new restaurant

Fast-Casual Pizza Chain &pizza Coming to Ballston

By Chris Teale
1/3

Trendy fast-casual pizzeria &pizza is coming to Ballston, according to permit applications filed with the county.

The build-your-own pizza restaurant looks set to move into 3924 Wilson Blvd, next to Freshbikes near the intersection with N. Quincy Street.

Freshbikes is set to expand in its current location across from Gold’s Gym, while &pizza is set to occupy the front of the building facing Wilson Blvd, according to employees at the bike store. The plaza is also home to the eyebrow threading service Perfect Eyebrows.

Applications indicate that the restaurant is looking to add outside seating. No word yet on an opening date.

As well as giving guests the option to design their own pizza with customizable toppings, dough, cheeses and spreads, &pizza also offers several fixed selections. The eatery also offers its own flavored drinks, including sodas and teas.

It already has one location in Arlington, in Terminal C of Reagan National Airport, as well as others in Northern Virginia, D.C., Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.

Hat-tip to Chris Slatt.

Wilson Hardware Set For Late Summer Opening

By Chris Teale
1/4

The successor to the former RiRa Irish Pub in Clarendon is aiming to be open in “late summer.”

Wilson Hardware at 2915 Wilson Blvd has been under construction for almost a year, but appears to be nearing completion. Signs are up and facing the street, and a back outdoor patio is taking shape.

When it is finished, customers can expect a 7,000-square-foot bar and lounge with three distinct bar areas, including one on the roof.

Inside, a large papier-mâché mural covers the bar’s exposed brick wall, designed by D.C. firm SWATCHROOM. And upstairs on the rooftop, the bar features a graphic tile motif in black and white and plants overhead, along with high tables and two large flat-screen televisions.

Wilson Hardware will serve contemporary American food and a menu of signature cocktails. It is named for the Virginia Hardware store, which occupied the space from the early 1960s until 2005.

“Clarendon has definitely been overdue for a place like Wilson Hardware, so we’re thrilled to be in the neighborhood,” said co-owner Jad Bouchebel in a statement. “We know how important the history of this landmark is and look forward to welcoming new faces to our restaurant.”

More from a press release, after the jump.

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Rosslyn Sweetgreen To Open Next Week

By Katherine Berko
1/3

Rosslyn’s new Sweetgreen will open its doors on the ground floor of the Central Place apartment tower next week.

The D.C.-founded salad purveyor will be fully open for customers on July 11 at 1800 N. Lynn Street, after staff training and a soft opening in the days before.

A spokeswoman for the Rosslyn Business Improvement District said that new employees are being trained on making Sweetgreen’s various salads, then donating them to the homeless. Local advocacy group A-SPAN and D.C. Central Kitchen across the Potomac River will receive the prepared salads.

For the soft opening, customers can receive free lunch or dinner at an RSVP-only event, while on Monday, July 10, Sweetgreen will host a free lunch in honor of Neighborhood Day, another RSVP-only event.

All proceeds from the eatery’s official launch on Tuesday will be donated to Dreaming Out Loud, a local nonprofit that looks to build healthy, equitable food systems.

This will be the fifth Sweetgreen in Arlington. Other locations are in Ballston, Clarendon, Crystal City and Pentagon City.

Continental Beer Garden To Open Tomorrow In Rosslyn

By Chris Teale
1/7

A new beer garden in Rosslyn will open tomorrow afternoon, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday celebrations.

The Continental Beer Garden at 1901 N. Fort Myer Drive will open to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 30. Its regular hours will be 3:30-11 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. It will have space to seat 180 people: 150 outside and 30 inside.

Also outside are two full-sized bocce courts, with picnic tables and other seating dotted around the space. Work included a full renovation of the former service station located under the office building.

As of Thursday, workers were putting the finishing touches on the outdoor seating area and bringing in barrels of beer and other drinks.

Beers from Virginia and Germany will be served by the pint or pitcher, while wine can be ordered by glass or carafe from kegs. A slushy machine will also be among the drink offerings.

On the food menu is a selection of sausages including bratwurst with sauerkraut and a classic D.C. halfsmoke with grilled onions and cheese. There will also be other snacks, entree salads, a selection of skewers served over basil quinoa salad and hot sandwiches like grilled cheese and pulled pork.

The beer garden is owned by Curt Large, who also owns the nearby Continental Pool Lounge. The project received support from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and landlord JBG.

New Healthy Restaurant Options Under Construction in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/5

McDonald’s may have been the first restaurant to open on the ground floor of the new Central Place apartment tower in Rosslyn, but two health-oriented eateries will soon join it.

D.C.-founded salad purveyor Sweetgreen and NYC-based, fast-casual vegetarian chain Little Beet are both under construction along the 1800 block of N. Lynn Street.

There’s no word yet on an exact opening date but Sweetgreen is now hiring and appears to be nearing the completion of its interior build-out, while Little Beet is closer to the beginning of its construction process.

Also planned for Central Place are a Compass Coffee, a Cava Grill, and a Nando’s Peri-Peri. Nando’s has applied for a license to serve wine and beer. A cursory check around the block did not reveal active construction for any of the three.

Columbia Pike Beer Garden Opening Nears

By Chris Teale
1/6

Despite delays, a new beer garden on Columbia Pike is still on track to open soon, its owner says.

