The closure of a bank in McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping Center could be a gain for a national chain of salad restaurants.
Sweetgreen has asked Fairfax County’s Zoning Office to clarify how a potential restaurant could take advantage of a drive-thru lane previously installed during a property’s last life as a bank.
The targeted storefront at 6224 Old Dominion Drive previously served as a Truist Bank, according to a site plan from landlord Federal Realty.
The standalone building appeared to be undergoing “significant construction” this morning (Monday), area resident Mike Whatley told FFXnow.
However, a request for comment sent to a Sweetgreen spokesperson went unanswered by press time, and a spokesperson for the landlord would not confirm whether the restaurant has signed a lease when contacted.
“When there is news [to] share I will be in touch,” a Federal Realty spokesperson told FFXnow.
Under the proposed use, Sweetgreen would incorporate the drive aisle closest to the building as a pick-up lane for customers who place orders online or via the chain’s app.
“Many sweetgreen customers currently use the online app to order and pay, then pick up the order inside the store for efficiency,” a letter to the office says. “Having a pick-up lane will further allow ease of access.”
Sweetgreen’s application for an interpretation by the county’s zoning office is now under review after being accepted last Wednesday (Dec. 4), according to the county’s permitting website.
The zoning office’s determination appears to be one of the first steps in the process of installing the new restaurant. A targeted opening timeline, however, is unclear.
Sweetgreen would expand the dining options at Chesterbrook Shopping Center, whose only traditional, sit-down restaurant right now is Mylo’s Grill. There are a few specialty eateries — namely, a Starbucks, the deli Call Your Mother and the juice-and-smoothie bar South Block — and the restaurant Sorn Thai is expected to open in early 2025.
Started in 2007 in D.C. by a trio of new college graduates, per its website, Sweetgreen is no stranger to Northern Virginia, where it has 10 locations across Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties. A new branch coming to Fairfax Corner will join three existing Fairfax County stores at the Mosaic District, Tysons Galleria and Reston Town Center.
Sweetgreen, which aims to promote healthy living through “real food,” offers bowls that can have either a rice or salad base and protein plates. Each features a variety of ingredients, with an emphasis on produce and lean proteins.
