A sign on one of the restaurant’s doors said it closed August 23 for painting and will reopen in a few weeks.
Buzz on the local Nextdoor social network suggests that the restaurant will be ditching its buffet — something that’s falling out of favor during the COVID era — and changing the menu, perhaps serving more upscale Italian cuisine.
Manager Rosario Farruggio told ARLnow today that the restaurant is not yet ready to publicly discuss the changes, but said some of the rumors on Nextdoor are “wrong.” He added that operating and now making changes to the restaurant during the pandemic has been especially difficult.
As of last week, a work crew could be seen inside the space. One worker told ARLnow the crew is painting the restaurant’s floors and walls and will be done in a month.
Joe’s Place previously closed in mid-April after its main oven broke down. It reopened in May for takeout and delivery, and its website says it has opened indoor dining as well as patio seating for “dining al fresco.”
Update on 8/18/20 — The &pizza in Ballston is now open, but will be closed again next Monday. Darien Bates, head of technology at &pizza, explained that the location had been closed Monday and would be closed again next Monday to make changes to accommodate the store’s increased takeout demand.
Earlier: The &pizza at 3924 Wilson Blvd has been closed for more than a week, with company representatives saying the closure is temporary.
“[The Ballston location] is temporarily shut down due to operational changes,” an &pizza representative told ARLnow.
The fast-casual pizzeria opened near the intersection with N. Quincy Street in late 2017. The &pizza rep said there is no additional information on when the regional pizza chain will reopen the Ballston outpost.
The pandemic has caused financial pain for many local restaurants, including those that serve lunchtime office crowds like &pizza. A number of restaurants and local businesses in Arlington have closed permanently since the epidemic started in March.
Though an &pizza rep said the Ballston location was still closed today, a couple of readers tell us they dined there over the weekend.
(Updated at 9:45 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters battled a blaze at the Domino’s Pizza on Lee Highway Friday night.
The fire broke out just before 7:45 p.m. at the pizzeria on the 4800 block of Lee Highway, which serves much of residential north Arlington. Flames could be seen coming from the roof, before being extinguished by arriving firefighters.
Lee Highway was still blocked by the emergency response. The road reopened around 9:30 p.m.
#Finalupdate: Fire is out and units are clearing the scene. The cause remains under investigation by the Fire Marshals Office. No injuries to occupants or firefighter reported pic.twitter.com/UOjEdNMOIN
After asking customers for suggestions of places to move, Pupatella says it will be staying in Bluemont after all.
The Neapolitan pizzeria said today via social media that its landlord has agreed to not raise the rent — after initially trying to hike it by 40% — and Pupatella will thus be staying put at its original 5104 Wilson Blvd location.
The June 9 Facebook post asking customers to “help us to spread the word and find a new perfect spot” received 350 comments, suggesting a variety of new locations and tactics for negotiating rent. Pupatella today credited the community for helping convince the landlord to keep the rent steady.
Great News! After seeing the strong support of our beloved restaurant by the community, our land lord has agreed not to raise our rent and asked us to stay put. Your original Pupatella on Wilson Blvd is staying right where it is and we're overwhelmed with excitement and relief! pic.twitter.com/k4Y8O6LiMX
This content was written and sponsored by The Keri Shull Team, Arlington’s top producing residential real estate team.
It’s hard to go wrong with a great slice of pizza — but where can you find the best pizza in Arlington?
In this week’s Neighborhood Spotlight, we wanted to take a culinary tour of some of the best slices in the area. So join three of our amazing agents — Drew Carpenter, Elisa Seth, and Peter Applegate — as they take you on a journey to find the top pie around!
As always, we are looking for more places to highlight in our Spotlight series. So if you have a favorite restaurant or nightlife spot that you’d like to see us share, just let us know down in the comments — we’d love to check it out!
Without further ado, here are our top 3 favorite pizza spots in Arlington.
Wiseguy Pizza
Located just across the street from the Rosslyn Metro stop, Wiseguy Pizza is a premier place to grab a classic New York slice. Although inside dining is on hold during the COVID-19 regulations, customers can still get pizza for carryout, either by the slice or by the pie.
One of the best things about Wiseguy Pizza is the opportunity to mix-and-match your selection. The Rosslyn eatery offers 16 varieties of pre-made pies, including both classic choices like Pepperoni and Margherita and more out-there combinations such as a Penne Alla Vodka pizza. Alternatively, if you are feeling creative, choose your own toppings for a custom ‘za!
So if you are in the mood to get a taste of the Big Apple without leaving the Washington D.C. area, you can’t do better than Wiseguy Pizza!
