It took more than half a century, but Dr. Martens has at last planted a foot in Virginia.

The British shoe company known for its air-cushioned, lace-up boots opened its first store in the Commonwealth on Sept. 8 at Tysons Corner Center, where it sits on the first floor near Macy’s.

An inquiry from FFXnow on why Dr. Martens decided to open a store at the Tysons mall was acknowledged by the company’s press team but didn’t get a response by publication time.

However, a store employee said the opening got an enthusiastic response from locals excited that they no longer have to cross the Potomac River to Georgetown, which previously had the only Dr. Martens in the D.C. area.

Made iconic by The Who lead singer Pete Townshend, Doc Martens boots were first developed by Dr. Klaus Maertens, a doctor in the German Army during World War II who wanted an alternative to the traditional army boot that he could wear while nursing a foot injury. He partnered with a friend who worked as a mechanical engineer and began production in 1947, selling the shoes primarily to older women, according to the company’s website.

About a decade later, the boot was bought by a British company, which made some tweaks and gave it the branding “Airwair.” Initially treated as a work boot, the 1460 model — named after its launch date of April 1, 1960 — later became popular among punks and skinheads as a symbol of working-class pride and youthful defiance.

Eventually, the look was embraced by high-end designer labels, such as Alexander McQueen and Dolce & Gabbana, that produced similar, military-style boots, according to the New York Times. The 1460 boots now cost over $100.

Having a cocktail in hand might help shoppers channel that original rebellious spirit, but Dr. Martens is not among the retailers participating in Tysons Corner Center’s new public drinking program.

Fairfax City is browsing for makers of art, crafts and other products who want to expand beyond an online shop or farmers’ market stall but aren’t quite ready to commit to a full storefront.

Those are the budding entrepreneurs that the Fairfax City Economic Development team (FCED) hopes to attract to Wander In, an upcoming retail incubator store that the city is developing with the Old Town Fairfax Business Association (OTFBA).

Announced in September, the store is expected to launch this coming winter in Old Town Plaza, replacing Sylvan Learning’s tutoring center at 3950 University Drive, Suite 211.

“Establishing Wander In as a business incubator in our historic downtown plaza is an important step in building Fairfax City’s small business retail,” Mayor Catherine Read said in the press release. “It’s a path for our local artisans from online sales and festival participation to a brick and mortar presence. Located in close proximity to a free parking garage and three very busy restaurants with outdoor dining, this multi-vendor retail offers residents and visitors a reason to wander in.”

The FCED and OTFBA concocted the idea for Wander In after the city received a grant that it wanted to use to help small businesses grow, according to Tess Rollins, the business association’s executive director.

Initially, the economic development office suggested opening a temporary pop-up store, but the local business owners on OTFBA’s board of directors were wary of supporting a new business that could compete for customers and the association’s attention.

Rollins and the FCED then pitched the board on the concept of an incubator that would not only provide retail space for up-and-coming businesses, but also educational events and resources to give them the skills needed to be viable long-term — and potentially open a permanent brick-and-mortar location in the city.

“They were more receptive of basically helping…small businesses grow because each one of them has their own establishment, whether it’s a restaurant or a retail store,” Rollins said. “So, they felt that was more in line with the mission and the core values of Old Town Fairfax Business Association.”

Applications for prospective Wander In vendors are now being accepted. Vendors must stay in the space for at least three months, be OTFBA members, obtain a city business license after the first 30 days, and pay a $200 fee each month, along with 10% of sales.

Rollins says one of the initiative’s goals is to promote businesses in Fairfax City, but it’s also open to businesses and entrepreneurs based outside city limits.

“We do want to promote other businesses who may be looking for a place in Fairfax City to see if our community is a good place for them to have an additional location,” she told FFXnow.

At the moment, there’s no limit on how many vendors will be accepted, since the capacity will depend on how much room each business needs. While most will likely sell jewelry, paintings or other artisan goods, Rollins says prepackaged food vendors could be considered.

FCED and OTFBA worked with Old Town Plaza manager Kimco Realty to secure the suite, which is in the same building as the recently opened Commonwealth Brewing Co. With the pub Earp’s Ordinary also on the way, the shopping center’s revitalization is central to the city’s Old Town Fairfax Small Area Plan, which was adopted in 2020 and seeks to make the historic downtown more active and pedestrian-friendly.

