The Faraday Park neighborhood has officially welcomed another tenant: Eve’s Garden Lounge and Bar.
The Asian fusion restaurant celebrated its soft opening on Friday, May 12 at 11207 Reston Station Blvd at Faraday Park. It has now added lunch hours from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting today (Friday), according to its website.
Here’s a taste of what the restaurant hopes to offer to community, per its social media pages:
Journeying back to an era of refined taste and sophistication, where old fashioned drinks reign supreme. Indulge in the art of mixology as we unlock the secrets of vintage flavors, crafted with precision and passion. From the rich warmth of bourbon to the gentle kiss of bitters, every sip tells a tale of tradition and elegance.
Items on the menu include pho stone pot adventure — a Vietnamese broth served with rice noodles and fresh herbs — and blazing harmony, a hot stone bowl filled with rice and topped with meat and veggies.
The business did not return a request for comment from FFXnow by press time.
Photo via Eve’s Garden/Facebook
Pupatella, a Neapolitan pizzeria with roots in Arlington, is slated to open another location in Fairfax County later this year.
The pizza restaurant will open at Chantilly Plaza (13619 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) by the winter of this year, according to a company spokesperson. The opening could come as early as this fall, but an exact date is not yet known.
Pupatella managing partner Michael Berger says he looks forward to bringing a taste of Italy to the company’s new neighbors.
“Chantilly is a thriving and dynamic community with an amazing group of neighbors and businesses,” Berger said. “In fact, when we started searching for our next location, our research revealed that many of our current fans reside there. The new Chantilly location also partners very well with our existing pizzerias nearby in Leesburg and Reston.”
The restaurant originated as a food truck in 2007 after owners Enzo Algarme and Anastasiya Laufenberg were inspired by a visit to Algarme’s parents in Naples, Italy. It opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Ballston in 2010.
Since then, the company has opened several other locations, including ones in Springfield and the Mosaic District in Merrifield. A Capitol Hill location is coming this summer, along with two other locations in the next two years.
Items on the menu include Napoli street snacks, red pizzas, white pizzas, and salads.
A new sushi restaurant is being prepared for Scotts Run in Tysons.
Sushi Umi is slated to open this July at 7615 Colshire Road, an employee at the existing Herndon location told FFXnow.
According to a Fairfax County permit, the restaurant will occupy a 1,560-square-foot space at the base of Archer Hotel, which opened in September 2021 with its own bar.
With a name that translates to “sea taste,” the original Sushi Umi opened at Worldgate Centre (13051 Worldgate Drive) in December 2020 with the goal of delivering “a unique and unrivaled Japanese dining experience,” according to its Facebook page.
The restaurant’s executive sushi chef has been making Japanese food for over 30 years, according to Sushi Umi’s website.
The menu features sushi both a la carte and in combinations, along with rice bowls, grilled meat, noodles and tempura. The signature dish is a “Taste of Umi” bento box with sushi, sashimi and rolls that’s only available for dine-in customers.
If the Tysons location’s opening stays on track, it should arrive around the same time as Heming, the 28-story apartment high-rise that will serve as a centerpiece of the Scotts Run neighborhood. Developer Skanska confirmed that the completion of construction on the 410-unit building is anticipated in mid-2023.
The building at 1800 Chain Bridge Road will also have 38,000 square feet of retail space and a three-level outdoor plaza. No tenants have been announced yet.
When fully built out, Scotts Run will consist of 6.5 million square feet of development, including the already-built Kingston and Haden apartments. A mixed-use apartment building called Paxton and a potential Hilton hotel are also in the works, though the latter project is still being reviewed by Fairfax County.
In other Tysons East restaurant news, Yu Noodles is now open in The Commons at 1690 Anderson Road. The fourth location for the popular Chinese eatery began serving customers on March 8, an employee confirmed to FFXnow.
Wingstop is planning to open a new location in Fairfax County.
The franchise is expected to open at 11181 Lee Highway in Fairfax Centre. A sign posted at the front of the business says it is slated to come soon.
The company did not return requests for comment from FFXnow.
Items on the menu include wing combos, chicken sandwiches, and tenders. The business has locations throughout the country, including in Springfield, Bailey’s Crossroads, Centreville and Sterling.
Another franchise location is also in the works on Little River Turnpike in Annandale, according to Annandale Today.