Pupatella Pizza
There are a lot of places that claim to serve up Neapolitan pizza — but many of them aren’t selling true Naples-style ‘za. The recipe and baking style of Neapolitan pizza are on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list due to the meal’s immense cultural and historical significance. Because of this, pizzerias who want to whip up an authentic Neapolitan pie can have their process certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN).
So, where are you supposed to get authentic Neapolitan pizza in Arlington? Look no further than Pupatella Pizza! This fantastic pizzeria has two locations in Arlington, with one just a few blocks away from the Ballston Metro Station and the other near the National Cemetery in South Arlington.
Like everything else at the pizzeria, the oven is the pinnacle of authenticity — the owner commissioned this culinary crucible from a Neapolitan forge, and the bricks are even made using volcanic ash from the famous Mt. Vesuvius!
As the name implies, Fireworks specializes in artisanal wood-fired pies. Customers can build their own pizza or order one of the house suggestions, from traditional margherita ‘za to the award winning “Rise & Shine DC” — a pizza pie topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, and shredded potatoes.
Of course, few things pair better with a piping-hot pizza than a stiff drink — and Fireworks Pizza has plenty to offer from behind the bar! Beer lovers are sure to go gaga over the extensive menu of drafts. If beer isn’t your libation of choice, you can always accompany your ‘za with one of Fireworks’s signature cocktails!
Due to the continuing COVID-19 regulations, customers can dine inside of the storefront, but the indoor bar is not serving any drinks. However, their patio is open for service, complete with a fully stocked bar! In addition, Fireworks is offering curbside pick up of their meals, so you can enjoy one of the best takeout options in Arlington without having to even leave the car.
The Verdict
Each of these 3 pizzerias offers a wildly different flavor experience — and all of them are top-class in their fields!
No matter which of these 3 pizzerias you choose to visit next, however, you are sure to have a great experience — that’s because they are built on years of experience and innovation from the experts! Working with the experts is vitally important for getting a great pizza pie — but it’s even more important when you are trying to decide if you should sell your house now!
Pupatella is looking to leave its original location in Bluemont and move elsewhere in Arlington.
The popular Neapolitan pizza restaurant said via social media that its landlord at 5104 Wilson Blvd is trying to raise the rent by 40%, despite the pandemic hurting its business and that of other restaurants.
The eatery — which recently opened a new location on S. Walter Reed Drive — asked its followers for suggestions of where to move. As of publication time, the Facebook post along has attracted more than 200 comments in a span of a few hours.
Dear friends, unfortunately our landlord (5104 Wilson Blvd) decided to hike our rent by 40% and we urgently need to find another location. We begged him to wait till the pandemic is over, but no luck. Please help us to spread the word and find a new perfect spot! #localbusiness
The restaurant’s owners tell ARLnow that they have been quietly searching for a new location since March, when their lease came up for renewal, and have not found anything yet. They “definitely want to stay” in North Arlington but are “getting very desperate and hoping that someone can help us,” wrote Anastasiya Algarme.
“I believe our landlord believes that because we have opened a new location, we must be very rich now and he wants to take advantage of that,” said Algarme. “A lot of times people that have not run restaurant businesses do not understand all the expenses involved, and they believe that if a restaurant that is busy, it must be swimming in cash. It is not true at all and the profit margins are low. Our landlord refuses to see our accounting books to understand.”
The landlord, who she did not name, might have reason to think Pupatella has some extra cash beyond the Bluemont location’s acclaim and success. In 2018 it was reported that the company had raised $3.75 million for a planned eight-location expansion. So far, only the South Arlington location has opened, though other locations are planned in the District and in Reston.
As for a potential new location, “our only requirements are some parking, and preferably a place that is a restaurant already to reduce our build out costs,” Algarme said.
“We definitely want to stay in Arlington and North Arlington specifically,” she added. “We’d be foolish to give up such a loyal following.”
Asked whether the social media post was, effectively, a negotiation ploy, Algarme insisted it was not.
“We doubt the landlord will see it,” she said. “He is 90 years old and says he does not use Facebook. Our lease was typed on a typewriter.”
The latest outpost for the acclaimed local New York-style pizza chain is on the ground floor of the Witmer, a new 26-story luxury apartment building at the corner of 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street. It’s the second Wiseguy Pizza in Arlington; the first is in Rosslyn.
Owner Nuri Erol says the eatery “did a test opening last week for a few days” but would begin its soft opening week today (Tuesday). It will be open from noon-8:30 p.m., he said.
Wiseguy recently started offering online ordering and curbside pickup. While opening during a pandemic might not be ideal, the pizzeria’s long-term prospects look promising, given the 25,000 Amazon employees that will eventually be working two blocks away.
