Compass Coffee has opened in West Falls Church.
The regional coffee shop chain began now serving customers yesterday (Monday) at its newest location in the Shops at West Falls Church (7393 Lee Highway/Route 29). Visitors on that first day included Falls Church City Mayor Letti Hardy and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
“[It] was an outstanding opening day with lots of members of the community stopping by the new cafe!” Compass Coffee co-founder and CEO Michael Haft told FFXnow by email. “…Everyone is very excited about the drive thru and central, accessible location.”
The launch comes just a couple of weeks after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception to allow the cafe, which replaced a BB&T bank. This is the company’s second drive-thru location, joining one in Arlington, and its first shop in the county, though it can also be found in Fairfax City.
Haft says the company is “thrilled to…become a part of the growing West Falls Church neighborhood.”
Haft started the business with fellow Marine Harrison Suarez out of a desire to find the perfect cup of coffee after they were subjected to “terrible” blends during their deployments, according to Compass Coffee’s website.
“We are thrilled to become a part of the growing West Falls Church neighborhood and are excited to expand our commitment to providing exceptional coffee that’s not only delicious, but convenient for everyone,” Haft said. “We look forward to welcoming both new and familiar faces through our doors.”
With the West Falls Church opening, Compass Coffee has expanded to 17 shops since launching in D.C. a decade ago.
In addition to coffee and other hot and cold drinks, the cafe serves breakfast sandwiches and pastries. The West Falls Church location is only the second to also have paninis, including Mediterranean turkey panini and sun-dried tomato mozzarella options that “are already a fan-favorite within the community,” according to Haft.
The 2,552-square-foot building has two drive-thru aisles, one for in-person orders and another for online and mobile pick-ups.
“Whether you’re on your way to work or stopping by for an afternoon pick-me-up, we love being able to provide a quality coffee experience,” Haft said.
A grand opening celebration will be held this Friday (April 5). Details will be shared on Compass Coffee’s Twitter and Instagram pages.
Future Fairfax County sites could be on the horizon. Haft says Compass Coffee is “actively looking” at expansion options in Northern Virginia, though he didn’t share any specific locations.
“[We] are excited to see what the near future brings,” he said.
Starbucks is preparing to update its shop in McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping Center.
The coffee house at 6214 Old Dominion Drive will temporarily close for about a month during the interior renovation, which is slated to begin on next Monday, March 18. A sign posted to the door says that the last day of business before the closure will be this Saturday (March 16).
According to Federal Realty, which owns the shopping center, the renovation will include:
- Alterations to the current bar setup
- Updated partition arrangements
- Installation of new lighting
- Incorporation of modern furniture and fixtures
- Application of fresh finishes
- New, inspiring artwork
- Redesigned second story seating
“We are excited to bring this transformative Starbucks renovation to Chesterbrook Shopping Center, which aligns with Federal’s commitment to creating vibrant and modern spaces for the community,” Federal Realty Senior Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said in a press release. “This project builds on our long-term vision and unwavering commitment to delivering an outstanding experience for all visitors.”
Federal Realty told FFXnow last fall that a renovation of the Starbucks in Chesterbrook would be coming in the first half of 2024.
At that time, Starbucks didn’t respond to a request for comment, and when contacted again last week, a spokesperson said the company had “no store renovation plans to share.”
“We remain focused on serving customers in the McLean community,” the Starbucks spokesperson said.
But the renovation plans have now been confirmed by Federal Realty, which says the store will be closed for “approximately four weeks.”
The sign on the door encourages patrons to “please visit us at other locations.” The only other standalone Starbucks in McLean is at 1438 Chain Bridge Road, though the chain can also be found inside Giant at 1454 Chain Bridge Road.
Anchored by Safeway, Chesterbrook anticipates adding several tenants this year, including the beauty services retailer SkinSpirit, which will open this summer, and a Small Door Veterinary clinic coming in the fall.
Construction is expected to finish this fall on a permanent space next to Le Village Marché for Call Your Mother. Until then, the popular D.C. bagel shop will continue to operate its mobile “Lil Deli” truck. Also on track to open later in 2024 is Sorn Thai, a new restaurant from the team behind Donsak in D.C., and the beauty retailer Bluemercury is projected to open in early 2025.
