(Updated at 6 p.m. on 2/9/2024) A former staffer for state Sen. Barbara Favola has ushered a new postpartum care center into the world.

Sanu Postnatal Retreat launched on Jan. 31 at The Watermark Hotel (1825 Capital One Drive South) in Tysons, offering stays ranging from three to seven or more nights to new parents in the post-hospital period of recovery from a pregnancy.

Founder and CEO Julia Kim, who previously worked as a chief of staff for Favola and former delegate Mark Keam, spent two years working with medical advisors to develop Sanu, which was inspired by Korean sanhujoriwon centers that provide postpartum care to mothers and infants.

“Sanu is driven by a mission to normalize a culture of postpartum care by providing foundational, focused support so families can thrive during this critical period and beyond,” Kim said. “Our signature postnatal retreat is anchored by the belief that a strong foundation for parenthood begins with judgment-free, mother-centered care, because a supported mother has whole-family benefits.”

A mother of two, Kim pivoted from a 15-plus-year career in politics and policymaking after experiencing a “difficult postpartum journey,” according to a press release.

To develop Sanu, she worked with physician and postpartum wellness consultant Dr. Kristal Lau, mindfulness expert Lisa Abramson and nursing educator Dr. Esther Park.

Modeled after the traditional Korean concept of “sam-chil-il,” a 21-day resting period following a pregnancy, the retreat’s 24-hour, customized services include a nursery, feeding assistance, mental health services, parenting classes, IV therapy and postnatal massages.

According to the press release, The Watermark Hotel was chosen as Sanu’s first location for “its elevated residential-style suites” that, in some cases, have kitchenettes.

All suites feature extraordinary beds dressed in luxury linens for a well-deserved rest experience, fine bassinet linens, and luxury personal care, as well as high-tech nightlights and baby monitors. In addition, rooms are stocked with clean, high-performance diapers and wipes from Coterie and other premium baby care products. The floor also houses a tranquil parents-only lounge and a separate 24-hour nursery staffed with medically accredited caregivers.

During their stay, guests can get chef-prepared breakfasts and dinners from Wren, the Japanese restaurant in the hotel lobby, and lunches from the meal delivery service MightyMeals.

Sanu is currently open for reservations, which can be booked through its website and start at $975.

(Updated at 10:30 a.m. on 2/7/2024) Chesterbrook Shopping Center is bringing in a pair of beauty services retailers to complement its ongoing exterior makeover.

This summer, the McLean shopping center will welcome the first Virginia location of SkinSpirit, the nation’s “leading provider of Botox and filler,” property owner Federal Realty announced last week.

Also offering facials, body contouring and laser services, SkinSpirit launched in Silicon Valley in 2003 and now has 41 clinics across the U.S., including ones in Georgetown and Gaithersburg. Its McLean location will occupy 2,898 square feet at 6224 Old Dominion Drive.

SkinSpirit will be joined at Chesterbrook in early 2025 by Bluemercury, which sells makeup, skin care, cosmetics, perfume, hair, and bath and body products, Federal Realty says, confirming a merchandising plan that indicated a lease was in the works.

Founded in Georgetown in 1999, Bluemercury has about eight stores in the D.C. area, including ones at the Mosaic District in Merrifield and in Fairfax Corner. Its store at Chesterbrook will be 2,236 square feet in size.

“We are pleased to welcome SkinSpirit and Bluemercury to Chesterbrook Shopping Center,” Federal Senior Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said. “These luxury self-care service providers will be outstanding neighborhood additions, further enhancing our patrons’ unique shopping experience.”

Previously confirmed tenants coming to Chesterbrook this year include Small Door Veterinary, which is on track to open this summer, and the restaurant Sorn Thai, which is still projected to launch in late 2024.

The bagel shop Call Your Mother is also expected to relocate soon from the “Lil Deli” truck that arrived last May to a 1,405-square-foot, permanent space next to Le Village Marché.

“The ‘Lil Deli’ will remain in operation until the new space is ready in the spring of 2024,” Federal Realty said.

