheap tacky red fence, I won’t be eating there!”

The fence is required by law in order to serve alcoholic beverages outside on the patio.

One unanswered question: To what degree will Fire Works’ big outdoor patio eat into struggling, patio-less American Flatbread’s business during the warm weather months?

Photos via Facebook.

Coming Soon to Clarendon: Mad Rose Tavern?

By ARLnow.com

A planned restaurant called Mad Rose Tavern has applied for a liquor license at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard. The license application, filed on July 27, describes the future establishment as a restaurant with a seating capacity of over 150 seats.

The restaurant’s parent company, Mad Rose Inc., was incorporated on July 7 , according to state records. Little else is known about it.

Curiously, all the storefronts at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard are either currently occupied or have “retail space for lease” signs in the window. A call to the leasing agent has not been returned.

As mentioned in this morning’s Notes, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard is home to such businesses as SoBe Bar & Bistro and Mister Days Sports Rock Cafe.

Hat tip to @jamesp326 for the link to the liquor license.

What Kind of a Restaurant Would You Like to See in Rosslyn?

By ARLnow.com

Considering that it’s one of the area’s biggest commercial centers, Rosslyn is a bit lacking when it comes to places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. And that’s not to mention the dearth of fun places to hang out at night (with the possible exceptions of Continental and the handful of restaurants with outdoor seating up Wilson Blvd).

But here’s the good news. We have the ear of a real estate firm that’s looking to attract a new eatery to the area. Something moderately-sized — bigger than a lunch counter but smaller than a Cheesecake Factory.

So you tell us: in your wildest restaurant dreams, what would you like to see come to Rosslyn?

Groundbreaking for Crystal City Chick-Fil-A

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) To help mark the start of construction on the new Crystal City Chick-fil-A, a groundbreaking ceremony (or, in the chain’s parlance, a ground ‘mooving’ ceremony) was held at 10:30 this morning outside 2200 Crystal Drive. Local leaders and the famous Chick-fil-A cow were on hand for the event.

Since the restaurant will be located on the ground floor of an existing office building, the gathered leaders donned hard hats and shoveled some plush cow toys in a park across the street.

From a company press release:

Projected to open in November, the restaurant will bring upward of 65 new jobs to the area and will feature a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.

“There’s lots of excitement about Chick-fil-A opening in Crystal City, and we’re delighted to welcome them to our great line up of restaurants,” said Patrick Tyrrell, Chief Operating Officer of Vornado/Charles E. Smith (the store’s landlord).

With the company having researched locations in the area since 2004, the Crystal City restaurant provides an opportunity for the chain to be a part of the Crystal City streetscape pedestrian traffic. The Chick-fil-A restaurant also is conveniently located to mass transit and the Pentagon.

The 3,683 square-foot restaurant will seat up to 81 people. It’s owned by a franchisee and mother of four, Natalie Yang, who is moving from Georgia to run the restaurant.

Like all Chick-Fil-A restaurants, the Crystal City location will be closed on Sunday. Before the store opens in November, there will be a dedication dinner to “dedicate the store to the Lord,” said Steve Mason, the company’s vice president of operations.

Mason and Yang participated in the ceremonial stuffed animal shoveling, along with Vornado’s Tyrrell, Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox, and the cow.

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Coming Soon: Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill

By ARLnow.com

Look out, Clarendon Ballroom and Eventide Restaurant. Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill is expected to arrive on the scene within a matter of weeks, hoping to become the go-to destination for outdoor food and drinks in the Courthouse-Clarendon area.

The restaurant, which is being built atop the Dehli Dhaba and Subway restaurants at 2424 Wilson Blvd, promises to serve classic American cuisine at moderate prices. There will be a large main dining room with high ceilings as well as a rooftop deck — that is, if the necessary permits come through. No official word on expected capacity, but the eatery’s permit application calls for 104 seats.

“Value and variety” will be the restaurant’s food credo, a rep tells ARLnow.com. In addition to a frequently-changing menu, a weekend brunch service is in the works. So far, management has been mum about the restaurant’s planned wine, beer and liquor offerings.

Construction is still underway at the restaurant, but we’re told that they’ve already hired a “great staff” that’s “ready to go.”

Management is hoping to open the doors by the end of August (Update: late September or early October).

BGR The Burger Joint, Thai Restaurant Coming to Clarendon Center

By ARLnow.com

The Clarendon Center development, future home of Pete’s New Haven Apizza and Tangy Sweet/Red Velvet, has signed two new retail tenants who will help satisfy the appetites of local residents and workers.