To encourage collaboration between businesses and with the larger community, Wander In will work with George Mason University’s Small Business Development Center to assist and provide training to the vendors. It will also host events both inside the store, where customers can meet and learn from the vendors, and outside.

Rollins suggests shopping days or scavenger hunts that involve other Old Town retailers as possibilities.

“I love the idea of the mix of having retail shopping with a creative experience, whether it’s ‘Meet the Maker’ or whether it’s one of their classes,” Rollins said. “I think that having the combination of the two is going to bring something different to Old Town.”

With Halloween less than a week away, time is running out to assemble a costume and housing decorations ghoulish enough to impress neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

Fortunately for those making last-minute preparations, the seasonal pop-up Spirit Halloween has taken possession of several vacant retail stores across Fairfax County.

That includes a return to the former Lord & Taylor store at Tysons Corner Center, which first got converted last year after previously hosting a mass COVID-19 vaccination site. Long-term plans to redevelop the building at 7950 Tysons Corner Center got approved last month by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Accessible from the Plaza, the store is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, except for Sundays, when doors close at 7 p.m.

Other locations include:

• Fairfax Towne Center in the former Bed Bath & Beyond (12100 Fairfax Towne Center)
• Crossroads Center in Bailey’s Crossroads, also a former Bed Bath & Beyond (5810 Crossroads Center Way)
• Springfield Commons in the former Party City (6721B Frontier Drive)
• Rose Hill Plaza in a former Tuesday Morning (6140 Rose Hill Drive)
• Village Center in Centreville, another former Tuesday Morning (5619 Stone Road)

The company’s website also lists a store as “coming soon” to the former Office Depot (3536 South Jefferson Street) at Crossroads Center in Bailey’s Crossroads. Spirit Halloween didn’t respond to FFXnow by press time when asked if that location is still coming.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Spirit Halloween announced before this season began that it would be its “biggest” one yet, with more than 1,500 locations around North America.

“We’ve seen Halloween grow from a single day of excitement into a season-long celebration, with so many enthusiasts showcasing their love for Halloween all year long,” Spirit Halloween CEO Steven Silverstein said in a press release. “…However you celebrate this season, we have everything Halloween fans need, from the classics to the hottest new trends.”

In addition to opening physical pop-up stores every fall, the business sells Halloween costumes, decor and animatronics year-round online.

There’s a new shop in Merrifield focusing on an eclectic, “curated collection” of handcrafted goods.

Vivid Chill hosted a grand opening this past weekend in the Mosaic District, moving into Suite 150 at 2910 District Avenue from a spot in Great Falls.

The shop offers everything from jewelry and clothing to books, face oils and playdough.

According to Vivid Chill’s website, its focus is on “handcrafted, ethically made, sustainable, nontoxic, eco-friendly” goods.

Originally opened at Great Falls Village Centre in early 2021, the shop won a spot on Washingtonian’s Best New Shopsof 2021 list, which highlighted owner Marika Tsombikos’s dedication to selling only the best assorted items she can find, typically with clean design and bright colors.

Vivid Chill’s website says the store is open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Tysons Galleria’s commitment to serving up high-end retail continues with the recent arrival of three new clothing stores.

A boutique from Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is now open on the second floor near Balenciaga, the mall announced earlier this week on Instagram.

Measuring 4,004 square feet in size, per Fairfax County permits, the store sells handbags, shoes and other accessories. It also offers tailoring and styling services, along with complimentary soft drinks, according to the store website.

This is Dolce & Gabbana’s second Tysons location, joining a boutique inside Nordstorm at Tysons Corner Center.

Tysons Galleria has also added Alo Yoga, which made its Virginia debut with an opening on Sept. 15. Located on the first floor near Sweetgreen, the store sells clothes, sneakers and other yoga-related accessories, such as mats and towels.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2007, the company says it aims to create comfortable yet stylish clothes that are equally suited for working out or walking down the street. Its website includes photos of celebrities like model Gigi Hadid and singer Taylor Swift sporting its outfits.

Alo offers yoga classes at some of its stores, including one in Georgetown. The Tysons Galleria store doesn’t have a studio, but it will host events, according to a press announcement.

“Try on the latest styles and experience luxe, signature fabrications and exceptional fits in-person, or attend our in-store community events to learn more about wellness practices from breathwork to ear seeding with experts,” the company said.

Finally, the knitwear-focused fashion house St. John opened a boutique at Tysons Galleria yesterday (Thursday), a public relations representative for the mall confirmed.

