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
A store that sells clothing made of recycled materials has opened its doors at Tysons Corner Center, kicking off what appears to be a fashion-focused year for the region’s largest mall.
Rothy’s opened a 1,815-square-foot store on the mall’s second level, near Macy’s, last Thursday (Jan. 25), Tysons Corner Center announced Friday (Jan. 26).
Originally launched in 2016, the San Francisco-based brand began as an online-only retailer focused on women’s shoes — specifically ballet flats — manufactured out of single-use plastic bottles. The company has since expanded into other types of shoes for men, women and kids as well as handbags and other accessories.
With the Tysons opening, Rothy’s also assembled 18 brick-and-mortar stores around the U.S., including one in Georgetown.
“We’re delighted to expand the Rothy’s retail portfolio to include Tysons Corner and grow our community in the greater DMV market,” Rothy’s Vice President of Retail Shaheen Mufti said. “Our newest store will serve as a platform to share our brand story and mission, offering comfortable, washable, sustainable footwear alongside thoughtfully designed handbags and accessories.”
In addition to announcing Rothy’s arrival, Tysons Corner Center confirmed two incoming tenants, both of them clothing retailers.
As previously reported, the Pakistani fashion brand Khaadi will open its first U.S. store at the mall this year, occupying 5,491 square feet on the second floor near Barnes & Noble. Mango, a fashion company based in Barcelona, Spain, will open near Macy’s this summer.
Khaadi is on track to open around the third week of February, a company spokesperson told FFXnow.
Other changes at the mall include a new location for Foot Locker, which has combined its existing regular Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker stores into a new “Power Store” on the first floor near Wasabi.
According to Tysons Corner Center’s press release, the shoe company’s Power Stores offer customers “the largest product selection of any of the retail chain’s store concepts,” including “sneaker and apparel trends specific to the community where the stores operate.”
“Following a number of notable openings in 2023, we are thrilled to welcome a large number of new high-performing and well-known brands to our roster of tenants in 2024,” Jesse Benites, director of property management for Tysons Corner Center owner Macerich, said in the release. “As the #1 shopping destination in the region, and one of the nation’s top-performing centers, Tyson Corner Center continues to attract top brands with the high-volume productivity that retailers are seeking.”
A two-story outlet for the fast-fashion company Primark is also still under construction in the former L.L. Bean space near Bloomingdale’s. Macerich announced the deal back in 2021, and Primark said last August that the store — its 22nd in the U.S. — will open in 2024.
A cosmetology business is seeking the Town of Herndon’s permission to open up on Herndon Parkway.
At a meeting on Jan. 22, the Herndon Planning Commission unanimously approved a special exception to move forward with the plan for Rosslyn Cosmetology to open in suite 106 at 299 Herndon Parkway. Specifically, the commission agreed to allow special exceptions for personal services and retail sales uses.
In a report, town staff noted that the zoning ordinance allows flexibility in instances where businesses traditionally located with other commercial service and retail sales have “operational characteristics that make them appropriate to operate in traditional office park developments.”
Rosslyn Cosmetology will be located in a strip of office condominiums that already hosts Fancy Lashes and Beyond, a beauty salon, and multiple spas.
“In this case, the proposed personal services and retail sales uses are consistent with the purpose and intent of the Commercial Office Zoning District and the additional controls that can be implemented through the special exception process,” staff said in the report.
Fadrique Iglesias, a community planner with the Town of Herndon, told the commission that the town previously granted special exceptions for personal services businesses in 2022 and June 2023.
The business currently under consideration will likely include a spa, salon and cosmetic services with up to six people at the business at any time, Iglesias said.
The business will take up roughly 916 square feet of space, if approved for the building.
Image via Google Maps
Vida Fitness is expected to open its flagship facility in Reston in early May, a company spokesperson tells FFXnow.
The facility is slated to open at Reston Row, the newest district that is part of Comstock’s Reston Station development at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.
The 50,000-square-foot Reston facility spans three levels of an office tower at 1845 Reston Row Plaza.
Vida’s gym will include a day spa, a rooftop swimming pool and lounge, a full lobby bar and cafe, hair salon, sauna rooms, locker rooms, facilties for oxygen treatment and recovery strength, and more.
Membership deals for residents within a 10-mile radius are currently being offered through the studio’s website.
The company has six other locations in the D.C. area, though the only other one in Virginia is in Ballston.
