(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) Tysons Galleria has lost another dining option.

Jiwa Singapura, which sought to blend Singaporean street food with a “high-end” setting, closed its doors on Monday, Dec. 4 after less than 10 months of operations.

The closure was first reported by Eater DC and announced on Instagram yesterday (Tuesday) by chef Pepe Moncayo, who also runs the Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant Cranes in D.C.

“With a heavy heart, we are sad to share that Jiwa Singapura will be closing in its current location at Tysons Corner,” Moncayo said. “…But we are looking forward to bringing the Singaporean food and culture to another location in the future. We are incredibly grateful to our guests and especially our talented, wonderful team who supported us throughout this journey. Thank you all and hope to see you soon.”

A spokesperson for Brookfield Properties, which owns Tysons Galleria, said the restaurant didn’t gain the traction in the community that the mall had hoped.

“Unfortunately, the concept did not resonate with our community. This happens sometimes in our industry,” Lindsay Kahn, Brookfield Properties director of public relations for retail, said.

Jiwa Singapura opened on Feb. 15 on the mall’s third floor as part of a new wing that replaced Macy’s, which closed in January 2019.

Purportedly the first Singaporean fine-dining establishment in the D.C. area, Jiwa Singapura drew approving reviews from critics at the Washington Post and Northern Virginia Magazine. In his spring 2023 dining guide, The Post’s Tom Sietsema highlighted the restaurant’s luxurious setting and food.

The menu featured items like Hainanese chicken rice and chili crab, taking inspiration from the family recipes of Moncayo’s wife, Aishah Moncayo, a native of Singapore.

Designed by the architectural firm //3877, the 10,000-square-foot restaurant could seat 170 people in its main dining room, along with a 10-seat bar, a “semi-private” dining room and an outdoor terrace with 80 seats.

When Jiwa Singapura opened, Moncayo told FFXnow that he felt Tysons “would be the perfect place to open this new and exciting concept” because it “has an urban presence with a small community feel.”

Moncayo was also developing a Spanish restaurant called Santi at Capital One Center, but he confirmed in August that those plans had been put on hold, citing the current economic climate and rising construction material costs.

Jiwa Singapura’s departure follows the loss of Tysons Galleria’s food hall operator, Urbanspace, earlier this year. Andy’s Pizza and Empanadas De Mendoza were joined in the third-floor hall last month by Shotted, a coffee shop that has gained a strong following at nearby Tysons Corner Center.

(Updated at noon) The last day of 2023 will be the last day of operations for Mon Ami Gabi in Reston.

The business is set to close on Dec. 31 after 15 years of business at Reston Town Center.

“We’ll be open for dine-in, carryout, and delivery until then,” the company said in a notice on its website. “We hope to make the most of these last few months with you.”

Led by Chef Jason Myle, the restaurant serves French bistro classics, including lunch dinner and weekend brunch.

The website says the Reston location at 11950 Democracy Drive will close because its lease is “expiring.” A company spokesperson declined to provide additional information on why the restaurant did not renew its lease.

“The French bistro has been a part of the Reston, VA community for 15 years and it has been a pleasure to serve all of our loyal guests,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Mon Ami Gabi still has its original restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland, along with Chicago and Las Vegas locations. The business is part of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, whose other D.C. area brands include Wildfire in Tysons and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab in the District.

Boston Properties, which owns Reston Town Center, confirmed that Mon Ami Gabi’s lease is expiring and said it has “enjoyed our long-term partnership” with Lettuce Entertain You.

“An exciting new partnership and restaurant concept will be announced soon,” a Boston Properties spokesperson said.

Hat tip to @torpedostsunami. Photo via Mon Ami Gabi/Facebook

Fairfax City’s Coyote Grille and Cantina has unleashed its last howl.

The eatery abruptly closed its doors at 10266 Main Street for good on Oct. 1 after serving up tacos, margaritas and other dishes and drinks inspired by the American Southwest for more than two decades.

A paper sign taped to the door offers little explanation, stating only that the restaurant would be permanently closed as of that Sunday.

“We appreciate all our valued guests and staff,” the sign said.

While Coyote Grille’s closure may have come suddenly, it wasn’t a complete surprise to regular patrons, who lamented in Yelp reviews and social media posts that the food and service had declined in quality after longtime owner Tatjana Farr sold the business last year.

Farr launched Coyote Grille in 2002 with the goal of creating an oasis at a time when Northern Virginia “was suffering a drought of fresh, flavorful Southwestern-inspired food,” according to the website. After running the restaurant for 20 years, she decided to sell it so she could move to South Carolina, Old Town Fairfax Business Association (OTFBA) Chair Josh Alexander says.