The boutique operates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Founded in 1962 and headquartered in California, St. John has just 33 stores worldwide, but its clothes are also sold through other retailers. The company’s products can be found in Tysons Galleria’s Neiman Marcus and at Nordstorm and Bloomingdale’s in Tysons Corner Center.

Located at 2001 International Drive, Tysons Galleria is typically open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Though the heat of summer is waning, Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard hopes Franconia residents are still in the mood for some chilled desserts.

The Pennsylvania-based chain will hold a grand opening tomorrow (Thursday) for its new shop in Hayfield Shopping Center (7592 Telegraph Road), which is anchored by Planet Fitness and Goodwill.

Starting at 5 p.m., the first 50 people to line up for the event will receive coupons for a full year of free treats from that location. All customers will get slight discounts of $4 and $5, respectively, for a small Italian ice or a small gelati, which combines layers of Italian ice and frozen custard.

The grand opening will also feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m., with merchandise giveaways and photo opportunities with the company’s mascot, Ice Guy, lasting from 5-7 p.m.

Rita’s Franconia franchise is owned by Terrain and Toya Davis, Kingstowne residents who wanted to “bring positive energy and a family-friendly atmosphere to their own backyard,” according to a press release.

The Davises partnered with Rita’s for their first franchise after frequenting the business as customers. Rita’s also has locations in Fairfax, Vienna and Chantilly, but the opportunity to bring it closer to home proved enticing.

“We desired a business opportunity that fostered a culture of family, community, and fun,” Terrain and Toya Davis said in an emailed statement. “By opening a Rita’s Italian Ice & Custard we’ve achieved that goal. Our guests are families spending quality time together and creating memories. We are able to engage with and give back to our community.”

In addition to running the brick-and-mortar store, which introduced itself to the community with a soft opening in June, the franchisees plan to introduce a food truck that will support events throughout Northern Virginia.

“The endless ‘Thanks for opening!’ we receive from guests is a real testament that partnering with this unique business originated in Philly was a great decision!” the Davises said. “It truly feels amazing to spread a little joy with each treat we serve.”

Launched in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in 1984, Rita’s Italian Ice began life on former firefighter Bob Tumolo’s front porch, according to its website. Named after its founder’s wife, the company has expanded with franchises in more than 30 states.

Operating year-round with outdoor seating for eight customers, the 1,300-square-foot Franconia shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, extending its hours to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Like at other locations, the Italian ice is made fresh on-site and rotates daily through over 75 flavors. The menu also includes frozen custard, gelati, thick concretes, milkshakes and frozen drinks.

Those who miss out on tomorrow’s giveaways will have another opportunity to get free Italian ice. The company has an annual tradition of offering free cups on the first day of spring, which will fall on March 19 in 2024.

Pottery Barn is now open and operating in the Mosaic District.

The home furnishings and decor business started serving customers in the mixed-use Merrifield neighborhood on Friday, Aug. 18, a store employee told FFXnow.

The store occupies close to 15,000 square feet at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 100, where Nieman Marcus and GreatGatherings had previously set up shop. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

“Pottery Barn offers expertly crafted furniture and home decor,” the company says on its website. “Come by and learn more about the complimentary decorating and design services offered by our Design Studio Specialists. We also have registry experts ready to help you create a well rounded wedding registry.”

Now based in San Francisco, Pottery Barn was founded in 1949 by brothers Paul and Morris Secon in Manhattan, New York. It was later sold to Gap and then, in 1986, Williams-Sonoma, which had 188 Pottery Barn stores, as of 2022.

The Merrifield store supplanted Pottery Barn’s longstanding Tysons Corner Center location, which has closed, a mall spokesperson confirmed. The Tysons mall has been home to Pottery Barn since at least 2008, according to its Yelp reviews.

Pottery Barn didn’t return requests for comment by press time. It also has a store in Fair Oaks Mall.

Other recent additions at the Mosaic District include the Latin wine bar and restaurant Grand Cata and the jewelry store Brilliant Earth. The clothing store Faherty’s is on track to open a couple of doors down from Pottery Barn this Friday, Sept. 1, a spokesperson told FFXnow.

The ice cream shop, Mimi’s Handmade, is still in the works, but no opening date has been announced yet.

A popular taiyaki pop-up based out of Chantilly is settling down near the Dunn Loring Metro station for its first-ever permanent shop.