Currently under construction, Reston Row will also include a JW Marriott hotel that’s projected to open late this year.
Construction is underway to convert a warehouse in Tysons into an indoor pickleball facility.
The Pickleball Club of Tysons is now accepting membership reservations on its website after receiving the necessary approvals from Fairfax County to begin work at 8520 Tyco Road last week, according to co-owner Alesya Semukha-Greenberg.
With construction expected to finish this spring, the business is currently aiming for an April 1 grand opening.
“I’m most looking forward to [the club] being full all the time and getting the right person to run it and making everyone happy,” Pickleball Club of Tysons co-founder and CEO Marc Greenberg told FFXnow.
Located in an industrial park just southeast of the Route 7 and Dulles Access Road interchange, the recreational facility will feature six dedicated pickleball courts available for lessons, open play, competitive leagues and other events.
Like many other players, Greenberg developed an enthusiasm for pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a surge of interest in the half-century-old sport. He was introduced to the racket-based pasttime about a year and a half ago by fellow Pickleball Club of Tysons founder and chief operating officer Tarlika Amin, who raised the idea of opening her own club to address a lack of indoor courts in the area.
“There really is nowhere to play during the winter time,” Greenberg said. “In fact, the only people sort of creating courts are the counties and the country clubs, so those are two opposite ends of the spectrum. The county’s are public courts, and they’re good, but they’re outdoors and there’s a lot of noise issues, and the country clubs are very expensive and they take away from tennis courts. So, there are very few middle market clubs and that’s where I thought we could make a difference.”
As a real estate agent who lives in McLean, Greenberg agreed to help identify possible locations, and he immediately focused in on Tysons, though he ultimately looked across Northern Virginia, particularly inside the Capital Beltway (I-495).
“Tysons was my number-one choice,” he said. “The odds weren’t great, but then I found this space and the size was right, and most importantly, the column spacing was right so that we could put the courts in.”
The space presented some challenges. The club needed to get a special permit from the county to allow the pickleball courts, and since the warehouse only had heating, not air-conditioning, new HVAC units have to be installed — the project’s biggest expense.
Still, the industrial setting has benefits as well, saving the facility from the concerns about noise that have turned many residential neighborhoods against outdoor pickleball courts.
“There won’t be a noise issue on the outside because it’s 6-inch cinder block on the outside of the warehouse,” Greenberg said, acknowledging that indoor noise levels might still be a challenge.
While the Fairfax County Park Authority continues to add outdoor courts, the Pickleball Club of Tysons will eventually have some company in meeting the demand for indoor facilities. The new business Down the Line Sports Center will open two locations this year: a 10,000-square-foot facility in Fairfax City and a 50,000-square-foot, 18-court complex in Annandale.
Greenberg says it’s “great” to see that other facilities are in the works, since he believes “the demand is there.” The Pickleball Club of Tysons team hopes to expand to other locations in the future, but right now, they’re focused on making sure the Tyco Road one works.
Finding the right site is the biggest challenge to building indoor pickleball courts, according to Greenberg.
“You have the appropriate column spacing and you have the appropriate parking and the ceiling height,” he said. “So, you know, I think you can have a dozen of these in Fairfax County, but the land and the real estate is really not conducive to it, so it’s hard to do.”
Screenshot via Pickleball Club of Tysons/YouTube
A proposed express car wash at Fairfax Blvd and Lion Run in Fairfax City faces an uphill battle after council members expressed concerns about its potential traffic impact.
“I’m not sure that this is the right location for this kind of business — whether it’s yours or someone else’s — given that the location is the primary access and exit for the public school system and for people south of that area,” Fairfax City Councilmember Thomas Ross said during a work session last Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Under consideration is a special-use permit that would allow the national franchise, Tommy’s Express Car Wash, to redevelop 1.15 acres at 9917 Fairfax Blvd, which has been home to the Italian restaurant The Esposito’s Fairfax since 1982.
Maria Esposito, the owner of the restaurant, told FFXnow that the restaurant currently has no intention of closing.
“We have no information yet,” she said.
The lot also has a second retail building that was built in 1978 and is currently vacant.
The applicant, D.C.-based private equity firm Olympus Pines, initially submitted a pre-application for the project in November 2021, and the Board of Architectural Review conducted a work session last month.
