A longtime fixture of the Spectrum at Reston Town Center is gone.
On the Border, which has occupied a standalone building at 11880 Spectrum Center since the mid-1990s, closed with no apparent warning late last week. The location was the Texas-based Mexican chain’s last remaining spot in Fairfax County.
It’s unclear when the restaurant had its final day of business, but a reader alerted FFXnow to the closure on Friday (Feb. 7).
“With a heavy heart, we announce that this location is now permanently closed,” a message posted to the front door said. “We are incredibly grateful for your support and loyalty over the years — it has been an honor to serve you. Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope to serve you again soon!”
The message didn’t elaborate on the decision to close, and On the Border didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Originally known as On the Border South Texas Cafe, On the Border was started by three friends who opened their first restaurant in Dallas, Texas, in 1982. The concept found traction with its fajitas, margaritas and “lively patio scene,” per the company’s website, expanding outside the U.S. in 2007 with a location in South Korea.
At that time, the chain was part of Brinker International, the same company that owned Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy, but a series of ownership changes accompanied a years-long decline in sales. On the Border eventually overhauled its menu right before the COVID-19 pandemic and reported in 2022 that it was on track for its first positive sales year since 2006.
The company still has over 100 locations in the U.S., but a slew of closures have been reported over the past year in areas from Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri, to its home state of Texas. A Tysons restaurant shuttered in 2016 and got replaced by Patsy’s American and Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steaks.
With the Reston location’s closure, On the Border’s presence in Virginia has been whittled down to a single site in Woodbridge.
According to Fairfax County property records, On the Border’s 7,097-square-foot building in Reston was constructed in 1997. It was one of eight buildings included in the original development plan for the Spectrum, which got approved by the county’s planning commission with a 7-3 vote on July 14, 1994.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an updated plan for the shopping center in 2013 that envisioned mixed-use development, including 643 residential units and a 270-room hotel in the land bay where On the Border was located. At the time, the plan wasn’t expected to be implemented for another decade, but 12 years later, there still hasn’t been any movement toward a redevelopment.
Instead, the Spectrum welcomed Barnes & Noble back in June 2023 — a decade after the bookstore closed — and construction is progressing on Whole Foods, which will relocate from Plaza America to the former Best Buy space at 1861 Fountain Drive.
That suggests property owner Lerner Enterprises will be on the lookout for a new retail tenant to fill On the Border’s building. The developer didn’t return a request for comment by press time.
Hat tip to Laura Crielly