The future of Cafe Pizzaiolo in Shirlington is in doubt, with most of its equipment and furnishings listed on a commercial auction website.
Everything from light fixtures to kitchen equipment to trash cans are on the auction block. The auction website says the restaurant, which is not named but is clearly Cafe Pizzaiolo in photos, “is closing and will make a liquidation.” The auction closes on Wednesday, June 3.
Still, it’s unclear whether this will mean a permanent or a temporary closure for the pizzeria at 2800 S. Randolph Street, which has a sister location nearby on Fern Street in Alexandria. The latter remains open for delivery and takeout.
“Is Cafe Pizzaiolo in Shirlington closing for good or just moving/downsizing?” asked a tipster who sent a link to the Rasmus Auctions site.
Owner Larry Ponzi tells ARLnow that no decision has been reached quite yet.
“The pandemic has caused us to pivot and rethink all of our businesses,” he said. “We have not made any final decisions about [what] our business in Shirlington will look like/function as when the time is right. We are using the time to strip down, clean, and rethink what the future of the business may be.”
Ponzi and wife Christine own Cafe Pizzaiolo, St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, Market to Market, and the future replacement of Catch on the Ave — all in Alexandria.
Small Biz Grant Application Now Open — “The Arlington Small Business Emergency GRANT (Giving Resiliency Assets Near Term) Program, designed to provide immediate financial assistance to Arlington’s small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, is now open for applications.” [Arlington County]
Why Your Pizza Is Not Going Ham — The national meat shortage has led Domino’s Pizza to cut down on the availability of some toppings, including in Arlington. “Due to the current uncertainty in the market for meats, we are limiting the amount of ham we are delivering to our stores,” the company told one local resident. [@craigcolgan/Twitter]
Kids Don Costumes in Support of Masks — “Kids roaming my neighborhood dressed as a hotdog and a bun, with a placard: ‘DON’T BE A WEENIE, WEAR A MASK.’ Lots of people in the D.C. area I’ve observed this week going in and out of stores, playing basketball and mingling on the National Mall are not masking up.” [@meekwire/Twitter]
Police Investigate Robbery in Rosslyn — “Two suspects entered a business and began selecting merchandise. An employee of the business recognized one of the suspects and confronted him as he attempted to exit the business in possession of merchandise that had not been paid for. The suspect shoved the victim, causing her to fall, and both suspects fled in a vehicle driven by a third subject prior to police arrival.” [Arlington County]
Teachers Endorse Diaz-Torres — “The Arlington Education Association Political Action Committee (AEA-PAC) recently announced its endorsement of Cristina Diaz-Torres, a teacher and education policy specialist, in the Arlington Public School Board Democratic Caucus.” [Press Release]
Police Looking for W&OD Trail Creeper — “City of Falls Church Police received a report about a man following a woman in a suspicious manner on Monday, May 4, at about 3:10 p.m. He followed the woman on the W&OD trail then continued to follow her into a neighborhood. The woman was not harmed.” [City of Falls Church]
After a run of bad luck, Joe’s Place Pizza and Pasta at 5555 Lee Highway is planning a comeback starting this afternoon (Tuesday).
As if a global pandemic that has battered the restaurant industry wasn’t enough, the topping was when the main oven at Joe’s Place suffered a serious breakdown in mid-April that required waiting on both parts and repairs.
With the oven finally operational, the restaurant says they’re ready to reopen for doorstep delivery and curbside takeout today.
The new hours for May are Tuesday-Saturday from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Pizzas range from small (roughly four slices) for $9 to 10 slice, Sicilian deep-dish style pizza for $16.
Joe’s Place is also asking customers to make a contribution that will go towards making pizzas and sandwiches for workers at Virginia Hospital Center. In March, Joe’s Place offered free cheese pizzas to families in need.
1000 Degrees Pizza has closed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
1000 Degrees Pizza has closed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 10 a.m.) Just over three years since it first opened, 1000 Degrees has served its last customer.
The quick-service Neapolitan pizzeria at 3400 Columbia Pike shut its doors within the past few of days, posting a note in the window that reads: “Dear customers, We apologize for any inconvenience but we are permanently closed.”
While 1000 Degrees is a chain, with locations from Connecticut to Texas, the Pike location was owned by a “long-time, local entrepreneur,” according to a press release from its October 2016 opening. The pizzeria offered customers the ability to design their own thin-crust pizzas or order a variety of special pies, including a barbecue bourbon chicken pizza, a Philly cheesesteak pizza and a classic margherita pizza.
The restaurant also offered wings and salads.
Acclaimed, local Neapolitan pizza restaurant Pupatella recently opened a half mile away from 1000 Degrees’ now-former location.
