A new Virginia ABC store on Columbia Pike is set to open this coming Friday, June 1.
The state liquor store, at 2940 Columbia Pike, will first open its doors at 10:00 a.m., according to Virginia ABC spokeswoman Jennifer Farinholt. Normal hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
“The store measures 3,895 square feet and will carry approximately 1,400 items,” Farinholt told ARLnow.com.
ACPD Cruiser Hits Dog — An Arlington County police cruiser hit a dog Thursday night. The dog’s owner is accusing the police officer of speeding at the time the dog was struck, but a police spokesman suggests that that the dog’s injuries — it survived and is expected “to make a full recovery” — would have been worse if the officer was actually speeding. [WUSA 9]
Ballston Craft Market Season Starts — The Ballston Arts & Crafts Market will open its 2012 season on Saturday, May 12. It will take place on the second Saturday of the month through October. [Sun Gazette]
Wine Shop Offers Discount for Locals — The new Crystal City Wine Shop is offering 10 percent off to neighbors who live in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a valid photo ID. The deal is valid on Tuesdays only. The shop is also offering 10 percent off on Wednesdays to anybody who works in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a business card.
(Updated at 1:35 p.m.) A new frozen yogurt establishment is making its way into Rosslyn. A Fro.Zen.Yo location will be going in on the 1700 block of N. Lynn Street, in the former “News and Necessities” space, according to the company.
There are two partners for the new Rosslyn franchise, and they think the idea of self service frozen yogurt is “perfect” for the busy location, according to a press release.
Fro.Zen.Yo has eight locations throughout the metro area, with Crystal City being the only one in Arlington so far. Last year, plans were announced for trying to build one in Ballston as well, but so far there’s no word on when that will be coming to fruition. We’re told 15 more franchises are on the way, but locations haven’t been announced.
The company says it offers a “healthy” product that “everyone can enjoy.”
“Fro.Zen.Yo’s frozen yogurt is low fat and low calorie,” according to the press release. “The Fro.Zen.Yo menu features 16 flavors of frozen yogurt and a variety of fresh fruit and candy toppings. Customers get to choose any combination of flavors and toppings.”
The Rosslyn location is expected to open by the beginning of the summer.
Arlington will soon be home to a tea house. House of Steep (3800 Lee Hwy) is moving into one of the retail spaces at the Bromptons at Cherrydale property, which is now known as 3800 Lofts.
The store’s website highlights the calming tea house atmosphere, in which customers can enjoy tea, snacks and sandwiches. Interestingly, spa services will also be offered, with the signature treatment being an aromatherapy foot soak.
So far we only know of one other retailer that’s coming to the building: a Subway sandwich shop.
There’s no official opening date yet, but the website hints that the owners of House of Steep are aiming for June. Until then, customers can purchase items from the store online.
Meanwhile, the building’s management company is applying for a permit for outdoor seating. The seating area would be in front of the building, along Lee Highway.
County staff had previously raised concerns about the outdoor seating plan first put forth in 2003. In addition to trouble with the placement of tree pits, the layout reportedly didn’t provide corridors to the retail entrances and the residential exit stairs.
The plan redesign fixed the issues, so reviewers now recommend the County Board approves the outdoor seating permit at Saturday’s meeting.
(Updated at 11:25 a.m.) A new tenant has emerged to take the place of Shoefly (2727 Wilson Blvd) in Clarendon. Soon, a wine shop will be moving into the space.
Screwtop Wine Bar (1025 N. Fillmore St) informed its customers over the weekend that it will open a retail wine bar in the old Shoefly spot. A Facebook page has been set up for the store, which will be called Grateful Red. Its website just became active today.
The store is expected to open sometime this summer. Screwtop Wine Bar owner Wendy Buckley said she hopes Grateful Red will be able to open its doors by July 4.
Buckley and her staff will aim to provide a mix of wines, ranging from “fancy” to less than $10 per bottle. Buckley said she’s grateful to be able to run a business in an area she loves.
Shoefly had been in business for 10 years, but the owners reportedly decided not to renew the lease.
Two new tenants are coming to the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center at 2901 S. Glebe Road.