This summer will also see the completion of Federal Realty’s multi-million-dollar renovation of the shopping center, which was originally built in 1967. Under construction since August 2022, the project is refreshing the storefronts and adding landscaping, decorative lighting, wider sidewalks and outdoor amenity spaces.

An expanding chain of sauna studios is targeting West Falls Church for its introduction to Virginia.

Local entrepreneurs Michael Sobhi and Michael Baffa will open three Perspire Sauna Studio franchises in Fairfax County under a recently signed agreement with the California-based company, which offers infrared sauna and red-light therapy services.

The first location will be in West Falls Church, though a specific site is still being identified, according to a public relations representative for Perspire. The locations for the other two studios are also being determined.

Sobhi and Baffa, who have a combined 20 years of experience in the real estate and construction industries, hope to eventually expand the company’s presence in the area to 10 spas.

“We’ve always been health-conscious and familiar with the benefits of saunas, though our experiences have been limited to gyms and public facilities, where truly enjoying the experience can be challenging,” Sobhi said in a press release announcing the franchising deal. “The concept of Perspire, with its private and personalized approach to wellness, immediately resonated with us. We saw it as something we would personally use and benefit from if it were available in our area.”

Started by CEO Lee Braun in Costa Mesa, California, in 2010, Perspire Sauna Studio says it utilizes “age-old” sauna heat therapy practices that can help cleanse the body, ease joint and muscle pain, encourage relaxation and assist with weight loss.

The cedar-paneled saunas generate heat with colored lights that warm up the body, rather than the air, according to the company’s website. Available services include red light therapy, which is used in treatments for skin conditions, hair loss and other health needs, and chromotherapy, which can supposedly be used to treat diseases.

Perspire currently has 49 studios, with another 20 in development and 170 signed franchise agreements. Sobhi and Baffa’s franchises will be Perspire’s first locations in Virginia.

“At the crux of our brand is the intent to ignite a passion in our members and our communities for a more relaxing, health-conscious lifestyle,” Braun said in a statement. “That passion starts by introducing the science-backed approach of infrared and red light therapy to new people and new places; something both Michaels are now playing a pivotal role in seeing through.”

(Updated at 8:30 p.m. on 2/6/2024) Idylwood Plaza is shaking up its retail mix to start 2024.

The shopping center on Leesburg Pike in Idylwood will usher in its newest tenant, MIYU Beauty & Wellbeing, with a grand opening celebration at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday). Falls Church City Vice Mayor Letty Hardi and Councilmember Marybeth Connelly are expected to attend.

Miyu occupies a 2,545 square-foot space next to Whole Foods Market at 7505-P Leesburg Pike, where Honest Soul Yoga used to be. The salon offers non-toxic, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free manicures and pedicures, along with yoga and pilates classes.

The business comes from neighbors Zeina Chouman El Eid and Karen Abouzeid, who both have experience in the beauty industry and decided to combine their skills to “help individuals tap into their inner essence, promote well-being, and bring beauty into everyday chaos,” according to Miyu’s website.

“We offer a tranquil haven and safe space to empower everyone,” Abouzeid, now a managing partner at Miyu, said. “MIYU’s skilled and experienced staff will guide our clients towards self-realization and unmatched confidence, while connecting them with like-minded individuals who share a passion for holistic living.”

Later this year, Miyu will be joined at Idylwood Plaza by First Watch, the daytime cafe, and Fairfax County’s first Chicken Salad Chick.

First Watch aims for summer opening

First Watch confirmed to FFXnow in November that it was looking for a new site in the Falls Church area, but the lease hadn’t been finalized at that time. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant at 7501 Leesburg Pike was officially announced last week.

Known for its seasonally rotating breakfast, brunch and lunch menus, which include items like avocado toast and lemon ricotta pancakes, First Watch is expected to open its Idylwood location in late summer 2024, according to public relations manager Hunter Carpenter.

The cafe will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. for pickup, delivery and dine-in service. It will employ approximately 30 people.

