A regional restaurant group known as much for its saucy wordplay as its cuisine is heading to Fairfax City for the first time.
Roll Play, a fast-casual Vietnamese concept, anticipates opening in the Fairfax Pointe shopping center at 10955 Fairfax Blvd, Suite 100, this November, the restaurant announced on its social media pages in August.
“We’re not being dramatic when we say this is our most exciting location yet,” Roll Play teased. “We’ve got a whole new vision for what Roll Play can be, and Fairfax is where it comes to life.”
A spokesperson for Happy Endings Hospitality, the company behind Roll Play, confirmed the new location to FFXnow, but said only that “details” would be shared “in the coming weeks.”
Started in Tysons (8150 Leesburg Pike) in late 2015, Roll Play serves pho and rice bowls, fresh rolls, vermicelli salad bowls and banh mi, all of which can be ordered with set ingredients or as build-your-own creations.
The eatery has expanded in recent years with a stall in Rosslyn’s Happy Endings Eatery food hall (subsequently renamed Happy Eatery) and a location in Falls Church’s Founders Row development, where it was joined in 2023 by Louisiana-style seafood restaurant Chasin’ Tails and the higher-end Vietnamese restaurant Nue — both also concepts from Happy Endings.
Like many relationships, Happy Endings Hospitality got off to a rough start. Opened in Arlington’s Westlake neighborhood in April 2012, Chasin’ Tails initially struggled with diminishing crowds and slow service, but over time, the owners — all first-time restaurateurs — found their rhythm, adapting their hiring and operational practices to suit the demands of the industry and create the culture they wanted.
Leaning into the innuendo of their original concept’s name, brothers Di, Hac and Au Dang subsequently expanded on the success of Chasin’ Tails with the additions of Roll Play, Nue, the cafe Teas’n You, poke eatery Lei’d Island Kitchen, and Ăn, which serves health food bowls.
In addition to bringing Roll Play to Fairfax City, Happy Endings’ expansion plans include a second location of Teas’n You, slated to celebrate its grand opening in Rockville, Maryland, on Sept. 26. The tea shop can currently be found paired with Lei’d Island Kitchen at 8032 Leesburg Pike in Tysons.
Roll Play’s buildout of its Fairfax City space is underway. The storefront was previously occupied by Moe’s Southwest Grill, which closed for good on July 31.
“After an incredible five years, we want to sincerely thank you for your support, loyalty and the many wonderful memories you’ve helped us create,” the Tex-Mex chain said in a notice informing customers of its closure. “… Serving this community has been a privilege and we are truly grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey.”
Moe’s still has two locations in Fairfax County — one in Herndon’s Woodland Park Crossing and another in Bailey’s Crossroads.