According to the center’s website, Starbucks will be coming to a 1,650 square foot space next to the Domino’s Pizza restaurant. It’s expected to have an occupant capacity of around 90 people, according to permit applications. The coffee shop is probably at least a couple of months away from opening, since a building permit has yet to be issued.
Also coming to the shopping center is Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt. A froyo shop founded with Christian principles — Frog stands for “Fully Rely on God” — the store will offer all-natural, self-serve frozen yogurt with a variety of flavors and toppings. The store will be about 1,000 square feet and will be located next to Cafe Caturra.
The location is listed simply as “coming soon” on the Sweet Frog website.
The empty store space in Pentagon Centre that used to house a Borders book store should be getting a new tenant soon.
ARLnow.com received a tip that a CVS will be moving in. A building permit issued on January 27 confirms that the pharmacy will be the new tenant.
Borders moved out last year after the chain filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its stores across the country. Its former space in Pentagon Centre has sat vacant for months.
Although there were lights on inside today, the store remains empty and no construction appears to be underway. There’s no word on when the CVS is expected to open.
Hat tip to @schwars1
Crystal City’s only gourmet wine shop is now open for business.
The Crystal City Wine Shop, at the corner of Army Navy Drive and 12th Street S. on the ground floor of the Lenox Club apartments, quietly opened on Thursday and is operating under reduced hours this week while management hires employees and kicks the business into gear.
For the time being, the wine shop is stocking about a third of the wine and beer selection that will eventually be offered for sale. As they start ramping up sales and restocking, managers hope to offer some 150-200 types of beer and about 800 individual wines. There will be a special emphasis on Virginia wines, we’re told. In addition to wine and beer, the store is selling meats, cheeses, sauces, crackers, potato chips and chocolates.
Through Saturday, the store will be open daily from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eventually, the store’s hours are expected to be 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 12:00 to 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The store does not yet have a website, though one is on the way.
The shop is wholly owned by the nonprofit Washington Wine Academy, which has offices in a building across the street. Alex Evans, the academy’s director of education, says the store was conceived after attendees at academy-run events — like the Crystal City 1K Wine Walk — started asking where they could buy some of the unique wines they were tasting.
“Now we can give them a definitive answer,” Evans said.
Update at 3:55 p.m. — Bluemercury did open to the public this afternoon, as scheduled.
Clarendon is getting its first store dedicated solely to cosmetics, skincare and scents, plus a spa. Bluemercury is set to open to the public today.
An employee told us if all goes well, the store will open at noon. The store is located at 2855 Clarendon Blvd, where Best Cellars was located until closing last July.
Bluemercury touts its high end beauty products, including what it calls hard to find imports. Unlike other cosmetics stores, the chain also provides spa services such as facials, waxing and massages.
“We love the young professional, young family vibe of the Clarendon neighborhood,” Bluemercury Co-Founder Marla Beck said in a statement.
Spokesman Dan Brashear echoed the excitement, saying the company had been looking for the right location in Arlington for years. The company is based in the District, and the Clarendon store is Bluemercury’s first in Virginia. Brashear said the company is growing rapidly and there’s potential for more Bluemercury stores to open in Northern Virginia.
The store hopes to hold a grand opening celebration in about a month when things settle down, but so far no formal plans have been made.
A high end tenant is getting ready to move into the Pentagon City mall. An advertisement has gone up for Coach Men’s Collection.
It’s located next to the Apple store, and is expected to open in May. The company appears to be accepting employment applications for the new store, according to a note on the ad.
Although Coach is now typically known for its designer women’s handbags, its website says: “Founded in New York in 1941, Coach was originally a men’s leathergoods company.”
The new men’s store will join the already existing women’s Coach store in the mall.
A Yogiberry frozen yogurt store will be replacing the shuttered Maggie Moo’s ice cream shop at Pentagon Row.
“Coming soon” signs are up in the windows of the store. Interior construction is either underway or imminent, as workers could be seen entering the store today.
The change from ice cream to frozen yogurt is a bit of deja vu — in 2010 a Yogiberry location opened in Shirlington Village, in another shuttered Maggie Moo’s storefront. Shirlington Village and Pentagon Row are both owned by Federal Realty Investment Trust.
