A ‘Coming Soon’ banner displayed at the site of future deli on Columbia Pike on Jan. 10, 2024 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A new delicatessen is slated to take over the space formerly occupied by Rappahannock Coffee on Columbia Pike.
Gi Lee, the longstanding owner of the coffee shop, announced his retirement last month, marking the end of a two-decade run.
Previously, ARLnow reported that another café was expected to succeed Rappahannock, with the building’s landlord predicting a December opening.
But in a surprising twist, Jose Lopez, the new tenant, revealed that the former coffee shop, located at 2406 Columbia Pike, will instead be serving up deli fare, from Philly cheesesteaks to club sandwiches. There will still be coffee, however.
Barring any delays in receiving his permits from the county, Lopez, a Maryland resident and co-owner of the Honduran restaurant El Catrachito in Olney, says he plans to open the deli around the end of the month. Its official name will be “Columbia Pike Deli.”
The former Rappahannock Coffee signage has been taken down, and in its place, a “Coming Soon” banner now adorns the entrance. While the space will look largely the same as it had under Lee, Lopez said he plans to give the walls a fresh coat of paint and install new flooring.
When asked about his decision to open a deli, Lopez, who immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras in 1999, shared that he previously spent 16 years working at a deli in Maryland before opening his own restaurant.
“It’s my passion,” he said. “I enjoy working with the customers, working with a co-workers and I like to to cook.”
The new deli will join several other restaurants that have opened within a half-mile stretch of Columbia Pike over the last year, including Mpanadas, the Spanish tapas restaurant Sabores and Japanese restaurant Ryu Izakaya.
Another, 2910 Kitchen & Bar, is expected to open sometime this month.
The former Dunkin’ location in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The former Dunkin’ location in Clarendon in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A former Dunkin’ in Clarendon is set to become a new Jersey Mike’s Subs.
The sandwich shop is looking to move into the storefront at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Garfield Street, a block from the Clarendon Metro station, according to the beginnings of a permit application filed with Arlington County. The spot has been vacant for two years.
Arlington does not yet have a Jersey Mike’s Subs location, though another one is in the works at the base of the Westmont Apartments at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. The closest current locations are in Falls Church and Alexandria.
Jersey Mike’s Subs franchisee Beth Wiley is bringing forward both the Clarendon and Columbia Pike locations. She says the process has just started for the Clarendon location: an architect has completed drawings and soon, a contractor will review the project and estimate costs.
The new Clarendon outpost will move into a former Dunkin’ that also housed a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. It opened in 2017 and closed in 2021, just as a new Dunkin’ came online near Clarendon on Wilson Blvd.
“It’s helpful because it was already a restaurant,” Wiley said. “The work is not quite as extensive. It’s a remodel, as opposed to starting from scratch… Everything is in pretty good shape.”
The county processed the initial request for interior alterations to the nearly 1,400-square-foot space at 3009 Clarendon Blvd last week and now awaits plans and documents, the permit records say.
As for the Pike location, Wiley says the county is reviewing plans, submitted a month ago, and she has a contractor lined up. All that remains is getting the go-ahead from landlord Republic Properties, which held a grand opening for its new development earlier this month.
The franchisee says the two locations could potentially open sometime this spring.
Wiley says she is excited to bring the brand to Arlington as it expands beyond suburban strip malls and into more urban areas.
“When I signed on for Jersey Mike’s, I signed on for Arlington,” she said. “I grew up in this area… It seemed like a great opportunity, if you find the right sites, and here we are, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Chase the Submarine in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Chase the Submarine is now serving sandwiches inside the cube at Pentagon City.
The sub shop from local chef Tim Ma reopened to the public in February inside the former Bread and Water “cube” at Westpost on S. Joyce Street. The shop currently has only seven sandwiches on its menu, including banh mi, a meatball sub, and peanut butter and jelly.
This is Ma’s second Westpost restaurant having opened the Chinese-American take-out spot Lucky Danger in July 2021.
Along with Chase the Submarine, Ma is planning another concept in the cube. In the evenings, the shop will become a wine and cocktail bar called No Chaser. That is set to open later this year, Ma told ARLnow in January.
Stickers for both the sandwich shop and the bar are now up on the windows.
The noted chef has a history in Arlington. In 2013, Ma opened Water & Wall in Virginia Square. About three years later, though, the restaurant closed, with Ma saying that closing was neither “a celebration or a wake, it’s just a natural progression in its existence.”
Now, Ma is having sort of a renaissance in Arlington with Lucky Danger, organizing a collective of chefs around combating anti-Asian racism, organizing a popular night market in the fall, Chase the Submarine, and — soon — No Chaser.
Chef Tim Ma is opening two new concepts inside of the cube at Westpost in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Local chef Tim Ma is reviving a popular sandwich shop and bringing it to the former Bread and Water “cube” in Pentagon City.
