And just like that, the new 7-Eleven store that had been under construction on Wilson Boulevard for the past few months has opened for business.
The store is located in Rosslyn at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Quinn Street, near Ray’s Hell Burger.
Thanks to @heryandotus for the tip and the photo.
Ballston Sweetgreen Opens Today — Ballston’s new froyo and salad destination is expected to open its doors today. Sweetgreen, located at 4075 Wilson Blvd, will give away free reusable salad bowls to the first 200 people who order a salad. More from We Love DC.
Arlington Couple Pledges $1 Million to Army Museum — An Arlington couple has become the first individual million dollar donors to the planned National Museum of the United States Army. Preston and Jeanne Caruthers say they’re proud to support the Army and honor its commitment to our country. More from the Sun Gazette.
You Better Watch Out, Ballston — “The enormous Christmas tree is now erect in the food court of the Ballston Common Mall,” reports Patch.
The paper has come down from the windows of the new Crumbs Bakeshop in Clarendon, but the NYC-based cupcake chain still has not set a definitive opening date.
A peek inside the store reveals that there’s still interior work to be done. There is, however, a surprisingly comprehensive coffee and beverage menu posted.
A Crumbs rep tells us they’re “working hard” to open by Christmas.
When we reported on Crumb’s impending arrival in February, the company was projecting a May opening.
H/T @CommonCenser
Airport Body Scanner Company Is Based in Crystal City — One of the companies behind the controversial “naked” body scan machines in U.S. airports is located right here in Arlington. Recently, writer Annie Lowrey visited the company’s Crystal City offices to see how they were handling the controversy. More from Slate.
AT&T Rolls Out Pentagon City Store — AT&T’s new wireless store in the Pentagon City mall opened its doors yesterday, just in time for the holiday shopping rush. The store features “a state-of-the-art, hands-on design to engage customers and provide a ‘try before buy’ service experience,” according to a press release.
Verizon Activates New Cell Site — “In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in the Arlington County, Va., Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site,” a company press release says. “The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G data coverage in the neighborhood near 22nd Street North.” Verizon did not elaborate on the site’s exact location.
Crystal City ArtJamz Reviewed — The ladies from the DC on Heels blog created their own personal masterpieces at ArtJamz in Crystal City last week. What exactly is ArtJamz, you ask? The explanation, with plenty of photos, from DC on Heels. (Disclosure: ArtJamz is an ARLnow.com advertiser.)
Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99
Froyo and salad shop Sweetgreen has pushed the opening of its Ballston store back to Monday, Nov. 29, at the earliest. That date is tentative, a company rep tells us.
Despite the delay, the store is moving forward with a plan to celebrate the forthcoming opening by paying for a free yoga weekend at a neighborhood yoga studio.
This weekend, anyone who registers in advance can take free yoga classes at the Tranquil Space yoga studio (3528 Wilson Blvd). Participants will also get a free gift from Sweetgreen.
Move over Goody’s, a new ice cream place is coming to Clarendon.
Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream has signed a lease in the Clarendon Center project, located less than a block away from the Clarendon Metro.
Larry’s will share the block with BGR The Burger Joint, Pete’s New Haven Apizza and Rabbit, the newly-named salad and froyo place from the owners of TangySweet.
Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream shares a name with an ice cream shop in Dupont Circle, but it’s unclear what connection, if any, there is between the two stores.
A woman who identified herself over the phone as the owner of the Dupont Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream said she wasn’t behind the Clarendon store. A quick web search didn’t reveal any other stores by that name in the area.
With the addition of Larry’s Homemade, the retail space in Clarendon Center’s north building is now completely leased out. Many of the stores are expected to open in the spring, depending on the building’s construction schedule.
At the Lyon Village Civic Association’s meeting last night, officials from Traders Joe’s revealed additional details about their hotly-anticipated Clarendon store.
The company still hasn’t signed a lease, we learned; it’s waiting for the Arlington County board to approve a site plan amendment for the space it wants to occupy in the Clarendon Center development. That approval is expected next Tuesday, with county staff recommending the changes laid out in the amendment.
With the lease signed, Trader Joe’s expects to be able to open in late spring or early summer. No specific dates were discussed.
Company officials addressed two specific neighborhood concerns.
While acknowledging that parking will be a challenge for the store, especially with the crush of shoppers expected right after opening, the company is working with the manager of the Clarendon Center parking garage to alleviate potential underground traffic jams that could push cars onto neighborhood streets. Colonial Parking will assign an employee to direct traffic in the garage during certain times, we’re told.
Company reps also addressed worries about the aesthetics of the store. They promised to beautify areas of the store visible to neighbors, like an elevator that will be visible through the store windows. They pledged to decorate such areas with artwork rather than just with advertisements about food and sales.
One person who was at the meeting describes the crowd as “very receptive” to Trader Joe’s presentation.
A representative from Saul Centers, the developer behind the Clarendon Center project, will talk about Trader Joe’s with neighbors at the Lyon Park Civic Association meeting tonight Wednesday night at 7:30.
