new store

Bloomers to Hold Grand Opening

By Katie Pyzyk

A panty raid of sorts is coming to Shirlington this weekend. The newly opened store Bloomers (4150 Campbell Ave.) will be holding its Grand Opening celebration.

On Saturday, customers will get a free gift with purchase while supplies last, receive 20% off all merchandise and can enter a raffle to win three months free of the Panty of the Month Club.

Owners Angela and Kim first opened a store in Old Town Alexandria out of frustration that most underwear stores focus on lingerie and not pretty, comfortable sleepwear. They stress that their store centers around comfortable undergarments, pajamas and loungewear, but not lingerie.

The weekend promotions are good only on Saturday at the Shirlington location, but the Bloomers Facebook page has specials good at both locations for all of January.

Best Cellars to Be Replaced By Spa

By ARLnow.com

The former Best Cellars wine store in Clarendon is being replaced by Bluemercury, a luxury cosmetics retailer and spa.

The store/spa is “coming soon” to 2855 Clarendon Boulevard, according to the company’s web site. The storefront was previously occupied by Best Cellars, which closed in July after seven years in business.

Bluemercury is noted for its limited but high quality product lineup and its state-of-the-art spa treatments. The company is based in the District.

File photo

‘World of Beer’ Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 1:35 p.m. — Individuals associated with the business have said in the comments section that World of Beer plans to serve sausages and snack foods.

Watch out, Rustico, a new business is trying to achieve total beer domination in Ballston.

“World of Beer” has applied for an ABC permit for a proposed location at 901 N. Glebe Road. World of Beer is advertised as a “neighborhood, non-smoking, upscale social establishment dedicated to the enjoyment of beer and education of the beer enthusiast.”

The business will feature a rotating lineup of 50 beers on tap and 500 beers in bottles. It also promises to have 20 big-screen TVs for sports viewing, a stage to host local bands, and outdoor seating.

This would be the first D.C. area franchise for the Florida-based chain. The business is attempting to obtain a license for on-premises beer consumption and take-home beer sales — which would be a possible exception to the usual rule that only food-serving restaurants or grocery stores can be licensed for on-premises consumption in Virginia.

World of Beer is hoping to open its Ballston location in July, according to the chain’s web site. The local World of Beer Facebook page lists its expected hours of operations as 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Sundays.

Hat tip to “Xaoc.” Photo courtesy Timothy C.

Seattle’s Best, California Tortilla Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A new coffee shop and a new eatery are coming soon to Crystal City.

Interior construction is underway at a new Seattle’s Best Coffee location at 2450 Crystal Drive. The owners were originally hoping to open the store, which is now hiring, in mid-November. No word yet on when the store is now expected to open.

Also coming soon to Crystal City: a new California Tortilla location. The local Mexican restaurant chain is planning on opening a location on the southern portion of Crystal Drive, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The new California Tortilla — which would join the company’s Courthouse and Reagan National Airport locations in Arlington — will compete with a nearby Chipotle at 2231 Crystal Drive and with the District Taco cart, which makes regular visits to Crystal City.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Gingrich Doesn’t Make Cut for Va. GOP Ballot — Despite a last-minute push for signatures, Republican presidential candidate Next Gingrich failed to get enough valid signatures to make it on the Republican primary ballot in Virginia. Texas Governor Rick Perry also fell short of making it on the ballot. [Bloomberg]

Dominion Hills Gets Historical Designation — The Virginia Department of Historical Resources has added the Arlington neighborhood of Dominion Hills to its register of historic places. [News Leader]

Cheesetique Now Open — The new Shirlington location of Alexandria-based wine and cheese store Cheesetique is now open. The store opened its doors to the public for the first time on Monday. [Shirlington Village Blog]

Flickr pool photo by Michael T. Ruhl

LeoNora Bakery Now Open in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

LeoNora Gourmet Bakery (1108 N. Irving Street) is now open in Clarendon. The small bake shop quietly held a soft opening on Saturday and has been serving customers ever since.

It’s the first brick-and-mortar storefront for LeoNora and its Colombian-born, French-trained owner, Carolina Garcia. Garcia started LeoNora as a baked good delivery service out of her home. She started renting out the kitchen of a local restaurant after the business grew too big for her home — and now she has a place to call her own after outgrowing the shared kitchen.