However, Farr’s reaction upon learning that the new owners were shutting down the place she’d spent two decades overseeing was one of “shock and sadness,” according to Alexander, who worked as a manager at Coyote Grille for 14 years.

“It was definitely a landmark in the neighborhood, a local place for families and friends to gather, and it was tough to see it close,” Alexander said. “We all went in on the last day to celebrate it when we heard that they were closing.”

The current owners plan to reopen the restaurant under a new name as an “upscale, small plate concept,” Alexander says.

As chair of the OTFBA, Alexander says he wants all businesses in the city to succeed, but it’s not yet clear how much the rebranded restaurant will retain from its predecessor, if anything.

At the very least, Coyote Grille’s legacy will continue to some extent through Alexander’s own restaurant, Mackenzie’s Tunes & Tonics, which opened on June 1 at 3950 University Drive, Suite 210. He employs some former Coyote Grille staff members, and he threw a party there for Farr and Coyote supporters on Oct. 8.

“I want[ed] to say thank you for 20 years. Thank you for the memories,” he told FFXnow.

Some familiar dishes may even turn up on Mackenzie’s menu in the future, if the Coyote Grille owners opt not to use the recipes for their new establishment.

“Whatever the new concept, whatever they decide they don’t want to use, I’ll gladly bring to my place so that the locals can still come try some of their favorite dishes from over the years,” Alexander said.

Urban Mattress — a family-owned franchise that opened in 2013, is officially closings its doors.

A store-closing sale will kick off on September 7. Owner Nathaniel Hoelk opened the business at 229 Maple Avenue E in an effort to create organic, all-natural mattresses made from eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, according to the company.

“Because we lost our lease, we must liquidate all our inventory and shut down operations. Our family is so grateful for all of the support we have received over the past 10 years,” said Hoelk.

Here’s more from the company on the closure:

The store-closing sale opens to the public September 7 and will feature deep discounts on top quality mattresses from name brands like Vispring and Tempur-Pedic as well as the Urban Mattress brand. Urban Mattress is located at 229 Maple Ave E in the center of downtown Vienna next to Jammin’ Java. Store management encourages early shopping for best selection.

Urban Mattress has consistently demonstrated their passion for giving back by participating in local organizations such as the Vienna Business Association and Chamber Board of Vienna and by donating to local charities like the Salvation Army and Second Story. The Hoelk family has also sponsored local school music programs and football teams.

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) District Taco is wrapping up its time at Tysons West.

The last day of business for the Mexican street food chain’s Tysons location will come on Oct. 1, the company’s chief operating officer, Chris Medhurst, confirmed to FFXnow.

As District Taco’s 10th location, the restaurant’s opening at 1500-C Cornerside Blvd on May 26, 2017 was a notable milestone for the business, which began in 2011 as a humble food cart working the streets of Rosslyn.

“This means a lot for the company considering the dream started with just a taco stand,” District Taco CEO and co-owner Osiris Hoil said in a press release at the time. “Everything is possible when you work with smart and enthusiastic people and that’s what District Taco has, plus delicious food.”

In recent years, the company has turned its focus to expansion, reaching 15 locations across the D.C. area and Pennsylvania with an opening in McLean — its first franchise — and a pending arrival at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center in West Springfield.

District Taco says it decided to consolidate operations at the 2,063-square-foot McLean restaurant after seeing “a significant upwards trend” in online pickup and delivery orders after launching a new mobile app and loyalty program.

“The new, smaller floor plan in McLean has been optimized for carry-out ordering, but still maintains the same throughput capabilities, and allows us to serve the same great food with a more convenient customer experience,” District Taco said. “We are really excited about consolidating our Tysons location with McLean, which has its Grand Opening on August 30th.”

All of the Tysons employees will get the option to work at another District Taco location, and a bonus “for being a part of the transition,” the company added.

Medhurst says the majority of workers will likely relocate to the McLean restaurant, but others can go to different locations “depending on what is most convenient for their commute.”

As for what will replace District Taco, a site plan from Tysons West property manager Rappaport suggests a Japanese restaurant called Umai Ramen and Donburi is already in line to take over the ground-floor space at Cornerside Blvd and Westwood Center Drive.

It’s unclear if that restaurant is related to Umai Ramen and Rice Bowl in Herndon, which says it infuses Japanese cuisine with southeast Asian flavors. An employee directed FFXnow to the business owner, who didn’t respond by press time.