Hat tip to Greg Brandon
Jersey Mike’s Subs and a new Starbucks location are slated to open in Kingstowne Towne Center (5890 Kingstowne Center) this year.
The national chains — renowned for their fast-casual, cold-cut sandwiches and coffee, respectively — have both filed for permits adjacent to each other in a section of the shopping center currently home to Ledo Pizza & Pub and the youth gymnastics company, My Gym.
It appears that Starbucks is set to move into suite 120, currently occupied by My Gym, which remains open but has a “For Lease” sign in its window.
Federal Realty, the property management company, confirmed that Jersey Mike’s will occupy a portion of the space currently held by Ledo.
Ledo branch owner, Rekh Karki, told FFXnow that he’s built a wall inside the restaurant, creating a separate space for the sub shop to open next door.
Unless there is a delay, Ledo tentatively planned to reopen today (Friday), Karki said.
Construction appeared to be underway when FFXnow stopped by the shop to take a peek inside earlier this week. A representative for Jersey Mike’s Subs says the sandwich shop is scheduled to open this spring.
Starbucks already operates three existing locations within the shopping center, including ones inside and adjacent to Giant and Safeway, according to Google Maps. The company did not provide further details on the opening of its newest outlet by press time.
This spring will bring a new coffee shop to West Falls Church — or so Compass Coffee hopes.
Construction is underway on the company’s second drive-thru cafe at 7393 Lee Highway. The shop will occupy a former BB&T bank building in the Shops at West Falls Church.
Though Compass Coffee previously said it was “shooting for” a summer 2023 opening, Vice President of Marketing Joel Shetterly says the business is now “looking forward to being open in time for Spring/cherry blossom season.”
Roughly 2,400 square feet in size, per a site plan, the new location will be Compass Coffee’s first in Fairfax County, though it can be found in Fairfax City. The company currently has 16 shops, including one on Langston Blvd in Arlington that hosts its first drive-thru.
In addition to coffee, the cafes sell breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
(Updated at 1:05 p.m. on 12/6/2023) Reston Station area residents and visitors will soon be able to return to Starbucks for their coffee fix.
The Starbucks at 1908 Reston Metro Plaza will reopen this weekend after closing on Nov. 26 for a renovation, a company spokesperson told FFXnow. Operations are expected to resume on Friday, Dec. 8, Reston Station said on Instagram.
The Starbucks spokesperson described the renovations as “standard” for a store.
(Correction: Starbucks initially told FFXnow that the Reston Station shop would be closed through “winter 2024” for ongoing renovations.)
“As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers,” the spokesperson said.
All Starbucks employees that worked at the store got the chance to transfer to nearby locations until the location reopens, the company said.
Hat tip to Adam Rubenstein, and to commenters Allison Kinneberg and cosmo for pointing out the timeline error.
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) A coffee shop inspired by Saudi Arabia’s cafe culture is now bringing that hip energy to both Tysons malls.
Shotted has gained a loyal following, especially within the D.C. area’s Muslim community, since opening a kiosk at Tysons Corner Center in 2020. Three years later, Shotted has expanded for the first time with a new branch in Tysons Galleria.
In its soft-opening phase since Nov. 16, the new shop can be found in the mall’s third-floor food hall, replacing Twelve Twenty Coffee. Seeking to rebuild after the departure of former operator Urbanspace, the hall is still home to Andy’s Pizza and Empanadas De Mendoza.
“We’re very happy to be here and happy to be part of this community,” Shotted founder and CEO Bandar Alhenaki said. “We want people to come in and enjoy their time shopping at the Galleria and also enjoy quality coffee and quality dessert with their family and friends.”
While it seems unusual for a business to open two locations within walking distance of each other, Shotted’s Tysons Galleria shop diverges in several ways from its predecessor.
To start with, it’s envisioned as more of a dine-in experience to take advantage of the food hall’s more extensive seating, while the heavily trafficked Tysons Corner Center location is designed for quick service, Alhenaki says.
