Personal training studio Fitness Together is planning to open a new location in McLean later this year.

The company has filed a permit to open at 6263 Old Dominion Drive in McLean in the former McLean Super Cleaners space.

The studio’s website said it will offer one-on-one personal training in private suites or virtually.

“You are unique and your training should be, too,” the website said. “No matter your age or fitness level, we are invested in helping you reach your personal goals because we take your health, well….personally.”

The studio doesn’t have prices listed online, saying the cost varies by studio, frequency of sessions, and “overall commitment to goals.”

The application for the building, meanwhile, says the new studio will come with extensive alterations, including new interior walls, ceilings, accessible restrooms and more.

The studio website said it’s scheduled to open in August 2024.

Photo via Google Maps

The Red Bird is now serving up six tiers of hot chicken in Reston.

The halal hot chicken chain has joined the roster of restaurants in South Lakes Village Center (11120 South Lakes Drive) after opening its first Northern Virginia franchise location in Vienna five months ago.

The Red Bird did not respond to a request for comment by press time. The company has previously said it also has plans to open in Arlington, Falls Church and Ashburn.

The Reston location is currently open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the Vienna spot (282 Cedar Lane) is open until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday (and until 9 p.m. on Sunday).

The chicken sandwiches and tenders range from mild to extra hot and comes with a three-inch potato roll.

The chain aims to serve a range of diners, from a college student to a “big-time baller,” per its website. Its sandwich is priced at $4.99, and a single tender goes for $3.29.

Hot chicken, which was first popular in Black communities in Nashville, has seen increased prevalence in recent years.

South Lakes Village Center also features Mediterranean bistro Cafesano, Lakeside Asia Cafe, Red’s Table and a Chipotle. The Red Bird was expected to open in February, per the shopping center’s Facebook page.

South Lakes Village Center is also in the midst of a spring concert series. This Saturday (April 20), acoustic duo Duck Chuck Goose will perform from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Photo via VARedBird/Instagram

A new Burlington store is set to open in Mount Vernon Plaza this summer, according to a spokesperson for Federal Realty.

The discount retailer, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, will launch its seventh Fairfax County location at 7690B Richmond Highway, nestled between PetSmart and Michael’s. The company’s website lists an anticipated opening date of June 28.

The opening is part of a broader national expansion, with the retailer planning to open several dozen stores across the country, according to its website.

Local news outlet Mount Vernon on the Move reported that Burlington signed a lease for the 25,156 square-foot space last June. The location was formerly occupied by Bed Bath and Beyond, which was acquired by Overstock.com last year following a bankruptcy filing.

Burlington also recently opened a location in Springfield last summer.

Symmetry Salon Studios, a local salon chain with locations around Maryland, has opened a new location at the edge of Vienna, near Dunn Loring.

The new salon is in the Cedar Park Shopping Center at 262 Cedar Lane in Vienna. It’s the first Symmetry Salon Studios location in Virginia.

Staff at the salon told FFXnow the location had a soft opening last month, but the official grand opening is on Tuesday, April 23.

“The Symmetry team is thrilled to provide a premium salon rental experience to solo-preneur stylists seeking to elevate their businesses in one of the most prestigious counties in the nation,” Founder and CEO Tom Ruder said in a release.

The new salon features 23 studios in a 4,000-square-foot space. The salon also boasts “high-end salon furniture such as LED mirrors.”

Photo via Cedar Park Shopping Center/Facebook

Fresh World is slated to breathe new life into the long-empty grocery store at Mount Vernon Square, with a potential reopening scheduled for next fall.

Joshua Kim, the international grocery store chain’s chief operating officer, told FFXnow this week that building renovations are underway, with a tentative grand opening date planned for September 2024. Once open, this would be the company’s fifth location in the Northern Virginia area and third in Fairfax.

“The locals and future customers can expect a well-stocked international neighborhood grocer to take over the former Safeway location early Fall 2024,” he said via email.

Mt. Vernon Square LLC, an affiliate of Fresh World, acquired the 70,617-square-foot property at 7451 Mount Vernon Square Center on June 13 for $17.1 million, the Washington Business Journal reported.

Although the grocery store occupies most of the shopping center, it shares space with several other retailers, including Ledo Pizza, Virginia ABC, M&T Bank, and a nail salon. According to Kim, two more vacant spaces are expected to be leased by the end of the year.

One of those vacant spaces is expected to be a Korean restaurant, according to Mount Vernon On the Move.

Additionally, the shopping center will completely repave its parking lot ahead of the grand opening.

A grocery store that is a subsidiary of the third-largest retailer in Mexico is set to open soon in Reston.

El Super, a supermarket that also includes a restaurant, will open at 11503 Sunrise Valley Drive in Suite 10, according to Fairfax County permits. The building in the Sunrise Valley Center commercial park was previously a Fusion Dental.

The location is expected to open sometime within the next four or five weeks, a company representative tells FFXnow.

Part of Chedraui USA, whose other brands include Fiesta Mart, El Super opened its first store in California in 1997. Since then, the company accumulated 64 stores operating in California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas.

The venture into Northern Virginia is a first for the company, which is a subsidiary of Mexico’s Grupo Commercial Chedraui.

The grocery store sells Latin American products, including fresh bread and tortillas from in-store bakery, and it has a full-service meat department. The in-store restaurant sells items like chile relleno, shrimp fried rice and pupusas.

Image via Google Maps

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.