First Watch can currently be found in Fairfax City, Chantilly and Bailey’s Crossroads, where it opened in 2021. Additional locations are slated to open this spring in Franconia’s Festival at Manchester Lakes and this summer in the former TGI Friday’s in Fair Lakes.

After finding success in Bailey’s Crossroads (5880 Crossroads Center Way), First Watch decided “it was about time to bring our experience closer to home for our neighbors further north,” Carpenter said.

“Though we may be relative newcomers to Fall Church, that doesn’t mean we’re strangers to Fairfax County,” Carpenter told FFXnow by email. “As we quickly approach two decades in the region, we look forward to expanding our presence not only in Falls Church but also in Fair Lakes and Franconia and inspiring a new morning routine for our customers with each new opening.”

Chicken Salad Chick makes way to D.C. area

Started in 2008 by Stacy Brown, a stay-at-home mother in Auburn, Alabama, Chicken Salad Chick announced last May that it had signed a development agreement with Devon Chamberlin and her family, who will open eight franchises in Fairfax and Arlington counties over the next five years.

The first franchise is slated to open at Idylwood Plaza this spring, according to Chicken Salad Chick Chief Marketing Officer Tom Carr.

An Arlington location is also planned. FFXnow’s sister site ARLnow previously reported that that site would open this spring, but Chick Salad Chick now says the Idylwood Plaza restaurant will be the first to open.

The 2,717-square-foot restaurant will be located at 7505 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120A, replacing Loyal Companion after the pet wellness chain shuttered all of its local shops last year, according to Federal Realty, the property manager for Idylwood Plaza.

Chicken Salad Chick sells Southern-style chicken salads made from scratch, sandwiches and pimento cheese. The company has 258 locations right now, including six in central and southern Virginia, but it has wanted to expand into new regions of the U.S., according to Carr.

“The demographics of Northern Virginia, generally, and Falls Church and adjacent areas specifically, make it well-suited for Chicken Salad Chick and its healthy menu options,” Carr said.

Another intravenous hydration clinic has opened its doors in Reston.

The Dripbar opened earlier this month on Jan. 10 at 11790 Baron Cameron Ave in Unit D.

The business offers IV vitamin and hydration therapy. Another business with a similar concept is slated to open next month on Reston Station Blvd.

“Through our IV Hydration services, we aim to offer a convenient and effective way for community members to replenish essential nutrients, rehydrate, and revitalize their overall well-being,” Louise Smith, co-owner of the Reston location, said. “Whether it’s recovering from a strenuous workout, combating dehydration, or seeking a wellness boost, our IV’s are designed to cater to diverse needs.”

The Dripbar says its IV drip therapy services provide health benefits, from nutrient boosts to support during cancer treatments. It has 99 locations across the U.S., but the Reston franchise is its first one in Northern Virginia.

The business is closed on Mondays but operates from 10-7 p.m. on other weekdays. It’s also open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 pm and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Duck Donuts is wading into the Town of Vienna.

A spokesperson for the North Carolina-based donut chain confirmed it will open a new franchise at 256 Maple Avenue East, filling a space vacated by T-Mobile. The shop will join Smoothie King, MetroEyes and Sweet Leaf Cafe in the retail building.

“We are in the early stages of permitting to begin moving forward with construction, and unfortunately, at this time, do not have an expected opening timeframe to share,” the Duck Donuts spokesperson told FFXnow.

The company says it’s “excited to continue” expanding into Virginia with the Vienna location, which is owned by first-time franchisee Matthew Yiengst. This will be the first new Duck Donuts since a Springfield shop opened at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center in October 2022.

Shops can also be found in Herndon and Fairfax City.

Deriving its name from its original location of Duck, North Carolina, Duck Donuts was founded in 2007 by Russ DiGilio, who saw a lack of donut options in the Outer Banks while vacationing there with his family. Since then, the business has grown to more than 100 locations, including ones in Egypt, Qatar and Thailand.

The menu offers both prepared and made-to-order donuts that can be customized with various coatings and toppings. Shops also sell breakfast sandwiches, ice cream and coffee.