The Galleria shop also opens earlier — at 7:30 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. — so it can serve morning commuters, including workers at nearby office buildings. Accordingly, it has an expanded menu with sandwiches, hot croissants and other breakfast food as well as additional desserts, such as date pudding and soft-serve ice cream.
“We’re excited to serve them…during their morning coffee and also be a business hub for them to bring in clients and take to meetings in the Galleria in this amazing space,” Alhenkai said.
Shotted currently closes at 10 p.m. at Tysons Galleria, but its goal is to eventually extend that to 11 p.m., which would be the same weekday closing time as the Tysons Corner Center location.
Rich Dinning, Tysons Galleria’s senior general manager, calls Shotted “a great addition” to the mall for “bringing a new warm community feel” as well as “a wide variety of premium drinks and desserts.”
“Our customers can enjoy their favorite cup of coffee with a friend or while they shop our iconic collection of tenants,” Dinning said in a statement.
The addition of a second location is just the start of Alhenaki’s plans to expand Shotted, first to other parts of the D.C. area, and then, nationwide. Though no specific sites have been identified yet, he says the business is “aiming for the Arlington area, D.C., and such.”
“We are working on that expansion strategy to make it happen in 2024,” he said.
An upcoming cafe is bringing coffee from its historical birthplace to the Town of Vienna.
Qamaria Coffee, a Michigan-based company, will open its first cafe on the East Coast next year at 124 Maple Avenue West in Vienna Shopping Center, filling a 1,900-square-foot space that has been vacant since Viva Sol Juice Company closed on Dec. 31, 2021.
Vienna isn’t short on cafes, welcoming Café de Vienna to Church Street just over a month ago, but Qamaria promises to stand out with its focus on coffee sourced exclusively from Yemen, which is believed to be where coffee beans were first brewed into a beverage.
“Historians trace the origin of coffee to this region, which gives it an incredibly rich history and unique flavor profile to these rare beans,” a Qamaria spokesperson told FFXnow. “The café will also be offering a warm and inviting gathering space to enjoy coffee and tea into the evening, prepared using the espresso extraction methods as well as traditional brewing methods that have been used for thousands of years.”
Though this will be the company’s first brick-and-mortar location, it’s no stranger to the D.C. area: Qamaria launched a coffee truck in July that’s primarily based in Bailey’s Crossroads at 3400 Payne Street but gets booked for events throughout the region.
The spokesperson says the new Vienna cafe isn’t intended to replace the truck, which was seen as “an opportunity to begin serving our fans a limited menu.” The mobile operation will continue into “the foreseeable future.”
“The brand has gained incredible traction over the last several years, and this was a meaningful way to introduce this unique experience to the DMV market as we launch our first brick-and-mortar operation,” the spokesperson said.
Founded by entrepreneurs Munif Maweri and Hatem Al-Eidaroos, Qamaria began as a supplier dedicated to “building a supply chain to source Yemeni coffee beans,” according to its website. It opened its first cafe in early 2021 in Dearborn, Michigan, just outside Detroit out of a desire to bring coffee directly to customers.
The company now has 12 franchises across Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Texas and California. It also runs a roastery in Dearborn and continues to sell coffee online and wholesale, claiming to having the largest inventory of Yemeni coffee beans in the U.S.
In addition to coffee, the Vienna cafe will serve pastries and sweets.
“Given where we are in the process, we can say that we expect to launch in the first half of 2024,” Qamaria said. “We are thrilled to be situated in the heart of Vienna, a town with a diverse population and accessibility to Fairfax County at large.”
It was love at first sight for Afsaneh and the 123-year-old building at 131 Church Street NW where she recently launched Café de Vienna.
Constructed in 1900, per Fairfax County property records, the quaint, two-story house atop a hill on Vienna’s historic Church Street was converted at some point into a commercial space. It was home to Money & King Funeral Home — the town’s oldest still-operating business — until the now-closed Guarantee Shoe Repair took over in 1990, according to The Connection.
Though she initially considered a property in Great Falls, Afsaneh knew as soon as she saw the building that it was the right setting to fulfill her dream of opening a cozy, small-town cafe, an alternative to the “industrial” ambiance found in chains like Starbucks.
