Some restaurants whose names may be familiar to Fairfax County residents will be cropping up at Dulles International Airport in the coming months.
The airport, which sits just west of the border in Loudoun County, plans to revitalize and expand its shopping and dining experience with eight new venues over the coming year. Another three retail tenants will be added at Reagan National Airport.
Including the newcomers, the two airports will have added 47 new or renovated retail, dining and beverage options since 2023, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced today (Wednesday).
Many of the new arrivals “focus on brands that represent the regional D.C. experience,” said Jaimini Erskine, MWAA’s vice president for marketing and concessions.
“These openings enhance the passenger experience and create economic opportunities for businesses around the area to deliver high-quality, local and unique offerings,” Erskine said in a statement from MWAA.
The new options for travelers apparently can’t get there soon enough. Despite economic concerns, Dulles in particular has seen booming growth this spring, with its March enplanement total of 1.1 million up 6.9% from a year before. The airport set an all-time, single-day record for passengers passing through security screening on April 11.
“We have very strong demand,” MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter said at the organization’s May 21 board of directors meeting.
According to MWAA, the concessions coming to Dulles over the next year will be:
- Perch & Roost: All day offerings with a focus on breakfast, sandwiches and salads
- Social House: Offers an eclectic menu with local craft beers on tap, based in Loudoun County
- 2 Silos Brewing Co.: From light lagers to barrel-aged stouts, they create high-quality, delicious craft beer in a wide variety of styles
- The Market at Shenandoah (with Starbucks): Retail marketplace with an array of local products, as well as an adjacent full-service Starbucks
- Wanderlust: Offers local gourmet chocolates, specialty gifts and unique one-of-a-kind souvenirs that celebrate the spirit of Washington
- Starbucks: New location of the national coffeehouse chain
- Clyde’s: Known for local and farm-grown produce, legendary burgers and all-American fare
- Aslin Beer Co.: Local iconic brewery with a diverse menu
Clyde’s currently doesn’t have a presence in Fairfax County after shuttering two longstanding locations in Tysons and at Reston Town Center in 2017 and 2022, respectively. The restaurant’s parent company is planning a return with a new concept called Ebbitt House that could open at Reston Station this fall.
Aslin Beer Company has five existing locations, including a Herndon taproom that opened at 771 Elden Street in 2020.
New at Reagan National will be:
- Maker’s Union: Chef-driven, modern American gastropub
- Wiseguy Pizza: Quick-service local pizza brand
- Johnston & Murphy: Lifestyle brand with classic shoes, menswear and women’s ready-to-wear attire
Concessions at the airports are managed by Fraport Washington Partnership LLC. Alyson Murphy, a vice president there, said the new offerings will “highlight the best of the DMV region and beyond, also featuring popular national brands that surprise and delight travelers.”
Concourse E, which is under construction at Dulles and expected to open by the end of 2026, will bring even more concessions.
Concessions recently welcomed at Dulles include Ben’s Chili Bowl, Rappahannock Oyster Bar and Gatsby restaurant. National Airport has seen openings of Solid State Books, a Tumi luggage store and a Half Moon Empanadas kiosk.
Surveys of passengers taken in February, March and April saw satisfaction rates of more than 90% for the shopping and dining opportunities at each airport. The rate at National was up slightly, but the rate at Dulles rose more than 10 points from similar surveys taken a year before, according to airport officials.
