A new tea spot is opening soon in Herndon’s Worldgate Centre.

Sharetea, a franchise that specializes in tea drinks, is expected to open soon at 13043 Worldgate Drive, according to signage posted at the door.

The business kicked off in Taiwan in 1992. It currently has more than 300 locations across 13 countries.

Virginia has three locations in Fairfax, Falls Church and Chesapeake. The business didn’t immediately return a request for comment from FFXnow.

Items on the menu include a variety of milk teas, fruit tea, blended ice beverages, and tea mojitos.

It replaces 1,053-square-feet of space previously leased by Pivot Physical Therapy.

The shopping plaza — which is anchored by Worldgate Athletic Club & Spa and AMC Theaters — has one 921-square-foot vacancy, according to the property owner’s website.

The powers of caffeine and sugar will unite this weekend for the grand opening of Springfield’s new Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins.

After a soft opening on April 3, the combined eateries are set for a more official launch at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday (May 6), promising free coffee or ice cream for a year to the first 100 customers to enter their shared doors at 6310 Backlick Road.

Winners of the giveaway will get four coupons per month for free scoops or medium-sized coffees, lasting 14 months, though they’ll only be accepted at the new location, according to a press release.

With a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m., the opening will feature a Dunkin’ prize wheel, a balloon artist, face painting and the presence of Dunkin’s mascot “Cuppy.” A $3,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation will also be presented to the Capital Area Food Bank.

“The Next Gen restaurant offers Springfield a first-hand look at Dunkin’s enhanced store experience, with a modern look that provides a fresh, friendly, vibrant, and engaging environment,” the coffee and doughnuts company said in the press release.

Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins are both part of Dunkin’ Brands Group, which was acquired by Inspire Brands in December 2020. Inspire also owns Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and several other fast food restaurants.

Replacing a KFC that was closed not long after getting set on fire in 2020, the paired Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins occupy a 2,396-square-foot, drive-thru restaurant with 25 workers and seats for 18 customers.

The company describes the venue as a “next generation” experience, highlighting its modern design, energy efficiency, designated pick-up area for mobile orders and the use of “an innovative tap system” for pouring cold beverages, including a nitro-infused cold brew only available at “Next Gen” locations.

The restaurant’s operating hours are 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Shotted may be the only coffee shop in Fairfax County with a midnight rush.

Where most coffeehouses see business peak in the morning or late afternoon as patrons drop in before and after work, the Tysons Corner Center kiosk comes to life at night — particularly during Ramadan, which began this year on March 22 and will end with the holiday Eid al-Fitr on Thursday (April 20).

Shotted is always night-owl-friendly, typically operating until 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. But it extends those hours to 1 a.m. during the Muslim holy month, accommodating community members looking to break their daytime fast with caffeine and desserts.

The move has paid off, drawing 200 to 300 people after 8 p.m. on weekdays and as many as 1,000 customers on weekends, according to Shotted founder and CEO Bandar Alhenaki.

On TikTok, videos showing late-night crowds assembled at the shop and lines stretching down the hall past Coastal Flats have gone viral.

“There’s not many ‘Islamic’ or Muslim coffee shops, and when this one came out…it went pretty viral,” one customer, Rabia Khalid, told FFXnow. “And if you come here around 10, it’s packed, like there’s a line to the back. It’s like Black Friday over here.”

Rabia and her sister, Remsha, say Shotted is usually a “midnight move” with friends since prayers during Ramadan can last until 11 p.m., but when they visited around 8:30 p.m. this past Tuesday (April 11), a consistent line was already forming.

Some patrons were first-timers, like one group who said they’d learned about Shotted on TikTok, while others are regulars — all of them drawn as much by the buzz of community as the coffee.

“It’s about getting the community together, like I get to see people I haven’t seen in years at Shotted,” Rabia said. “So, it’s become a little tradition.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the drinks are “high quality,” in the words of one patron.

“I don’t think it has to do with anything about being a religious thing,” another man said when asked about Shotted’s appeal. “I think they just offer good coffee, nice pastries. I feel like it’s comparable or even better than Starbucks.” Read More

(Updated at 10:50 a.m. on 3/18/2023) Breakfast lovers can experience a new kind of cereal bar at Springfield Town Center this weekend.

Day & Night Exotic Cereal Bar, a business that offers custom-made cereal products, will open a 600-square-foot restaurant on Saturday (March 18) at the town center. The grand opening event from noon to 4 p.m. will feature a DJ and giveaways.

The business sells products like a classic bowl of cereal, cereal waffles, and cereal shakes. A soft opening is planned for a selected audience tomorrow (Thursday).