“I want to have that warm feeling, but that starts from a building. The building has to have character or that old-fashioned look,” she said. “…Right away, I said this is it. I was envisioning to have a coffee shop in an old building, and that’s how it started. The building did it. It was the building’s fault!”
A 27-year resident of Reston, Afsaneh says she always wanted to start her own business, but knowing how risky that can be, it took years of working in the retail and food service industries before she decided she’d gained enough experience to make that leap.
After submitting paperwork for various permits from the county and town in April, Afsaneh and her business partner Reza Sadeghi gave Café de Vienna a soft opening on Sept. 21.
In addition to Nespresso coffee, the shop serves tea, bread and pastries baked daily, gourmet fruit pops, raw honey and 16 flavors of handmade ice cream, which comes from “a little company in Maryland” that doesn’t use any preservatives or additives, Afsaneh told FFXnow.
She says the customer experience and the quality of its food and drinks are the cafe’s top priorities, which to her, means supporting local businesses and providing freshly made, preservative-free products.
“I know it might be a little costlier, but it’s worth it. So, quality is important for the products I’m bringing,” Afsaneh said.
In the future, Café de Vienna plans to introduce paninis and other dishes for a “small” breakfast and lunch menu.
Though the space is relatively small, it can fit 16 indoor seats that are supplemented by a 12-seat outdoor patio and a gazebo with picnic tables at the rear of the building. Afsaneh says she also intends to add some benches inside.
The cafe currently opens from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, until 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Those hours and the day off on Mondays could change during the warmer spring and summer months, according to Afsaneh.
While noting that she still has “a tough road ahead,” she’s encouraged by the community’s response to Café de Vienna during its first month of operations.
“It’s been going great because of the people in Vienna,” Afsaneh said. “They were so supportive in the past one month, so [I’m] very grateful for that. So far, so good, and I hope it’s going to continue.”
Coffee may soon become a staple of grocery shoppers at The Spectrum at Reston Town Center.
Starbucks is slated to open soon inside Harris Teeter (11806 Spectrum Center), a company representative told FFXnow.
It marks a return for the coffee chain, which previously had a location in the shopping center at 1857 Fountain Drive that closed its doors in February 2021.
The floral department will be relocated as a result, according to Fairfax County permits.
“Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
It’s unclear exactly when the new Starbucks will open. The county’s permit database shows that an application seeking approval for alterations was accepted.
Centreville shoppers may have experienced a bit of déjà vu stepping into the recently opened Cafe Bdan at 13814 Braddock Road.
That’s because the new Korean-Japanese fusion dessert shop is a rebranding of fan-favorite Iron Ice, which closed down for six weeks before reopening as Cafe Bdan on Saturday, July 15, according to shop owner Charlie Shin.
Cafe Bdan is still currently in its soft opening period, offering what Shin says is approximately 85% of the full menu.
In honor of the recent opening, the cafe is giving out 10% off coupons to use at Cafe Bdan or either of Shin’s other two businesses in the Old Centreville Crossing shopping center — Japanese restaurant Kazone and women’s clothing store The Style by Coco.
Cafe Bdan’s predecessor Iron Ice was best known for its Instagram-worthy dessert commonly dubbed “puffle ice cream,” consisting of scoops of ice cream nestled in a Hong Kong egg waffle.
Though customers can still order puffle ice cream at Cafe Bdan, Shin spent the temporary closure devising an expanded menu that caters to “all four seasons,” rather than serving only one specialty item.
Shin says customers have called the refreshed menu’s croffle — a mix of a croissant and a waffle — “the best in town.” He takes care to use higher-end French croissants to elevate patron’s experiences.
Cafe Bdan’s bingsu, or Korean snow ice, topped with a special whipped cream has similarly been a smash hit amongst customers, according to Shin.
Shin also highlighted the cafe’s new bubble tea, which he says is brewed at his home and then brought into the store, taking over three hours to make.
“It’s really good,” Shin said. “It’s more than premium — it’s triple premium.” Read More