BrickHaus at 2900 Columbia Pike had anticipated opening last month, having finished construction and put the final touches on the space once occupied by Blanca’s Restaurant.

But the restaurant remains unopened, at least for now. In an email, owner Tony Wagner – who also owns Twisted Vines across the street — said BrickHaus is “in the midst of inspections,” and that he could have a “good idea” of an opening date as early as this week.

BrickHaus will be a beer garden on the first floor, with some 20 beers on tap and an approximately 30-seat outdoor patio. The second floor mezzanine will have upstairs dining with a menu including steaks, German food and other entrees.

It will offer mostly regional brews from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland, in addition to perhaps a couple of German beers. Wagner said draft wine will also be available.

The aging building has received an extensive renovation after being vacant for years following the departure of Blanca’s Restaurant.

Replacement Already in Line For Applebee’s in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 1:30 p.m) The space vacated by Applebee’s in Ballston less than three weeks ago will not be empty for long.

The restaurant at 900 N. Glebe Road closed on May 27. Applebee’s closing followed the closure of the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in the same space in April 2016.

Despite the challenges of filling the large restaurant space on the western side of Glebe Road with customers, a new eatery called Bistro 1521 is set to move in soon.

Solita Wakefield, a partner in the business and the restaurant’s general manager, said that Bistro 1521 will serve traditional Filipino cuisine like lumpia, adobo and pancit (noodles), plus fusion dishes mechado with a Spanish flair.

Wakefield was previously a co-owner of Bistro 7107, a Filipino restaurant on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which recently closed, according to Yelp. There are no other large sit-down Filipino restaurants in Arlington, Wakefield said, and only a handful elsewhere in the D.C. area. She expects to win over both Filipino customers — including those who work at the Philippines embassy — as well as those new to the cuisine.

Bistro 1521 is located in the same building as Stageplate Bistro, on the first floor of the the Virginia Tech Research Center. It occupies a large restaurant space, with seating capacity for 220 inside and 60 on the outside patio.

“It’s going to be grand,” Wakefield said.

Wakefield plans to keep the interior of the former Applebee’s largely unchanged, with the addition of some Filipino paintings and other decorations. She also plans to keep Applebee’s regularly-scheduled events, like cornhole, trivia night and painting night.

Wakefield is hoping that the business permits are approved in time for the restaurant to open in July.

Hat tip to Todd B.

Bubble Tea Cafe Now Open at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A new bubble tea cafe opened recently at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.

Kokee Tea opened on the food court level of the mall in April. By coincidence, it is located next to the Bubbles hair salon.

Kokee offers a dozen signature bubble teas, plus numerous other “hand crafted” tea flavors, smoothie flavors and toppings. It also offers various types of pastries.

The cafe is not the only bubble tea purveyor in Arlington. In addition to bubble tea offerings at some local restaurants, there is an existing dedicated bubble tea cafe in the Crystal City Shops, Lily Bubble Tea and Smoothie, and a “Kung Fu Tea” location will be coming soon to Clarendon.

Kokee Tea has existing locations in Centreville and Springfield Town Center, plus more cafes coming to the Fair Oaks, Potomac Mills and Arundel Mills malls, according to its website.

Progress for Dudley’s in Shirlington After Permit Approval

By Chris Teale
1/6

The long-delayed Dudley’s Sport & Ale in Shirlington is finally on the road to completion after its owner said the county approved the necessary permits.

Owner Reese Gardner said that with the approval, he will have more of an idea of an opening date for the sports bar at 2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive after a construction meeting next week.

The sports bar was dogged by permitting problems that delayed its construction and prevented its opening, which had been planned for last year.

Approval could mean that Gardner, who also owns Copperwood Tavern, Quinn’s on the Corner in Rosslyn and Irish Whiskey in the District, may have a chance of hitting his revised target of having Dudley’s open this summer.

A 28-seat bar, a 125-seat dining area, and a “stadium style” viewing area are planned, as well as a rooftop bar — Shirlington’s first — with a game area, a 15-seat bar, and patio seating for about 114 people.

Japanese Restaurant to Replace Pike Sports Bar

By Chris Teale
1/3

A Japanese restaurant is coming to the Westmont Shopping Center at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road, replacing the Sports House Grill.

According to permit applications filed with the county, Takohachi Japanese Restaurant will move into the space at 3249 Columbia Pike.

As of Thursday, building permits for interior demolition were in the window of the spot between a State Farm agent and a Mattress Firm store.

The Sports House Grill was at the center of some controversy in recent years. In 2013, the County Board denied its application to renew its live entertainment permit to continue karaoke nights.

Neighboring civic associations, the police department and Virginia ABC all opposed the renewal due to concerns about crime. Neighbors had raised concerns about vandalism, violence in the parking lot and alleged drug sales.

No word yet on an opening date.

Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A Dunkin’ Donuts location is coming to Virginia Square, right across the street from the Metro station and a Starbucks.

The restaurant is coming to 3701 Fairfax Drive, the former DARPA headquarters and current FDIC office.

Interior construction appears to be underway inside. No word on when the donut-and-coffee shop is expected to open.

There are existing Dunkin’ locations in Courthouse, Ballston and along Lee Highway, among other Arlington outposts. A new Dunkin’ Donuts opened last month on N. Glebe Road near Route 50.

Hat tip to Gabe C.

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