Ma’s well-regarded Chase the Submarine, which closed in Vienna about five years ago, is making a comeback at Westpost on S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, the chef confirmed to ARLnow. It’s a joint venture with Scott Chung, who co-owns Bun’d Up, also located in Westpost.
The sandwich shop is moving into the relatively small “cube” space in the development’s plaza which was home to Bread and Water until this fall.
This will be Ma’s second Westpost restaurant. Chinese-American take-out eatery Lucky Danger opened on the other side of the development in July 2021.
Construction is essentially done, Ma said, and he’s just waiting on permits. The hope is to start serving within a few weeks, meaning likely later this month.
Along with that, Ma is also planning another concept in the cube.
At night, sandwiches will transform into cocktails with a new wine and cocktail bar called No Chaser. That isn’t expected to open quite yet, with Chase the Submarine opening first and No Chaser coming later this year.
Window stickers are already on plastered on the building, advertising both the new eatery and the cocktail bar.
When Bread and Water closed in October, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) suggested the space to him. FRIT owns the mixed-use development, as well as the Village of Shirlington.
Lucky Danger has been doing quite well at Westpost since it opened about 18 months ago, Ma said, and FRIT has continued to be a “fantastic partner.”
“I’ve been very happy with my return to Arlington and, generally, very hopeful about the [dining] future of the area,” he said.
So, they decided to take the space and, then, just had to figure out what to put there. They turned to an old favorite.
“My team and I always talked about bringing [Chase the Submarine] back,” Ma said. “It was truly one of my favorites.”
Ma said, at least for the time being, this version of Chase the Submarine will be a more “consolidated” version than the previous one in Vienna. There will be fewer hot sandwiches and some different cold sandwiches.
The exact menu and website have not been released publicly quite yet, but that’s expected to be out in the coming days. He said he’s excited to be partnering with Chung, with whom he worked on a night market this past fall.
As part of the agreement to open the two new concepts, Ma extended Lucky Danger’s lease to keep it in Westpost for the foreseeable future. That future includes the opening of Amazon’s HQ2 this year, a few blocks away in Pentagon City, as well as expected development across the street on the Riverhouse property.
Hot Lola’s new Rosslyn location on Wilson Blvd, as of February (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Virginia ABC application on door of Hot Lola’s new Rosslyn location on Wilson Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Spicy chicken sandwich purveyor Hot Lola’s is opening a second Arlington location, this time in Rosslyn.
The restaurant is opening at 1501 Wilson Blvd, sandwiched between Taco Rock and Miracles Salon. A Virginia ABC permit notice on the door announces the eatery’s intention to serve beer, wine, and mixed beverages.
Hot Lola’s first location at Ballston Quarter, which opened in May 2019, does not sell alcohol, though it’s available for purchase by another vendor inside the Quarter Market food hall.
DCist was first with the restaurant’s intent to open in Rosslyn.
Hot Lola’s is replacing Mediterranean fast casual eatery Roti, which appears to have closed a few months ago, after 10 years in business at that location.
ARLnow has reached out to Hot Lola’s about when the Rosslyn location may open, but has yet to hear back as of publication. The restaurant’s windows are papered over, making it difficult to see the construction progress inside.
The eatery from noted D.C. area chef Kevin Tien is known for its spicy “Nashville x Sichuan hot fried chicken sandwiches.” Other popular options include seasoned waffle fries and chicken tenders.
Hot Lola’s made some news when it instituted a 4% “Fair Wage + Wellness” charge to every check, to help pay for employee health insurance, including dental and vision.
Tien has had other ties to Arlington as well, having previously operated his Wild Tiger BBQ collaboration as a pop-up at Bun’d Up in Pentagon City.
If you were looking for a place to procure a hearty sandwich, a lovely bouquet and a cold beer with the same swipe of a credit card, the wait is almost over.
Poppyseed Rye, a new restaurant and flower shop concept, is opening this week in the former Buzz Bakeshop space at 818 N. Quincy Street in Ballston. It will officially open to the public on Friday (Nov. 19), though a couple of private “soft opening” events are likely earlier in the week.
The shop will specialize in fresh flowers and craft sandwiches, while also featuring home goods, toasts, cold press juice, charcuterie, beer, wine, and champagne. That’s according to co-owner Scott Parker, who’s also a partner in Don Tito and a trio of other Ballston businesses: Bearded Goat Barber, BASH Boxing, Bronson Bierhall.
Parker is opening Poppyseed Rye with partners Alex Buc, who formerly ran Jetties sandwich shops in D.C., and Akeda Maerdan, who owns Farida Floral in Fairfax. The opening can be seen as a vote of confidence in Ballston as a place that can support the kind of businesses that one might more commonly see in the city.
(Part of the neighborhood is, in fact, more population-dense than anywhere in the District.)