The shopping center is anchored by Walmart and Lidl. There are currently three vacancies, according to A.J. Dwoskin & Associates. Other tenants include Edible Arrangements, Dulce Crepers, Pizza Boli’s and Grill Kabob Express.
Yama Chen’s Sushi House — not to be confused with nearby Sushi Yama — is now open in Vienna.
The growing chain restaurant opened its newest location in the Vienna Plaza Shopping Center on April 16. The 1,500 square-foot space at 320 Maple Ave West was formerly occupied by a Jersey Mike’s Subs.
The opening came more than a year after the business had hoped. Owner Si Chen told FFXnow’s sister site, Tysons Reporter, in February 2022 that a planned December 2021 launch was delayed by supply chain and permitting issues stemming from the pandemic.
Yama Chen originally applied for a permit to renovate the space back in September 2021, but the final inspection wasn’t completed until April 10, according to Fairfax County records.
“The Vienna location is officially open on April 16th after a year-long construction,” Qiyao Zheng, the Vienna restaurant’s manager, said by email. “The process was not easy, but we finally made it…We are looking forward to serving the customers in Vienna.”
Started as a family restaurant in 2003, Yama Chen now has 14 locations, including ones in Fairfax and Sterling. The menu at all locations is the same, offering ramen and yakisoba noodles alongside a variety of sushi dishes.
Hours for the Vienna restaurant run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Other tenants in Vienna Plaza include Dunkin’ Donuts, Dairy Queen, Manhattan Bagel and the gym F45, which opened in August. A site plan shows that a 1,500-square-foot space next to Yama Chen is available for lease.
The powers of caffeine and sugar will unite this weekend for the grand opening of Springfield’s new Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins.
After a soft opening on April 3, the combined eateries are set for a more official launch at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday (May 6), promising free coffee or ice cream for a year to the first 100 customers to enter their shared doors at 6310 Backlick Road.
Winners of the giveaway will get four coupons per month for free scoops or medium-sized coffees, lasting 14 months, though they’ll only be accepted at the new location, according to a press release.
With a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m., the opening will feature a Dunkin’ prize wheel, a balloon artist, face painting and the presence of Dunkin’s mascot “Cuppy.” A $3,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation will also be presented to the Capital Area Food Bank.
“The Next Gen restaurant offers Springfield a first-hand look at Dunkin’s enhanced store experience, with a modern look that provides a fresh, friendly, vibrant, and engaging environment,” the coffee and doughnuts company said in the press release.
Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins are both part of Dunkin’ Brands Group, which was acquired by Inspire Brands in December 2020. Inspire also owns Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and several other fast food restaurants.
Replacing a KFC that was closed not long after getting set on fire in 2020, the paired Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins occupy a 2,396-square-foot, drive-thru restaurant with 25 workers and seats for 18 customers.
The company describes the venue as a “next generation” experience, highlighting its modern design, energy efficiency, designated pick-up area for mobile orders and the use of “an innovative tap system” for pouring cold beverages, including a nitro-infused cold brew only available at “Next Gen” locations.
The restaurant’s operating hours are 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) Vienna Shopping Center has found a new occupant for the suite vacated over the winter by Chopt.
A Lebanese restaurant called El Janna has signed a lease for the 2,702-square-foot space and is slated to open at 160 Maple Avenue West this fall, property manager Rappaport announced yesterday (Wednesday).
“I am thrilled to bring El Janna to the Vienna community,” Rappaport Senior Director of Brokerage Chris Pamboukian said. “I think this restaurant will be great for the area and fill a demand for elegant Lebanese dining options.”
With a name that translates from Lebanese as “paradise,” El Janna will serve “traditional Mediterranean favorites alongside modern reimaginings,” according to the press release.
The concept comes from chef Rabih Abi-Aad, who has been trained in Lebanese cuisine and French pastry. He previously worked as general manager at Neyla and Paolo’s Ristorante in Georgetown before becoming a co-owner of Me Jana, a Lebanese restaurant in Arlington.
Now, Abi-Aad will bring similar cuisine to Vienna with his new restaurant.
“I come from a village in Lebanon called Dfoun,” Abi-Aad said. “I have had years of experience working in the culinary discipline and previously owned a restaurant in Arlington. I am excited for the opportunity to share my culture and cuisine with the Vienna area.”
