Harris Teeter will soon say goodbye to Tysons, a community it helped transform.
The grocery store is set to close on July 20 after 16 years on the ground floor of the Lofts at Park Crest (8200 Crestwood Heights Drive), according to a message sent this afternoon (Monday) to local Harris Teeter members.
Signs announcing the closure date have also popped up in the store.
According to a Harris Teeter spokesperson, the Tysons store is one of five locations slated to close this summer based on a “strategic market review.” Two stores in Arlington, one in North Bethesda, Maryland, and one in Raleigh, North Carolina, are also on the list.
“Harris Teeter made a strategic decision to close these locations only after careful consideration,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The Company employs approximately 100 to 120 valued associates at each location and began informing associates of the store closings last week.”
Both the spokesperson and a manager at the Tysons store confirmed that all employees are being given the option to transfer to other locations.
In its message to customers, Harris Teeter highlighted the longevity of its stay in Tysons.
“This location has operated as a Harris Teeter since January 2009, and we have been honored to proudly serve your neighborhood over the last 16 years,” the company said. “… We look forward to seeing you at one of our nearby locations and thanks again for your business.”
When it opened at the Lofts, Harris Teeter became the first grocery store to serve Tysons in two decades, following the closure of a Giant Food in the 1980s, the Washington Post reported at the time.
The 60,000-square-foot store’s arrival preceded Fairfax County’s approval of its Tysons Comprehensive Plan, putting it in the vanguard of efforts to turn the community into a destination for residents, not just shoppers and office workers.
For now, the Tysons store remains open until 11 p.m. daily, with its pharmacy operating until 8 p.m.
After the store shuts down, Harris Teeter’s closest locations will be near the Dunn Loring Metro station in the Shops at Avenir Place and at the West Broad apartments in Falls Church City. The chain can also be found in the Pender shopping center near Fair Oaks, Spectrum at Reston Town Center, Barcroft Plaza in Lincolnia and Woodland Park Crossing in Herndon.
Grocery stores have become more plentiful in Tysons since Harris Teeter planted its flag. Though they’re not as convenient for residents of the Lofts and other nearby apartment communities, Lidl, Whole Foods, Walmart and Marufuji Japanese Market are all less than 2 miles away.
Hat tip to the many people who alerted FFXnow to Harris Teeter’s impending closure!
