Around Town

During a recent sojourn to Utah, Ben and Heather Cichelli concocted a drink that changed their lives.

Now, the couple is bringing that drink — a blend of Diet Coke, coconut syrup, and fresh lime dubbed The Coco — and many others to the Town of Vienna, where they will open a new soda shop, Coco’s Sodas + Sweets.


Countywide

A Reston-based pretzel bakery is vying for up to $60,000 in prize money from a national small business competition sponsored by Barclays Bank.

The only finalist from Virginia, Nordic-Knot was chosen from a pool of nearly 5,000 entries based on criteria like creativity, innovation, and perseverance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Small Business Big Wins” contest is intended to give businesses impacted by the pandemic a big boost.


News

(Updated at 9:20 a.m. on 4/7/2022) Break out the spoons and waffle cones, Tysons.

An ice cream truck is pulling into the PARC at Tysons and doling out free scoops tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday (April 8).


Countywide

A 140-year-old Italian chocolate manufacturer is setting up shop in Tysons — and no, a golden ticket won’t be required for entry.

Venchi Fine Italian Chocolates will open a boutique store in Tysons Corner Center, its first outside of the New York tri-state area, the company announced yesterday (Tuesday).


News

McLean has a new hot spot for Middle Eastern tea, cookies and honey.

Sayyareh Parsa and her brother opened Parsa Bakery less than a month ago, but the Persian shop is already starting to attract buzz, primarily through word-of-mouth on the social media app Nextdoor.


News

(Updated at 5:15 p.m. on 3/30/2022) Health fanatics will have a new reason to visit the Mosaic District later this spring.

Pressed, a California company whose plant-based juices can be found in many grocers and coffee shops, will open a new store in the Merrifield development. This will be its first retail site in Virginia, though there are two stores in D.C.


News

The Taste of Springfield festival is returning for a fifth year on June 4, bringing food vendors, businesses, and activities to the Springfield Town Center.

The festivities will last from noon to 5 p.m. in the parking lot nearest Frontier Drive (near the Target and Nordstrom Rack). In addition to food vendors and exhibitors, the event boasts a beer garden, live bands, and local youth entertainment.


Countywide

Stuff the Bus Drive Returns Tomorrow — “Since inception, Stuff the Bus has collected over 220 tons of food to feed people experiencing food insecurity in Fairfax County. Donate to Stuff the Bus at any of these locations on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.” [Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services]

Reston Cooking Class Raises Funds for Ukraine — A borscht-making class raised nearly $179,000 to become one of the top fundraisers in World Central Kitchen “Cook for Ukraine” campaign, Reston Patch reported. Radhika Murari, the founder of Reston-based OmMade peanut butter, came up with the idea by helping two Ukrainian sisters promote their class. [Fairfax County EDA]


Countywide

Fairfax County is looking for proposals to create a food-centric business accelerator and entrepreneurship center at a historic school.

The Original Mount Vernon High School, once part of President George Washington’s estate, has a former locker room that the county wants to develop.


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