BGR The Burger Joint and Burapa Thai Restaurant are the latest businesses to sign leases at the still under-construction development, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of the year.

This will be BGR’s second Arlington location. The now-busy Lyon Village store, which opened earlier this year, is only a mile away from the planned Clarendon location.

At the moment, less is known about Burapa Thai. It may be related to a string of Thai restaurants by the same name located out in the Northern Virginia exurbs.

Hat tip to @snackdecision for the heads up.

Bozzelli’s Italian Deli Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

That’s right, we have yet another new restaurant in Crystal City to tell you about. Following in the mold of the others (Jimmy John’s, Chick-Fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Autentica) this one has a loyal following and will likely attract a large lunchtime crowd.

Bozzelli’s Italian Deli will be opening next to the Starbucks at 2600 Crystal Drive, on the ground floor of the Concord apartment building. It will serve the same fresh Italian fare — subs, salads, pasta and pizza — that has generated some intense customer loyalty at its original Springfield, Va. location.

A building permit and a “coming soon” sign are posted at the front of the future storefront.

A big thank you to Doug Wendt for the tip and the photo.

Update on 7/30: We’re told to expect a late September or early October opening.

Matchbox “Actively Searching” For Space in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Matchbox, the popular Chinatown/Capitol Hill eatery, is in the midst of an expansion that may eventually include Clarendon.

The restaurant will be expanding with a huge, 10,000 square foot location in Rockville this fall, and another location in Merrifield that will deliver in 2012. But Clarendon is also a big target for co-owner Drew Kim.

“Clarendon is a hotspot for us,” Kim said. “We’re actively searching in Clarendon, we just don’t have a lease signed. There are a couple spots we’re looking at.”

Among the spots Kim is keeping an eye on is the vacant lot down the road from the Clarendon Whole Foods, which is rumored to finally be on the verge of development. Kim was also interested in a big retail space at 2350 Clarendon Boulevard, before it was snapped up by Fire Works Pizza.

Kim says he is primarily focused on the Courthouse/Clarendon area because of its central location and its ability to attract large lunchtime and dinnertime crowds.

Matchbox recently launched (or in the process of launching) two new restaurant concepts that could — if successful — be exported to Northern Virginia. Those restaurants are DC-3, a delicatessen with a focus on gourmet hot dogs, and Ted’s Bulletin, a Prohibition-era diner.

Photo courtesy of Matchbox.

Jimmy John’s Joins Parade of Restaurants Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Chick-Fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Autentica, and now… Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches. The Illinois-based chain will be joining the increasingly vibrant casual restaurant scene in Crystal City, ARLnow.com has learned. It will be the chain’s first Arlington restaurant.

The new Jimmy John’s will be located on 23rd Street, next to the future Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizza Autentica restaurants. No word yet on when it will open.

Jimmy John’s has a short and simple menu but a large and loyal following, much like Chick-Fil-A, which is expected to open next month just down the road on Crystal Drive.

Photo via Facebook.

District Taco to Open First Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

What started out as a tiny taco cart is expanding to a full-fledged brick-and-mortar restaurant. District Taco announced today that they are taking over the space formerly occupied by Restaurant Vero at 5723 Lee Highway.

Owner Osiris Hoil says the fast food-style restaurant will be casual and family-oriented, with a front counter and plenty of tables. Since the storefront already has a full kitchen and other restaurant necessities, Hoil hopes to open the place as soon as September 1. (Update on 10/14: The opening is now said to be set for the first week in November.)

The larger kitchen will supply the District Taco stand with greater quantities of fresher ingredients, Hoil said. The stand has been a victim of it’s own success recently, running out of food just about every day.

The kitchen will also allow Hoil to show off some of his culinary prowess. Expect to see some of the periodic specials at the stand — ceviche, burritos, carne asade — become staples at the restaurant.

One notable omission from the menu, at least at first, will be cervezas. Hoil says he’ll probably wait about a year to start serving beer. Also, don’t expect to be able to order fish tacos any time soon — Hoil’s not a fan.

“I don’t serve anything I don’t like,” he said.

Asked how he felt about taking the plunge into the restaurant world, Hoil said he was looking forward to having a storefront to call his own.

“It’s the American dream, you know, and it’s coming true,” Hoil said. “I feel great.”

Update on 8/31 — The opening date has been pushed back to October 1.

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