“Ballston is on fire,” Parker told ARLnow over the weekend. “We’re so excited to open in this buzzing neighborhood, and bring the best sandwiches and fresh flowers you can find in the area.”
Poppyseed Rye will we open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, starting Friday.
A Subway location on the ground floor of Arlington County’s jail could be getting a rent lifeline this weekend.
The sandwich shop renting space at the base of the Arlington County Detention Center (1435 N. Courthouse Road) has struggled to stay afloat since the pandemic slashed its sales. Although it still operates in the space, it has not paid rent to the county since March 2020, according to a report.
“Subway’s business has declined precipitously during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report to the County Board says. “It was closed for business altogether in April 2020. Its sales in May 2020 were less than 15% of normal. Although Subway’s sales have recovered to a degree, they are still, as of the date of this report, around one-third below normal.”
On Saturday, the Board is set to review a proposal to lower Subway’s rent during the remainder of the pandemic to a level it can afford. County staff settled on a base rent equal to 9.5% of its gross sales, retroactive to April 2020, according to the report.
“Staff worked with Subway to determine what Subway could afford to pay in rent based on its reduced sales,” the report said. “As a rule of thumb, restaurants can afford to devote roughly 10% of sales to the payment of rent. When sales decline substantially below normal, inflexible overhead like employee salaries and utility charges does not decline to the same degree, and accordingly absorbs a greater percentage of sales. This leaves a smaller percentage of sales that can be applied to rent.”
If approved, the reduction would last until Subway has two months in a row of sales in which 9.5% of their sales is greater than the base rent it is paying, or until one year after the amendment is signed — whichever occurs first. Then, Subway would have 18 months to pay back the rent it owes from before the agreement went into effect.
The sandwich shop’s lease on its 1,360-square foot space in Courthouse, last renewed in 2017, is up in 2024, the report said.
Poppyseed Rye is coming to the former Buzz Bakery space in Ballston (staff photo)
Poppyseed Rye is coming to the former Buzz Bakery space in Ballston (staff photo)
Poppyseed Rye is coming to the former Buzz Bakery space in Ballston (staff photo)
Buzz Bakeshop has closed in Ballston and a new cafe from some familiar local names will be replacing it.
Poppyseed Rye, which describes itself as “a craft sandwich and fresh flower café,” plans to open this fall at 818 N. Quincy Street, a block from Ballston Quarter mall.
“We’ll make tasty sandwiches, salads, toasts, and charcuterie… and serve beer, wine, seltzer, and champagne,” said Scott Parker, a partner in the shop who also co-owns a variety of Ballston businesses, including Bearded Goat Barber, BASH Boxing, and Bronson Bierhall, as well as Don Tito in Clarendon.
“At our shop Akeda will sell bouquets, vases, candles, and other household goods,” Parker said.
The cafe will be open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily and will focus on lunch and dinner. The sandwich-focused menu will be offered all day. A weekend brunch is possible down the road, according to Parker, who notes that there will be a small patio area outside.
The space was formerly occupied by Buzz Bakery, which opened in 2011 and offered coffee, baked goods and other treats. Now known as Buzz Bakeshop, the cafe has a location on Slaters Lane in Alexandria that remains open. The Ballston location is listed on the Buzz website as “temporarily closed.”
The ownership group behind Poppyseed Rye includes Parker, Lee Smith, Jon Rennich, and Gary Koh, who co-owns Bronson Bierhall with Parker. The group is also working with chef Johnny Spero and Aslin Beer Company on the forthcoming Pentagon City brewpub Nighthawk Pizza.
More collaborations with notable chefs, artisans and producers may be on the way from the group, Parker hinted. But for now, he’s focused on getting the new venture off the ground.
“As Ballston continues to grow and become more vibrant, we’re excited to bring our unique new sandwich and flower shop to Wilson Boulevard,” said Parker.
Superette in Ballston Quarter (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Superette in Ballston Quarter (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Superette in Ballston Quarter (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Superette in Ballston Quarter (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The frosé from Superette in the Ballston Quarter food court (Photo courtesy Superette)
The Superette burger (Photo courtesy Superette)
The Reuben from Superette in Ballston Quarter (Photo courtesy Superette)
The Short Rib from Superette in Ballston Quarter (Photo courtesy Superette)
After opening in September, Arris Noble and his six-person team at Ballston’s newest sandwich shop, Superette, have gotten their sea legs.
The name, Noble explains, takes customers back in time to the corner store with hot food and a limited selection of grocery items. It was the kind of place that parents sent their kids to, list and basket in hand, for apples and milk. The cashier would gather and ring up the items and send the kids home.
“It’s an old-world concept that was forgotten, and shouldn’t have been,” said Noble.