With the shop open, Garcia says she’s now going to focus on growing in-store sales — though she’s still offering delivery service for baked good orders over $50.

All baking is taking space at LeoNora’s new location, in a room adjacent to Garcia’s small retail space. In addition to artisan baked goods, LeoNora is offering patrons fresh-brewed Colombian coffee.

Though Clarendon is an expensive place to run a business, Garcia says the store’s slightly off-the-beaten-path location is helping her to keep costs down.

LeoNora will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. It will be closed to customers on Monday.

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New ABC Store Coming to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A new Virginia ABC liquor store is coming to Columbia Pike’s emerging central business district.

Interior construction is about to get underway at the future store, which is located at 2940 Columbia Pike, next to Lost Dog Cafe.

Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Jennifer Farinholt confirmed that the space will indeed be used by a state liquor store, but was unable to provide any other details. No word yet on when the store might open.

New Wine Shop Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A new gourmet wine shop is coming to the northern end of Crystal City, according to a permit application recently filed with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The “Crystal City Wine Shop” — as the store is called in the application — will be located on the ground floor of the Lenox Club apartment building at 401 S. 12th Street.

A phone number listed for the Crystal City Wine Shop on Facebook is the same as that of the Washington Wine Academy, which operates a wine and beer education center at 1201 S. Eads Street, across the street from the future wine store.

Frozen Yogurt Store Coming to Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

It looks like Rosslyn is going to be getting a new frozen yogurt restaurant next to the former Ray’s Hell Burger Too.

A sign in the window of the shuttered Santis Shipping store (1715 Wilson Blvd) in the Colonial Village Shopping Center indicates that a IceBerry froyo store is “coming soon.” So far, there’s no indication that any building permits have been issued.

IceBerry, a small D.C.-based frozen yogurt chain, serves nonfat frozen yogurt — with a variety of fresh toppings — and fruit smoothies. IceBerry has existing stores in Reston, Chantilly, and Springfield, according to its website.

Courtesy photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Latin-American Festival Planned — Arlington County is hosting a Latin-American festival on Sunday in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. “Savor the best of Latino culture at this annual festival with fellow Arlingtonians of all backgrounds in this diverse community,” the county said of the event, which is being held outdoors from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road). [Arlington County]

Lawmakers to Tour Housing Site — Four state legislators and three county board members are scheduled to tour permanent supportive housing facilities at the Gates of Ballston apatment complex (4108 N. 4th Street) today. “The tour will demonstrate how the increase in Permanent Support Housing is necessary to meet the Governor’s plan to reduce homelessness by 15% by 2013,” according to the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, a tour organizer.

Einstein Bagels Coming to Crystal City — An Einstein Bagel outlet is coming to the lobby of the Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Jefferson Davis Highway). The bagel eatery is replacing a former Starbucks location.

Hat tip to Googla

LeoNora Bakery to Open Clarendon Storefront

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s LeoNora Gourmet Bakery, which offers its artisan baked goods via delivery and through a couple of local retailers, will soon have its first brick-and-mortar storefront.

The bakery is opening a store at 1108 N. Irving Street. Clarendon’s grungiest block — home to the Red Top Cab parking lot and to the no-frills Sam’s Corner deli — will soon be filled with the aroma of fresh-baked bread, as LeoNora plans to do all its baking in-house, in a bakery area behind the front counter.

Colombian-born bakery owner Carolina Garcia says that after a year and a half in the delivery business, LeoNora is ready to have a storefront to call its own.

“We realized that people really wanted a retail store,” Garcia told ARLnow.com. “That’s why we decided to open… they want the option to go and pick it up somewhere nearby.”

Currently, LeoNora’s baked goods are available for purchase at local retailers like Whole Foods, Arrowine and Boccato Gelato. The bakery will still offer free delivery to customers in D.C. and parts of Northern Virginia when the store opens, but Garcia says the minimum order will increase from $30 to $50.

Garcia, who trained as a baker and pastry chef in France, makes French baguettes, sourdough loafs, cakes, quiches and various pastries. Her inspiring economist-to-bakery-owner story has been told by news outlets from TBD to CNN to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Garcia says she hopes to have the new store open in a couple of weeks.

“It’s going great, we are very happy,” she said.

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