(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) An entertainment complex that brings puzzle and video game-like challenges to life is taking over the former Old Navy at Tysons Corner Center.

Next year, Level99 will open a 40,000-square-foot playground and restaurant on the mall’s second floor adjacent to Barnes & Noble, the company jointly announced today (Tuesday) with Tysons Corner Center owner Macerich.

Old Navy was relocated to the other end of the mall near Bloomingdale’s. Its previous space — the one that will be permanently occupied by Level99 — is currently filled by the temporary Hot Wheels Champion Experience.

Originally opened in Natick, Massachusetts, in 2021, Level99 describes itself as a “first-of-its-kind destination for live-action, challenge-based entertainment, craft beverages and farm-to-table dining designed for grown-ups.”

Visitors can work together to complete various physical and mental games in “challenge rooms,” or they can compete in duels. The Tysons location will have 40 rooms that can collectively accommodate up to 600 players, along with a 300-seat taproom and scratch kitchen.

The challenges vary from room to room, from obstacle courses to a life-sized version of “Rock Band” and “ninja training” for a battle against a samurai, according to Level99.

“Level99 offers mental, physical, communication and skill challenges in an open-world format for guests to discover and explore,” said Level99 CEO Matt DuPlessie, a former Disney engineer and owner of the production company, Box Fort, that designed Level99. “…We look forward to welcoming residents and visitors from the D.C. area to discover all that Level99 has to offer.”

The original Level99 drew over 400,000 guests in 2023 and recently expanded with 10 new rooms, according to Patch. The company also launched a second location in Providence, Rhode Island, last week.

Operated by Night Shift Brewing Kitchen & Tap, a Boston-based brewery, the restaurants serve beer hall-style food, including pizza, wagyu burgers and fries. Drinks include craft beer and cocktails. Level99 wasn’t immediately available to confirm whether the Tysons venue will have the same operator and menu.

Following the December opening of the toy store/entertainment experience Camp, the addition of Level99 continues Tysons Corner Center’s push into the realm of interactive retail.

A market study released last summer by the Tysons Community Alliance suggested the area needs more entertainment options — such as the virtual reality gaming venue Sandbox VR, which opened on Dec. 22 in The Boro — to meet demand as its population grows.

“Level99 created an impressive, innovative way for adults to have a memorable experience at its first space in the Boston area, and we know our active, sophisticated Tysons Corner guests will enjoy exploring all that Level99 has to offer,” Eric Bunyan, Macerich’s senior vice president of leasing for the east region, said. “It’s a great complement to our existing tenant base.”

Level99 is scheduled to launch in Tysons in 2025. More immediately, Tysons Corner Center is expected to open the clothing stores Khaadi and Mango this year after adding Rothy’s just last week.

Old Keene Mill Shopping Center is marshaling a new grocery store, multiple restaurants and other retailers to fill the void left behind by Whole Foods.

The space filled by the grocer until it opened a bigger store last October just down the road in Springfield Plaza is being subdivided into six different suites, and at least four of them have been leased, according to a site plan from property owner Federal Realty.

The confirmed newcomers will be McAlister’s Deli, Crimson Coward Chicken, Zips Dry Cleaner and European Wax Center, all opening in early 2025, a Federal Realty spokesperson says.

A chain started in 1989 by a dentist in Oxford, Mississippi, McAlister’s will open a 2,925-square-foot restaurant near the Rolling Road entrance to the West Springfield shopping center (8424 Old Keene Mill Road).

The deli serves sandwiches, salads, soups, giant spuds (i.e. baked potatoes) and a specialty sweet tea. Its 500-plus locations include ones at University Mall near Fairfax City, Worldgate Centre in Herndon and Mount Vernon Plaza in Hybla Valley.

McKaye Darling, owner of the upcoming Old Keene Mill franchise, says the company is “thrilled” to expand to West Springfield.

“Our location choice was strategic, factoring in demographics, foot traffic, and neighboring restaurants in order to elevate the West Springfield food scene,” Darling said. “Our goal is to deliver the same top-notch quality and service found across all of our locations while seamlessly integrating with the West Springfield community.”