After working the D.C. area’s farmers market circuit since 2021, Rice Culture will start selling the fish-shaped, Instagram-ready Japanese treats out of a brick-and-mortar store in the Shops at Avenir Place — potentially as soon as this October.

The new location at 2672D Avenir Place will offer an expanded menu with taiyaki ice cream to take advantage of the space built out by Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, which closed in 2020, Rice Culture co-founder and baker MikkiJo Bayawa says.

“We’ll be serving Asian-inspired soft-serve flavors in the taiyaki, and the taiyaki will act as the cone,” Bayawa told FFXnow. “So, that’s something that’s going to be new and exciting, a menu item that we wouldn’t have been able to serve at farmers markets.”

Rice Culture began early in the COVID-19 pandemic out of a similar craving for comfort that spurred a national frenzy of bread-baking.

A native of New Jersey, Bayawa moved to Northern Virginia about five years ago to work on Amazon’s data centers. Upon arriving, however, she found no substitute for the taiyakis hawked at the Jersey-based Japanese grocery store Mitsuwa — a void that particularly stood out once the pandemic limited her and fiancé Kevin Tsai’s travel away from their Centreville apartment.

So, she decided to fill the gap herself, buying a machine that could make up to six taiyakis at a time. Though the waffles are traditionally filled with red bean paste or vanilla custard, Bayawa experimented with different flavors, from cream cheese and Nutella to ube jam — a nod to her mixed Japanese and Filipino identity.

Within a couple of hours of posting some of her creations on Instagram, a “complete stranger” reached out and asked if they were for sale, she says.

“I just got excited and I was like, yeah, sure, I’ll deliver them to you too,” Bayawa recalled, dating that first delivery to January 2021.

From there, the operation grew quickly. After five days, Bayawa and Tsai had to cut off orders, and within a week, baking and delivering the treats became an all-day affair, prompting a search for a professional kitchen and additional staff.

In March 2021, Rice Culture moved into Chantilly’s Frontier Kitchen, and since then, it has regularly appeared at farmers markets, festivals and shopping centers throughout the D.C. region, including the FreshFarm market at Merrifield’s Mosaic District and The Block food hall in Annandale.

Rice Culture can’t claim to have introduced taiyakis to the D.C. area. That honor appears to belong to the Lai family behind the now-shuttered Vietnamese restaurant Four Sisters, who offered taiyaki ice cream at their Boba & Bites shop that opened at the Mosaic District in 2018.

However, Rice Culture remains rare in the region for specializing in the desserts and serving a wide variety of flavors, with 10 or more on rotation every month.

“I think that’s really appealing to customers in this market who want to try something new,” Bayawa said. “They want to try something different, and they want to try also something that is Instagrammable, something they can share with their friends, and our product definitely meets that market need.”

With Rice Culture now successful enough that she could leave her Amazon job, Bayawa has big ambitions for where the business could go, looking at Loudoun County, Maryland, D.C. and even the New Jersey and New York area as potential areas for expansion.

But the temporary pop-ups will be paused once the Dunn Loring store opens, possibly returning in the winter or spring depending on how long it takes to “work out the kinks.”

“We’re trying to create a recipe and a process where anyone that we hire can make the taiyakis just as delicious as me and Kevin, so that me and him can look at growing and opening multiple Rice Culture stores,” Bayawa said. “So, if that means taking a step back from the farmers market, that’s something that we might have to do.”

(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) The Utah-based bakery chain Crumbl Cookies has added Kingstowne to its ever-growing roster of Fairfax County locations.

The business will have a grand opening for its new store in Suite 100 at 5810 Kingstowne Center at 8 a.m. on Friday (Aug. 18), the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday.

During the grand opening, the store will offer free mini cookie samples to customers while supplies last, according to franchise owners Joel and Deenie Frary, who also run an Ashburn location.

“We just knew Crumbl would be perfect for this area!” the couple told FFXnow by email. “Our family spent several years living just minutes from this specific shopping center so we knew that it would be a hit! As natives of NOVA, we love this area and are excited to bring Crumbl to the community.”

Crumbl opened its first store in Logan, Utah in 2017. Emphasizing high-quality ingredients and the experience customers get from watching their treats get made in real time, founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley — now, respectively, the CEO and chief operating officer — started the company after developing what they believe to be the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The chain now has more than 800 locations across the U.S., including in Reston, Vienna, Chantilly and Fair Lakes.