Designed to process up to 200 vehicles per hour, the proposed 4,553-square-foot car wash anticipates serving a “peak volume” of 50-75 cars per hour with a maximum staff of four to five, according to the city council staff report.
The site currently has a one-way entrance and one-way exit along Fairfax Blvd. The applicant has also proposed incorporating three “stacking lanes to avoid backup.”
While several council members, including Mayor Catherine Read, agreed the site should be redeveloped, there was some debate about whether the volume of vehicles served might lead to traffic issues along the route.
“Fairfax Blvd is so heavy with traffic already…There may not be a queue to get the car washed, but there may be a queue getting out of there,” Councilmember So Lim said during the work session.
Councilmember Kate Doyle Feingold pointed to other examples of businesses along Fairfax Blvd, such as Chick-fil-A, which has stacking lanes to mitigate the queuing issue.
“So, if there was an analysis where people can say, ‘Oh, I see how this could function differently,’ that might help alleviate some of those concerns,” she said.
Olympus Pines co-founder Trevor Sperry emphasized that the car wash is engineered for quick service, with vehicles in and out within minutes. He noted that other locations have washed thousands of cars daily without causing traffic disruptions.
“If people are backing up on our site, people are going to stop coming,” Sperry said during the work session.
“So, I think the main concern is, will we cause a backup on Fairfax Blvd?” he continued. “We’ve never had that happen in all of our locations, and we will provide camera data in which we served 3000 vehicles in a day without backing up the road.”
The proposal remains under review. A public hearing, which will be held before any voting takes place, has not yet been scheduled.
Two golden retrievers will be the stars of a new, Herndon-based nonprofit that aspires to brighten the world with some literal puppy love.
Established at the start of the new year, Canine Concierge Corporation will offer animal-assisted therapy (AAT) services for free to hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, police departments and other organizations in need throughout Fairfax County.
The idea for the organization came to founder Michael Stokes, a retired information technology contractor, when he encountered a service dog himself while hospitalized in fall 2022.
“It had AAT training, and…it just elevated me,” Stokes recalled in a recent interview. “I mean, my spirit was just incredible, and then, you know, out of the blue, I got flashes [of] just ‘This is what you’re going to do and this is how you are going to do it,’ and then the resources just started to appear.”
The meeting with the service dog came at a fortuitous time for Stokes, who says he had been in the hospital for three months by then and was mourning the unexpected death of Leo, his dog of 14 years. Stokes had rescued Leo while working in Kuwait as a contractor for the U.S. Army.
Hoping to share the feeling of uplift that he got from the service dog’s visit with other people, Stokes began researching how to set up an animal-assisted therapy practice as soon as he got released from the hospital.
The process hasn’t been easy. For instance, after initially planning to work out of a hotel suite as a home-based business, Stokes was told two-and-a-half months later that the hotel’s legal department wouldn’t allow the arrangement.
Instead, Canine Concierge will operate out of a leased Regus space in the McNair area near the Dulles International Airport. The nonprofit recently got a certificate of good standing from the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and now all that’s left is for the IRS to approve its tax-exempt status, a request that has been pending since March, Stokes says.
“That is crucial to the business operation because we need that to apply for grants and also to allow people to get a tax-deductible receipt when they make a donation,” Stokes said. “So, those kind of things, that license is very important, but…it’s out of our control.”
When it officially launches, Canine Concierge will have two AAT-trained golden retrievers from the American Kennel Club named Stella and DaVinci, according to its website. Research has suggested being around pets, particularly dogs, can decrease stress and generally improve people’s mood.
Stokes notes that Leo had always seemed to sense his emotional state, sleeping at the foot of his bed when he felt “normal” and sleeping next to him on a pillow when he felt sick or melancholy.
“They have some innate ability to feel people, and they’re just going to capitalize on that in training,” he said.
Eventually, Canine Concierge intends to convert a hotel suite into a “state-of-the-art facility” for the two dogs, but to reach that point and ensure that services can be provided free of charge, the nonprofit will rely on grants, sponsors and community donations.
The fundraising goal for the first year is $208,000 to cover the training, supplies, marketing and other operating costs. Once its tax-exempt status is approved, donations will be accepted online through Paypal.
Stokes says he can’t wait to take one of the dogs to a hospital for the first time.
“I’m just looking forward to being officially launched, because now, we’re here,” he said. “We’re ready to go.”
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.