“We have always wanted to invest in something radical, fun, cool, and innovative – it was as if Day and Night Exotic Cereal Bar was calling our name,” franchise co-owner Brandi Forte said. “We are thrilled about opening at Springfield Town Center, and we look forward to delivering quality food and a nostalgic experience with a personal touch to our new customers.”

The Springfield location is managed by Forte and Noel Warner, who are from the area.

According to a press release, Forte is a bestselling author and businessperson in the District. She is also the CEO of Amala Lives Institute, a vocational school for adults. Warner is the CEO of FiveStar Powerwashing and Cleaning Services. The duo have been business partners since 2016.

The cereal bar got its start in 2020 in Los Angeles during the peak of the pandemic. There are now 10 franchises nationwide.

The Springfield store is located at the lower level of the mall (6500 Franconia Parkway) near Target. The business hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday.

The Springfield location is the second in the D.C. area, with the first being in Clarksville, Maryland.

Photo courtesy Day & Night Cereal Bar/Instagram

(Updated at 1:45 p.m. on 3/2/2023) Compass Coffee is planning to open a second drive-thru location, and it will be right in Fairfax County.

The growing regional coffee business will add a full-service, drive-thru cafe at 7393 Lee Highway, a standalone building that previously housed a BB&T bank in the Shops at West Falls Church, confirmed Joel Shetterly, the vice president of marketing.

“We have something for every coffee lover — from delicious seasonal drink flavors to year-round classics like our nitro cold brew,” Shetterly said by email. “We also serve a delicious range of house-made breakfast sandwiches and pastries for folks who want to pick up breakfast on the go.”

A commercial alterations permit application filed with Fairfax County in mid-February indicates that the shop won’t have any on-site food preparation work or cooking.

The space will be about 3,000 square feet “with ample seating,” Shetterly told FFXnow.

Based in D.C., Compass Coffee launched in 2014 and now operates 16 shops across the region, including one that opened in Fairfax City on March 21, 2022. The company’s first drive-thru location arrived on Langston Blvd in Arlington this past October.

Compass Coffee is “shooting” for a summer opening for its West Falls Church location, which furthers the company’s goal of expanding in the area after getting “fantastic feedback” on its cafe at 10400 Fairfax Blvd, Shetterly said.

“We are thrilled to continue growing in the region,” he said.

Managed by EDENS, the developer that’s also behind the Mosaic District in Merrifield, Shops at West Falls is anchored by a Safeway grocery store. Other food service tenants include Subway, Fava Pot, The Original Pancake House and Vocelli Pizza.

A new eatery has officially landed in the Town of Herndon.

Tapioca Express, a national chain that serves bubble tee, coffee, juices and snacks, celebrated its opening on Saturday (Feb. 11) in Junction Square. The business takes up corner, ground-floor space at the residential development.

It’s located at the former location of VB Juice Bar (702 Elden Street, Suite A), a restaurant that served smoothies, açaí bowls, and cold pressed juices.

Through March 3, the business is offering a buy one get one free promotion for crispy chicken platters, milk tea and regular tea.

The location is currently only open from 4-9 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends. Items on the menu include crispy chicken, coffee, spring rolls and chi chi fries.

Tapioca Express claims to be among the first boba tea chains in the U.S., launching its first store in California’s San Gabriel Valley in 1999. The Herndon franchise appears to be the only one in Virginia, though the company previously had a location in Centreville that has closed.

A regional restaurant brand is opening another location in Virginia.

Milk & Honey Cafe, a Maryland-based company that was founded in 2016, opened on Jan. 18 at 9518 Main Street in Fairfax City.

The brunch-style restaurant has a total of 38 seats, a spokesperson for the company told FFXnow in a statement.

The cafe describes itself as a “New Orleans themed” Southern brunch restaurant. It’s part of Thompson Hospitality, a restaurant group whose other brands include Big Buns Damn Good Burgers, Matchbox Pizza and Makers Union in Reston.

Items on the menu include shrimp grits, deep-fried salmon hash, a crab cake sandwich, Belgian waffles, strawberry shortcake biscuits, and bread pudding.

The Fairfax location is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The business has other locations in Ashburn, Belle Haven, Maryland and D.C.

In the future, Vienna residents will no longer have to brave Chain Bridge Road traffic to get a taste of Paul Bakery’s bread and macarons.

The 133-year-old French bakery and cafe is planning to expand right into the heart of the town in Jades Shopping Center, replacing Al Nakheel Lebanese Cafe & Market, which closed last year.