Deenie Frary says she and Joel both grew up in Northern Virginia and have lived in the area for more than 25 years. They first came across Crumbl Cookies while living in Texas and decided to open their own franchise after returning to Virginia, the Loudoun-Times Mirror reported when the Ashburn store opened in 2021.

“To us, Crumbl means happiness and joy and sharing all wrapped up in an extra delicious treat!” Deenie Frary said. “We have been in the ‘cookie business’ for several years now and are so excited to share our love of Crumbl with the Alexandria community. We hope you will come and visit us again and again!”

In a press release, the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce called the bakery “the perfect addition” to Kingstowne Towne Center, a sprawling 45-acre shopping center anchored by Giant, Safeway and a Regal movie theater.

“Customers looking for options have the advantage of Crumbl’s rotating menu inspired by popular flavors, foods, desserts of all kinds,” the chamber said.

Expanding beyond the original chocolate chip cookie, Crumbl’s menu features different flavors that rotate weekly. It also serves pies, cakes and other desserts.

The Kingstowne location will operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The company is also expected to open a store at the Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria this summer.

A new shop in Old Town Fairfax hopes to spark fresh joy with its shelves of vintage wares.

Lucy Loves celebrated its official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (Thursday) after initially opening its doors at 10414 Main Street on Saturday, July 1.

With its eclectic, handmade items, the vintage shop is appropriately located down a small alleyway tucked behind the Vietnamese restaurant East Wind, offering the impression of a hidden gem.

Though narrow, the hallways of the store managed to fit local residents, Old Town Fairfax Business Association members, Fairfax City Economic Development Authority officials and Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read.

“This kind of business is the kind of business that Old Town Fairfax has been missing,” Read said.

Lucy Loves is an outgrowth of the Fairfax Funky Flea, an outdoor flea market that operates on the last Saturday of every month from April to November. Owner Sharon Buttram says she and longtime friend Kathy Hackshaw decided to launch the now-popular flea market in 2021 after bonding over a mutual love of hunting for vintage odds and ends at thrift shops and estate sales.

“I love mixing old stuff and new stuff, and I like making it current,” Buttram said. “…I don’t want my house to be a museum of old stuff. I like to mix it up and be really eclectic in my approach. So we just thought we should do a flea market. We love going to flea markets.”

Lucy Loves currently sells a mix of items like clothing, jewelry and pottery from 16 commissioned local vendors, many of whom Buttram recruited from Fairfax Funky Flea. But in the future, Buttram hopes to also use the cozy space for community gatherings.

“I’d also like this to become a cornerstone of the community as well as an event space,” Buttram said. “Like, if you want to have a conversation about something, let’s have conversation nights. I think after a couple of years of isolation with Covid, we were starved for person-to-person [interaction]. We want to touch things…Everything you see here, you can find online, but it’s a different experience when you go, and you can touch it, and you’re supporting somebody small.”

Read sees Lucy Loves as “exactly the kind of business that people want in a historic downtown.”

“They want some place where they can go to lunch or go to dinner and wander around and pop their head into shops and spend 30 minutes looking at everything in the shop,” she said.

According to Read, Fairfax City has been working to attract more businesses and shoppers so it can better compete with major shopping centers like Fairfax Corner, Mosaic District and Tysons Corner Center.

“I think Lucy Loves is the beginning of seeing more of this kind of retail want to come to our downtown,” Read said. “This is a very promising turn of events for the City of Fairfax because we want to attract visitors. But we also want our residents to stay here. We want our residents to dine here, shop here, attend our events here and to support businesses just like this one.”

In the future, Buttram envisions collaborating with George Mason University students to further engage them in the creative process.

“I’m really excited about a bigger partnership with GMU, and I’ve talked to them about doing workshops for students in their makerspace,” Buttram said. “But I’m also talking to them about even [giving] makers on campus that want to sell things [an opportunity to sell here].”

But for now, Buttram is proud of what she’s accomplished, finally cutting a ribbon on a shop named after her grandmother — “an original thrifty soul” who loved everything, she says.

“I’m really proud of the shop and the turnout today and of all my friends and family in the city,” Buttram said. “I love doing it here in the city. I’ve lived here for 30 years, and it’s just my absolute favorite place here in Virginia. So to have this here is the culmination of all the things I’ve wanted and then to have all my friends come out and support me, it’s been really meaningful to me.”

“This is a small shop, and I fully expect that one of these days, they will outgrow this space,” Read said. “But for now, having a space that’s over full of things is a good thing.”