Anchored by Walmart, Tysons West is also home to Moby Dick Kabob and Roaming Rooster, among other retailers. A Club Studio Fitness is slated to fill the second-floor gym vacated by 24 Hour Fitness in 2020, though no opening timeline has been announced.

Tomorrow will be the chance to taste Blend 111’s tapas and cocktails.

The European and Latin American fusion restaurant will serve diners one final time on Saturday (Aug. 12) after more than four years at 111 Church Street in Vienna, an employee confirmed.

In its place, restauranteur Nancy Sabbagh and chef Roberto Donna, her husband, are preparing to open Le Bistro, a pop-up French bistro that will serve traditional dishes like snails with garlic and parsley and pâté.

The couple are behind Roberto’s Ristorante Italiano, which opened on Feb. 8, 2022 at 144 Church Street NW — less than a block down the street from where Le Bistro will set up shop. Their plans were first shared publicly by Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.

“No chemicals, no magic, no special prix cuisine, just great French, authentic style,” Donna said when asked about the menu.

Opened in August 2019 by longtime Vienna resident Michael Biddick, Blend 111 brought a mix of food and wine from Spain, France and Venezuela. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it closed temporarily and reinvented itself with a new culinary team and a popular outdoor patio shared with next-door neighbor, Bazin’s on Church.

The restaurant later introduced a seafood tapas pop-up, and its brunch was named a finalist in the 2022 RAMMY Awards, though a public vote gave the win to A&J Restaurant in Annandale.

However, Biddick clashed with town leaders and some residents living near Church Street who took issue with the noise levels from the patio. He said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” when the Vienna Town Council adopted outdoor dining rules in May 2022 that prohibited the patio, which has since turned back into parking spaces.

It’s unclear whether the loss of outdoor dining played a role in Blend 111’s demise, but Donna told Washingtonian yesterday that Biddick opted to return to his day job in the information technology world. He and Sabbagh decided to buy the space once it hit the market on Aug. 1.

The couple told FFXnow that they were contemplating an expansion based on the town’s embrace of Roberto’s, which is run by Sabbagh and serves both regular and seasonal menus designed by Donna.

“We’re so happy by the warmth and the love the community has shown us,” Sabbagh said. “We love Vienna and our surrounding areas. The neighbors have been incredible to us, which is obviously why we wanted to expand our business to another restaurant here.”

They were initially exploring the possibility of a pizzeria, but given how it was built out for Blend 111, they decided it would better suited for a more upscale concept.

With no construction planned beyond some interior design changes, Le Bistro will open in “about a month, give or take,” Sabbagh says. Though it’s conceived as a pop-up, the couple hasn’t ruled out the potential of a more permanent establishment.

“We’re going to see how the market is and how the community receives it,” Sabbagh said. “There’s a need for a French bistro, and we want to see what our community really is asking for and wants, so it’s a fun concept for us to try. We don’t have any real limits on ourselves. If…it’s not the right niche, then possibly we’ll visit the pizzeria concept again.”

Two longtime family-owned restaurants in the Chantilly Park Shopping Center have closed their doors for good.

Located side-by-side to one another, Bravo Peruvian Chicken (14513 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) and Picante! (14511-B Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) have both recently announced permanent closures.

Mexican restaurant Picante has serviced the area for the last 29 years, according to a statement released by owner Guillermo Manoatl on Instagram last Monday, July 31. The statement was also posted in the former storefront’s windows.

Dear Picante Loyal Customers,

Picante has closed its doors permanently as of today! We would like to thank you for letting us serve you for the past 29 years! It has been an honor to have been able to share my grandmother’s recipes with all of you!

Unlike Picante, Bravo Peruvian Chicken has yet to publicly confirm its closure or remove its signage from the shopping center, but it has been marked permanently closed on Google, and its phone number has been disconnected.

“We are a group of Peruvians who came to the United States to conquer the ‘American Dream’ while maintaining our roots and love for our culture!” Bravo Peruvian Chicken’s website reads. “Bravo Chicken is a proud example of it.”

The Boro’s Whole Foods has a void where Purée Juice Bar once stood.

Purée officially closed its stall in the Tysons grocery store at 1635 Boro Place on March 31 after struggling to establish a consistent customer base with limited foot traffic, according to a Purée spokesperson.

“The Whole Foods location never really got any traction and never really bounced back after COVID,” the spokesperson told FFXnow. “With so many Amazon shoppers, the location was not sustainable. We were very sorry to make the hard decision to close 3/31 of this year.”