The business confirmed that it’s working to add the location to FFXnow, but the timeline for construction and a potential opening is “unknown at this point.”

An application for an interior renovation permit to turn the existing retail space at 340 Maple Avenue West into a bakery was accepted by Fairfax County on Oct. 13 and remains under review by staff.

This will be Paul’s first expansion in the D.C. area since its popular Tysons Galleria cafe opened on Jan. 14, 2013. The business also has three sites in downtown D.C. and one in Bethesda.

According to its website, Paul originated in 1889 as a small bakery run by a family of agricultural workers in Croix, France. It acquired its name in the 1950s after the owner took over a bakery-pâtisserie from the Paul family.

Known for fresh, traditionally made bread, the company now has over 620 restaurants in 34 countries. The D.C. area locations are owned and managed by Cole Hospitality, a hospitality service consultant based in Fairfax.

Holiday shoppers have flocked over the past week to a new coffee shop in Tysons Galleria from an unexpected source.

Ralph Lauren, the fashion company known for its polo shirts, opened Ralph’s Coffee on Dec. 19, just in time to take advantage of the final Christmas shopping rush.

“I think that’s what really brought the foot traffic in the mall because of the holiday time,” store manager Danica Little told FFXnow. “Everyone’s looking, they’re seeing something new, and they want to try it, so we’re excited. It was perfect timing for us.”

Replacing a shuttered Starbucks, the shop is located next to Ralph Lauren’s store, which recently moved from Tysons Galleria’s third floor to the first floor near Neiman Marcus. An internal doorway allows visitors to walk back and forth between the two businesses.

This is the first Ralph’s Coffee in the D.C. area, Little confirmed. The concept began as a pop-up truck in New York City, where Ralph Lauren has its headquarters, before a brick-and-mortar location overlooking Fifth Avenue opened in 2014.

Since then, Ralph’s Coffee has expanded to four locations in New York, one in Miami and one in Chicago, along with two shops in Europe and several in Asia. Ralph Lauren is also dabbling in the food service industry with restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Italy, France and China.

According to its website, Ralph’s sells special roast, decaf and espresso blends that use coffee beans grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The beans are roasted and packaged by La Colombe, a Philadelphia-based roaster that says it uses sustainable, equitable trade practices.

In addition to coffee, the menu includes hot and cold teas, hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods and pastries. The brownie got an approving shoutout from at least one TikTok foodie who visited the shop on its opening day.

While not aware of any specific plans for other locations, Little says Ralph Lauren intends to expand its coffee services. The company has other stores in the D.C. area, including in downtown D.C., Silver Spring, and Woodbridge, but Tysons Galleria is the only Fairfax County location.

Ralph’s Coffee follows the mall’s operating hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Tysons Galleria’s hours are slightly different for the winter holidays until Feb. 1.

“We’ve been open for just a few days…It’s been very successful, and we’ve been really happy with all the turnout,” Little said.

Vienna’s newest stop for smoothies celebrated its coronation yesterday.

Smoothie King is now open to customers at 258 Maple Ave East, where it replaced the furniture store Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom in the same block as Sweet Leaf Cafe.

For Shazia Zaidi, who owns the franchise with her husband, Ali Thada, Smoothie King’s opening has been a dream two decades in the making. She started working at the company as her first job after immigrating to the U.S. from Pakistan.

“I work for Smoothie King for 20 years, so this is our own franchise that I was always dreaming for,” Zaidi said. “…I really loved smoothies, and this is something you eat for purpose. It’s not like any junk food, which is not good for you. That’s why I love it.”

Started in New Orleans in 1973 and now based in Texas, Smoothie King sells coffee shakes, high-protein blends and other drinks designed to promote health and fitness.

Zaidi says the smoothies have continually evolved during her career, becoming healthier and expanding with more flavors. They use whole fruits and organic vegetables, while avoiding artifical ingredients and added sugar.

“They have vegan [smoothies], keto, a lot of different options which go with your lifestyle,” she said.

Zaidi told FFXnow that she’s excited to be able run her own business after working for “somebody else all these years.”

When the opportunity came to open their own franchise, Vienna was a natural choice to set up shop for the couple, who live about 10 minutes away in McLean.

“The town of Vienna is a diverse residential community known for its small-town fun, botanical gardens and nature, music, local dining, and rich history,” Syed Mehdi, another member of the franchise team, said by email. “Smoothie King is the perfect addition as a convenient, healthy meal option on the go for Vienna’s active residents.”

Smoothie King is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

The store allows contactless pickups and deliveries with online ordering available through its website and Smoothie King’s Healthy Rewards app.