Located at the corner of Maple Avenue and Courthouse Road, Vienna Shopping Center was once anchored by the grocery store MacGruder’s but pivoted to smaller retail spaces with a major renovation that finished in 2017.
Chopt was among several restaurants to arrive with the grand reopening in 2016, along with Taco Bamba and Mod Pizza. The 73,852-square-foot shopping center currently has four available spaces, including one that was filled by Cava until the fast-casual eatery relocated to 418 Maple Avenue East.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has opened its latest location in Herndon.
The restaurant will host its grand opening on May 4 at the Herndon Centre (494 Elden Street, Suite 230). It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Mosni and Dhaval Shah — the restaurant’s franchisees — said they are excited to bring quality barbecue to the area.
“Many residents of Herndon and the surrounding areas have been wanting quality barbecue and we are up to the task of providing it to them,” the Shahs told FFXnow.
Pit bosses Willow Brown and Kelvin Ebron have more than 30 years of restaurant and barbecue experience. The chain is known for its brisket and ribs.
“Many say barbecue is the gateway to togetherness and we want to bring everyone together to enjoy some ‘Legit Texas Barbecue,'” the Shahs said.
Other items on the menu include loaded baked potatoes, pit-smoked wings and pit-smoked meats. The business has locations throughout the country. There are currently nine in Virginia, including one in Fairfax, Sterling and Alexandria.
McDonalds and Chick-fil-A will soon have some new competition for Vienna high school students looking to chow down while relaxing with friends after class.
The D.C.-based fast food chain Z-Burger is set to open later this spring in the former Pizza Hut at 541 Maple Avenue West, continuing an expansion into Northern Virginia that began in McLean and recently spread to Alexandria.
Adjacent to 7-Eleven and a Shell gas station, the restaurant is within walking distance of James Madison High School and Louise Archer Elementary School.
“We’re going to be mostly catering to the schools, the high school…Over there is a void for a really good burger place,” co-owner Peter Tabibian said, describing Z-Burger as closer in quality and approach to Shake Shack or Five Guys than the McDonald’s across the street.
After launching Z-Burger in Tenleytown in 2008, Tabibian has been working with his business partner, McLean resident Kevin Ejtemai, to expand the restaurant’s footprint beyond D.C. The pair are also behind the Persian restaurant Maman Joon, whose latest location opened at Tysons Corner Center earlier this month.
Though the windows are still covered by paper, Z-Burger has finished building out its roughly 1,200-square-foot space in Vienna, according to Tabibian. Employees are now being trained at the McLean location.
He anticipates that the new restaurant will open around mid-May.
In addition to beef burgers, Z-Burger sells chicken sandwiches, cheesesteaks, veggie burgers, hot dogs and 75 different flavors of milkshakes, which Tabibian says are popular with both kids and adults.
“We can compete with any of those guys, the burger guys, because we have a little bit more variety and we use really good ingredients,” he said. “Our meat is the foundation of our success because everything is fresh.”
The business also makes an effort to get involved with the local community, whether that giving some proceeds to schools during “Dining for Dollars” fundraisers or handing out free burgers when the federal government shuts down.
“We do a lot of stuff for the community,” Tabibian said. “That’s who serves us, so we try to help out where we can.”
Photo via Z-Burger/Instagram
A new Mediterranean restaurant is coming later this year to Plaza America in Reston.
Fast-casual restaurant Taïm Mediterranean Kitchen will open a nearly 2,000-square-foot location at 11692 Plaza America Drive this fall, according to company representative Becky Olson. Tentatively, an October opening date is anticipated.
Olson said the restaurant will offer fast-casual options for shoppers and nearby offices.
“Guests love having fresh and vibrant options, like our Mediterranean cuisine, that they feel good about eating multiple times per week,” she said. “Taïm customizable salads, bowls and pitas are crave-able for lunch and dinner, and we offer family meal options to enjoy in the restaurant or take home.”
The business got its start in 2005 in New York City. Since then, it has 13 locations the New York and D.C. areas — including planned locations in Vienna and Pimmit Hills.
Customers can build a meal with options like a pita or bowl base and a choice of falafel, meatballs, cauliflower shawarma, eggplant, shawarma and kabobs.