Updated at 11:15 a.m. on 4/1/2024 — Stretch Zone opened in Vienna today (Monday), but the ribbon-cutting has been postponed to 9 a.m. on Thursday (April 4).

Earlier: A fitness studio that offers to assisted stretching services is extending its reach into Vienna.

Stretch Zone will launch its new franchise at 138 Maple Ave West with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. next Monday, April 1. The ceremony will be conducted by the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.

Located in the Vienna Shopping Center between Foster’s Grille and Asurion Tech Repair and Solutions, the approximately 1,200-square-foot studio is Stretch Zone’s fifth in the D.C. area. The business can also be found in Reston, Ashburn, Potomac and Gaithersburg, and a sixth franchise is expected to open in Bethesda later next month.

“We have had many clients of ours who have come to our other locations from the Vienna area, and they’ve always requested that we be closer to make things more convenient,” franchise owner David Dykerman told FFXnow. “We felt like if we could make it convenient for customers we already have, there might be additional clients we could service and help in the Vienna area.”

Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, who wanted to help his grandfather improve his mobility, Stretch Zone employs a “practitioner-assisted stretching” method involving a patented strap that Dykerman says allows muscles to be “strategically” isolated.

According to the business, its practices help clients gradually increase their range of motion, while also reducing muscle stiffness and soreness, among other benefits.

Like other fitness trends, boutique stretching studios have faced their fair share of skepticism, but Stretch Zone has attracted at least one prominent supporter: former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who owns more than 10 franchises.

Since starting to franchise in 2015, the company has expanded to about 350 locations nationwide.

“We are not here to train people how to stretch. We want to provide the service of stretching for you,” Dykerman said. “Without doing any of the work, our clients are able to achieve a full-body stretch and get up from the table after 30 minutes and feel amazing.”

Featuring five stretching tables, the Vienna studio will have a similar look and feel to Stretch Zone’s other locations, but the staff of “very qualified stretch practitioners and managers” who have experience with the company could distinguish it, Dykerman says.

Walk-ins are accepted, but the business is built primarily on memberships, which are available in three-month and month-to-month options. Free demo sessions are offered at every location to first-time visitors.

To celebrate its opening in Vienna, Stretch Zone will offer a discount or an extra stretch to those who join its three-month membership program for the first month.

The studio will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“I am looking forward to being involved with a great community,” Dykerman said. “We are interested in making ourselves available for events around the area, getting involved with schools, clubs, gyms. I think it’s a very active area in terms of fitness, and I think there’s so many people who will benefit from what we can do, and we hope to bring that to as many people as possible.”

(Updated at 4/2/24) Build-A-Bear Workshop is seeking a permit from Fairfax County to renovate a space at Springfield Town Center.

Earlier this month, the Missouri-based toy retailer submitted a permit application for “interior alterations” at an undisclosed space inside the mall. The cost of the renovations total more than $50,000, according to county records.

During a walkthrough of Springfield Town Center, FFXnow noted only one vacant in-line space, formerly occupied by Savi Salon.

A spokesperson for the mall did not confirm whether Build-A-Bear planned to lease the former salon space. However, they noted the toy company would be a “great addition.”

“At the same time, we look forward to sharing the news on who will fill the former salon space when it’s available,” they said.

Build-A-Bear did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The company currently has one location in Fairfax County — an outlet in Fair Oaks Mall. It can also be found at Westfield Montgomery in Bethesda, Maryland.

Established in 1997, Build-A-Bear is best known for its stuffed animal customization services, but it also sells ready-made toys, clothes, school supplies and other accessories.

A Connecticut-based Japanese grocer will bring a brand-new concept to Tysons by the end of this year.

Marufuji Japanese Market is expected to open in December near the Spring Hill Metro station at Tysons 3 Center (8520 Leesburg Pike), taking over a space vacated in 2019 by the furniture store Ethan Allen, property owner Rappaport announced today.

The 18,444-square-foot store will be the largest one yet for the Fuji Mart Group, a grocer with headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, that currently operates eight Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli and Maruichi Select locations in New England.

“We are very excited to have Marufuji at Tysons 3 for their first location in the greater D.C. area,” Rappaport Leasing Representative Zach Elcano said in a press release. “With their specialized Japanese groceries, they provide a truly unique shopping experience, and their food hall component will bring a much-needed boost to the [quick-service restaurant] scene of the eastern portion of Tysons.”

Founded in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1991, Fuji Mart describes itself as a “company for foodies, by foodies” that aims to give customers “the best Japanese gourmet discoveries, Japanese cuisine and unique experiences.”

Since an ownership change in 2013, the company has opened grocery stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Maruichi’s first Rhode Island location is set to open this spring, according to its website.

Marufuji in Tysons will build on those existing stores with “an extensive selection of Japanese groceries, including fresh produce, specialty snacks, and an array of pantry staples,” according to the press release. The store will also feature a delicatessen with freshly prepared items.

“We’re excited to bring the best of all of our store concepts to Tysons Corner,” the Fuji Mart Group said in a statement. “Look forward to world-class sashimi, Japanese and American Wagyu beef, select items that aren’t available anywhere else in the U.S., and so much more. We’re proud to bring the best of Japan and America to the grocery baskets of Tysons.”

Located at the southeast corner of Route 7 and Spring Hill Road, Tysons 3 Center is now fully leased with Marufuji joining The Tile Shop, a Starbucks and an Exxon gas station.