In related news, ARLnow.com has confirmed rumors that a large national chain restaurant has been eying a retail space in Clarendon Center. In fact, we’re told that the restaurant, said to be of the TGI Friday’s or Chili’s variety, was interested specifically in the 10,000 square foot space that will be occupied by Trader Joe’s.
“We think [Trader Joe’s] would be a better fit for the community,” a Saul Centers official told ARLnow.com. The official refused to name the restaurant.
Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette says he’s hopeful the board will take some sort of action to satisfy Trader Joe’s parking prerequisites for coming to Clarendon.
Residents at a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night were told that Trader Joe’s will only move to the area if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage. The retailer is reportedly worried that there may not be enough parking for customers if all the garage’s spots are unrestricted, as the current site plan calls for.
Fisette says he can “fully appreciate the reason for their request.” He says county staff will study existing Trader Joe’s stores to determine parking requirements, and will also study the number of available parking spaces in the area near the Clarendon Center project.
“We’ll hopefully find a balance here… I’m hoping we find a way to get the ‘yes,’ whether it’s with the exact number of reserve spaces or some modification,” Fisette said. “They are a really desirable retailer… hopefully we can work something out.”
“We have goals of attracting grocery stores,” Fisette noted. “They’re an incredible amenity and asset for a neighborhood… Arlington residents have been chomping at the bit for a Trader Joe’s for ten years, so I’m excited about the possibility.”
Please go to our original Trader Joe’s post to discuss this story.
It has been a persistent rumor, but now it’s close to coming true. Trader Joe’s is in the late stages of negotiations to come to a 10,000 square foot space in the nearly-completed Clarendon Center project, according to two people who attended a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night.
The store is nearly a done deal, we’re told, except for one big hurdle. Trader Joe’s has said it will only move to the space if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage.
As the site plan stands right now, the garage will be open to anybody who wants to park there, whether they’re going to a Clarendon Center store or to a restaurant across the street. It’s a provision that the county desired, but Trader Joe’s fears that there won’t be enough parking left for its customers.
A site plan amendment is expected to be filed on Friday. The matter would likely go before the county board in November. (Update: See county board chairman Jay Fisette’s comments about Trader Joe’s here.)
The 10,000 square foot Clarendon Trader Joe’s would be of average size for the chain. It would be nearly 2,000 square feet smaller than the Alexandria Trader Joe’s.
At last night’s meeting, some Lyon Village residents expressed concern that parking for Trader Joe’s will spill over into nearby neighborhoods. Most residents, however, were supportive of the long-awaited grocery store, we’re told.
Also at the meeting, Clarendon Center’s developer revealed that each building is on track to open on schedule, before the end of the year. The south building is expected to deliver in November and the north building — future home of a number of new restaurants — is expected to deliver a month later, in December.
Hat tip to J.B.
Dunkin’ Donuts wants to expand in Arlington and several other D.C.-area counties, and is looking to recruit franchise owners to help with that expansion.
Next week Dunkin’ Donuts will hold an information session in Tysons Corner to discuss franchise opportunities with interested local entrepreneurs. Among the localities where the company wants to expand are Arlington, Fairfax, Charles and Prince George’s counties.
Arlington is home to four Dunkin’ Donuts stores, excluding location in National Airport. Current locations include Crystal City, Pentagon City, Columbia Pike and Lee Highway — so far, none in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.
In a statement, Dunkin’ Donuts said it is looking to drive local expansion by recruiting quality franchise owners.
“Dunkin’ Donuts is looking for qualified candidates with foodservice, operations and real estate experience to join our team to help expand the brand’s footprint in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas,” a company executive said.
It used to be a sleepy street full of warehouses and warehouse stores. Now the three blocks of Fern Street between 12th and 15th Streets are starting to come to life thanks to high-end apartments and a growing roster of ground-level retailers.
The block’s main attractions at this point are the Costco on the north side of the street and the Gramercy and Millennium at Metropolitan Park luxury apartment buildings on the south side. The relatively recent addition of a Dunkin’ Donuts has helped the block attract some more lunch and breakfast foot traffic — adding to the brave souls who patronize an old greasy spoon called Nell’s Carry Out, which resides in a trailer across from the old DHL warehouse.
Slowly but surely, though, more retail is arriving. A dry cleaner and a bank moved into retail bays at the Gramercy around the same time as Dunkin’ Donuts. A UPS Store is under construction down the block. And the U.S. Post Office that’s currently on Eads Street will eventually be moving to the ground floor of the Millennium.
There’s plenty more space to fill. One retail bay of special interest is a specially-designated restaurant space in the Millennium. The building’s leasing agent has been entertaining nibbles from some restaurateurs. We hear that Lost Dog Cafe has expressed interest, as has an Italian restaurant, identity unknown.
A half block off Fern Street is a privately-constructed park with lots of potential. The neatly-landscaped open space — courtesy of Kettler, the developer behind the Gramercy and the Millennium — is big enough to be much more than the defacto dog toilet that it currently serves as. In June, Kettler used it for a party that included “live music, local vendors, a tricycle race, food, drink and a variety of fun activities.” Next summer, management tells us, it will host a series of outdoor concerts.
