Nearly two years after plans for a Herndon location fell through, Ornery Beer Company is officially setting up shop in the neighborhood.
The brewery is already hiring for its second full-service restaurant in hopes that it will open later this month in Woodland Park Crossing, founder and CEO Randy Barnette confirmed to FFXnow.
“We really like the area, the density, [and] the mix of residential and office that we all hope continues to come back over the years,” Barnette said.
It’s not the first time that Ornery has looked to Herndon — Barnette’s local hometown — since its founding 10 years ago.
In early 2024, plans to open a Herndon restaurant at the nearby Arrowbrook Centre stalled after the company was unable to secure adequate financing — a task more difficult than usual due to the need for a ground-up build out, according to Barnette.
But now, Ornery sees a more favorable opportunity for entering Herndon with more “reasonable” costs to open and a strong lease deal for a storefront previously occupied by the bar P.J. Mulligans. That establishment can now be found in Chantilly under the rebranded name Bourbon Boulevard.
“The opportunity for success is terrific,” Barnette said.
Located at 2310 Woodland Crossing Drive, the new Herndon restaurant is expected to open with “truncated” hours and a slim menu as it gets its feet wet, but its operations are expected to eventually mirror that of the Fairfax City location.
Ornery got its start in Woodbridge in 2015 before relocating its full-service restaurant to Old Town Fairfax in 2021. After closing the Woodbridge site in March 2018, the company moved its production brewery and taproom to Bristow, where it continues to operate.
In Fairfax City, Ornery offers 16 different home-brewed beers. The food menu consists of a variety of pizzas, burgers and other pub-style entrees and appetizers, such as fish and chips, jambalaya pasta, Harbor Haze-brined chicken wings, and shrimp tacos.
Once it hits full speed, the Herndon location will be open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.