The sandwich joint and grocery is in the lower level of the food hall at Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd). Noble ultimately chose the neighborhood because he saw a gap in sandwich places that prioritize love and quality over speed and volume.
Noble said he is happy to own a business in Arlington, and Ballston in particular, adding that he “really likes the people.”
As for the food, while the sandwich is practical, Noble does not want his diners to sacrifice taste in order to gain convenience.
“If you’re going to dine and come to Superette, I want to give you that ‘Wow’ factor,” he said. “We just want them to know how much care we put into everything.”
When new customers walk in, Noble said he loves seeing “the surprised look” on their faces when they see not only the food but the beer, wine and cocktail menu.
Noble, who paid his way through school at the University of Maryland by bartending, geeks out describing his signature cocktails.
His winter whisky sour combines rye whisky and a simple syrup infused with allspice, star anise, clove, cinnamon and black pepper, with the classic foam rim made from emulsified lemon juice and egg white.
Guests enjoy his gin punch, made with oleo saccharum (or oil of sugar). Muddled sugar and citrus peel steeps in spices and hot water, creating a syrup that is “easy to make, with a ton of flavor.” For the punch, he adds gin, lemon juice and stone fruit tea.
He personally developed the menu, to which his growing waistline can attest.
“I gained 35 pounds,” he said. “The one that has done the most damage is the BLT-ish.”
The classic bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich does not do much for Noble. So he added cheese, braised pork shoulder and a sesame seed bun slathered with garlic aioli. The shoulder is the centerpiece: It marinates for a day before it is braised for seven hours with aromatics and chicken stock.
“That sandwich has a following,” he said. “I got a guy who comes here three days a week and gets it.”
Noble, who spent the last 18 years of his life in the restaurant business, said the challenge of managing a restaurant during the Great Recession more than a decade ago “does not hold a candle to the challenges restaurants are experiencing now.”
From idea to execution, Superette took 14 months, with the pandemic causing delays in deliveries and permitting. The price for a case of gloves increased by 300% times and third-party delivery apps charge double what they used to, but restaurants use them to keep the lights on and employees paid, he said.
“This environment is completely different because the virus creates government restrictions,” he said. “During the recession, you could have a holiday party — you may just have to take a discount — but people were still gathering.”
Hot Lola’s chicken sandwiches (photos via Hot Lola’s)
Hot Lola’s chicken tenders
A new restaurant specializing in spicy chicken is now open in Ballston Quarter’s food hall.
Hot Lola’s is the one of the newest additions to the mall’s Quarter Market food hall and is helmed by Chef Kevin Tien from Petworth’s Himitsu. The menu features chicken sandwiches in four levels of spiciness, from mild to eye-watering. Each is $7.50 and topped with slaw, pickles and a special sauce.
Chicken tenders with slaw, pickles, and toast are available for $8.50 those who want to go bun-less.
Tien previously told Eater he use Sichuan chili oil and spices to flavor the signature sandwiches, making for a style that’s akin to Nashville hot chicken, but unique.
“The only question is, how hot do you want it?” reads Ballston Quarter’s website for the eatery.
Patrons can indeed order on a scale from “TOO HOT” down to “O.G. HOT” down to “Warm + Numbing,” according to the menu. A non-spicy version is also on the menu.
A 4 percent “Fair Wage + Wellness Provision” that pays for employee health insurance, as well as dental and vision, is added to the price.
“After careful research, we have come to the conclusion that this is the best way to reduce wage disparity and provide health benefits for all full time employees,” the restaurant wrote in an open letter about the fee. “No portion of this Hospitality Provision will go to ownership wages or investor dividends.”
The eatery is part of the 25,000 square-foot “food hall” in the newly-renovated Ballston Quarter mall, where only about half of the planned restaurants are open amid construction delays.
Ice Cream Jubilee opened in the space last Friday, following Hot Lola’s and Spanish small plate restaurant Copa Kitchen and Bar earlier this month. Mi & Yu Noodle Bar was the first Quarter Market eatery to open, on March 4. Korean rice bowl restaurant Rice Crook also appeared to be open earlier this week.
Sandwich shop Potbelly is coming to Rosslyn’s International Place building at 1735 N. Lynn Street.
Potbelly has leased a 2,525 square foot space, according to Liz Wainger, a spokeswoman for real estate firm CBRE. An opening date has not been decided, she said.
There’s no word yet on which storefront Potbelly will occupy. There are at least three vacant or soon-to-be-vacant ground floor retail locations in the building:
The Wilson Florist shop, which had a moving sale sign outside today
A retail bay between Chop’t and the building lobby
The new store will be the third Potbelly in Arlington. The company also has a location by the Ballston Metro and in Crystal City.
CBRE’s D.C.-based retail leasing team tweeted out the news about Potbelly’s lease on behalf of Beacon Capitol Partners, a real-estate firm in Arlington.