For Crimson Coward, a growing Nashville-style hot chicken chain that started in Los Angeles, California, this will be its first location in Fairfax County. The business landed on the East Coast on Jan. 9, 2023 with an opening in Woodbridge, and Stafford and Maryland restaurants are also apparently in the works, per its website.

It will occupy 1,449 square feet in a row facing Rolling Road with European Wax Center, a national hair removal company that will open a 1,200-square-foot suite, and Zips Dry Cleaner, which will have 1,397 square feet.

The bulk of the former Whole Foods space will be turned into a new, 17,186-square-foot store for “a national grocer,” Federal Realty says, but that grocer’s identity remains a bit of a mystery.

The Washington Business Journal reported in March 2023 that Trader Joe’s had executed a lease for the space, which was previously about 24,000 square feet in size. A Trader Joe’s employee told FFXnow last July that the grocer will relocate from its current location in Springfield Plaza to Old Keene Mill Shopping Center in another “year or so.”

However, when asked if the “national grocer” is Trader Joe’s, the Federal Realty spokesperson said only that details will be shared when they’re available.

On the western end of the shopping center, a Japanese restaurant called Kanji Sushi has leased 4,843 square feet adjacent to Planet Fitness. The eatery is projected to open in mid to late 2024.

“We welcome these merchants to the Springfield community,” Federal Realty Senior Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said in a statement. “These new, innovative dining and service providers further cement Old Keene Mill Shopping Center as a popular shopping and dining destination for the Springfield and greater Fairfax County community.”

A new group fitness facility for athletes is planning to open its doors in Reston next month.

D1 Training, a concept that emphasizes athletic-based training, will celebrate its grand opening at 1700 Bracknell Drive on Feb. 12. Located between a Trader Joe’s and a Wendy’s, the site previously belonged to a carpeting and flooring store.

The grand opening event includes a ribbon cutting, refreshments and tours of the facility.

Owner Pablo Smiraglia — who has more than 20 years of experience in coaching and sales — says he’s looking forward to taking over the business. Prior to launching Reston’s D1 Training, he worked in sales for more than 20 years and was a state soccer official and soccer coach.

“D1 is more than just creating great athletes, it is about growing fitness in a community,” Smiraglia said. “My goal is to foster a lifetime of athletic training for every fitness goal at any age, and D1 is the place to do so. Fitness has no age requirement; we cannot wait help community members reach their fitness goals.”

The company offers four age-based programs ranging from ages 7-11, 12-14, 15-18 and adults. Each program includes warmups, performance, strength, core and conditioning, and cool down exercises.

“We’re thrilled to welcome him to the D1 family and are confident in his ability to show the Reston area what they’ve been missing out on,” D1 Training Chief Operating Officer Dan Murphy said. “D1 is a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that’s built around the individual and meant to help people meet their appropriate edge.”

Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew, D1 Training currently has more than 100 locations across the country, but its only other D.C.-area gym is at Pinecrest Plaza (6550 Little River Turnpike) in Lincolnia.

Reston will soon welcome a wellness company that uses IV treatments for hydration.

Prime IV Hydration & Wellness is slated to open at 11209 Reston Station Blvd near the Faraday Park apartments, according to county permits.

The company says it offers intravenous treatments for feeling, looking and performing better. Offerings target muscle pain, exhaustion, injury recovery, wrinkles, premature aging and seasonal allergies. Prime IV also offers general packages that offer pure hydration, fighting fatigue, and athletic performance.

It’s unclear exactly when the business is expected to open. Prime IV’s website says only that the location is coming soon. The company did not return several requests for comment from FFXnow.

Amy Neary started the company in Colorado Springs in 2008 in order to provide lab testing for all.

“We’re able to help people who otherwise might forego getting a diagnosis and treatment from their physician, simply because they can’t afford their lab tests,” Neary states on the company’s website.

There are multiple locations across the U.S., including others that are coming soon in Merrifeld, McLean and Gaithersburg.

Image via Google Maps