Purée moved into the grocery store on Dec. 18, 2020 as a partner in its Friends of Whole Foods program, which offers store space to independent businesses and retailers.

The company previously had a location at the Mosaic District in Merrifield but closed that shop in August 2021, citing a decline in foot traffic and a desire to focus on the Tysons location.

With its departure from The Boro, Purée no longer has a physical juice bar in Virginia, but it provides delivery service to Northern Virginia as far as Loudoun County.

“Guests can place an order on our website and we will make the juice to order and deliver early in the morning on the date they choose!” the spokesperson said by email.

The company’s flagship store in Bethesda, Maryland, remains open, along with locations at Sibley Memorial Hospital in D.C. and Rockville.

Inside The Boro’s Whole Foods, customers can still find Allegro Coffee, Genji Izakaya, High Point Pub and PLNT Burger.

Hat tip to Adam Rubinstein. Photo via Google Maps

Brown Bag, a restaurant that sells salads, sandwiches and bowls, has officially closed its doors at Plaza America in Reston.

The business closed earlier this month. The company did not return a request for comment to clarify the exact date of closure by press time.

Brown Bag originally opened its Reston store in 2016. The restaurant still has physical locations in D.C. and Bethesda, Maryland, and it delivers catering to offices in Northern Virginia, including in Fairfax, Tysons and Reston, according to its website.

Taïm Mediterranean Kitchen, a fast-casual Meditteranean restaurant, will take over the vacated 2,000-square-foot location at 11692 Plaza America Drive.

A company spokesperson told FFXnow that the restaurant will now open in late fall — a slightly more precise estimate than previously reported.

Taim kicked off in 2005 in New York City and has since expanded to 13 locations, including planned restaurants in Vienna. A location in Pimmitt Hills opened last week.

At Taim, customers build a meal with a pita or bowl base, a choice of items like falafel, meatballs, shawarma, and kabobs.

Hat tip to Adam Rubinstein. Image via Google Maps

Zenola has permanently closed its kitchen in Vienna.

The Lebanese restaurant announced on Friday (July 21) that its owners, the Zeitoun family, had “made the difficult decision to close” after more than three years in Danor Plaza at 132 Branch Road SE.

“Our family-owned restaurant has been a place where friends and families gathered to share laughter, stories, and break bread,” the Zeitoun family and Zenola team said in a message to supporters. “It has been an honor to be part of your lives, to witness your special occasions, and to create a warm and welcoming environment for everyone who walked through our doors.”

Commenters on the restaurant’s Facebook page expressed sorrow at the news, with more than one person saying Zenola was one of their favorite places to eat.

“We will miss you a lot! No more spinach pies or chicken livers,” one person said. “I’m so sorry it had to come to this. Wishing the Zeitoun family and Zenola team all the best in the future.”

Opened on Sept. 6, 2019, Zenola began as a way for executive chef and founder Samer Zeitoun to put his own spin on the Lebanese dishes of his childhood by mixing them with a broader range of Mediterranean flavors.

Menu items included various grilled meats, pan-seared black bass, vegetarian lasagna, Lebanese shepherd’s pie, hummus spreads and wood-grilled Spanish octopus.

Keeping a restaurant in business was never easy, but it has proven especially difficult since COVID-19 hit the U.S. in early 2020. An estimated 70,000 restaurants closed permanently as a result of the hardships created by the pandemic.

In the Town of Vienna, casualties have ranged from hopeful newcomers to long-standing establishments, like 40-year-old Amphora Restaurant.

Zenola said its decision to close was fueled by a combination of factors, including the “lasting business effects of the COVID pandemic, increasingly higher rent payments with little landlord flexibility and the changing landscape of the restaurant industry.”

A request for comment sent to the restaurant’s email didn’t get a response by press time.

Despite its relatively short stay in Vienna, the Zenola team said they had formed lasting memories and strong connections with the local community, describing patrons and staff as “an extended family.”

“We cannot express enough how grateful we are for your loyalty and for choosing us as your go-to spot for celebrations, casual dinners, and even those quiet moments when you needed a comforting meal,” the message said. “We will forever cherish the memories created within these walls and the relationships forged through shared meals and conversations.”

Encouraging patrons to continue supporting small businesses, the Zeitoun family said they are “taking some time to rest and regroup,” but they’re hopeful that Zenola may return in some form in the future.

“We hope to find a way to continue offering Zenola menu favorites in a different format in the months ahead,” the team said.