Dior has arrived at Tysons Galleria.
The French fashion house’s new boutique is now in business on the mall’s second floor near Neiman Marcus. Tysons Galleria announced that the store had opened on April 28 — beating its previously projected timeframe of summer 2023.
Selling clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories, the store is Dior’s first retail location in Virginia, saving local patrons from a trip downtown to the one in CityCenterDC.
The company’s public relations team told FFXnow it was “unable to secure a quote” on why Dior chose Tysons Galleria for its first Virginia location, but given the mall’s wealth of luxury designers, from Prada to Balenciaga, the brand that helped define post-World War II fashion seems like a natural fit.
The 5,188-square-foot store is next-door neighbors with Gucci, and a Versace boutique is just two doors down.
According to its website, other recent arrivals to Tysons Galleria include watch manufacturers Breitling and Omega. The mall also welcomed Swiss watchmaker Panerai, the restaurants Jiwa Singapura and Yard House, and the dine-in theater CMX CinéBistro earlier this year.
Tenants listed as “coming soon” include the Los Angeles-originated studio Alo Yoga, French swimwear brand Vilebrequin, and a Hair Social And Med Spa.
When Panerai was scouting potential locations for its first-ever store in the D.C. region, Tysons Galleria emerged as an appropriate choice for the self-described “luxury” Italian watchmaker.
The company’s new boutique opened yesterday (Wednesday) on the mall’s second floor, between stores for Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen and Montblanc, which also sells watches as well as pens and leather goods.
“Tysons Galleria has stood up to its reputation as a premier shopping destination in the D.C. area, something that truly resonates with our brand ethos,” a Panerai spokesperson said. “Given Panerai’s product line and appeal, Tysons instantly became a fit as it has successfully connected and met the rising demands of local shoppers for luxury goods.”
The over-400-square-foot store features a VIP lounge for private consultations and was designed based on a new concept by Panerai Creative Director Alvaro Maggini.
According to a press release, the design was inspired by “industrial architecture and the sea world, paying homage to Panerai’s craftsmanship in watchmaking and ties to the Italian Navy.”
Upon entering, Panerai exhibits a warm, inviting space that instantly diffuses the brand’s adventurous and bold appeal. The decor’s unique features include custom Italian furniture, dark ceilings, concrete walls, veined marble flooring, and Panerai’s signature luminous green wall clock. This latest creative concept transforms the store’s atmosphere and reimagines the brand’s relationship with its customers: making it a destination for leisure, connection, and compelling experiences.
Founded in 1860, the business was started in Florence, Italy, by Giovanni Panerai as the city’s first watch-making school and a shop that supplied the Italian Royal Navy.
Panerai didn’t introduce civilian watch collections until 1993, according to its website, which also highlights its development of a custom-made model for actor Sylvester Stallone to wear in the 1996 movie “Daylight.”
The company now has over 250 boutiques worldwide, including about 60 locations in the U.S.
Panerai is the latest new tenant to open at Tysons Galleria in recent weeks, following IWC, the restaurants Yard House and Jiwa Singapura, and the dine-in movie theater CMX CinéBistro. Other openings include the home furniture store Azzurri and the menswear outlet Indochino.
Electric car manufacturer Lucid Motors has also opened a delivery and service center with a showroom next to Bowlero.
The food, beer and throwback tunes will flow when Yard House opens its doors at Tysons Galleria this weekend.
The American sports bar chain will open on the mall’s second level, near Crate & Barrell, on Sunday (Feb. 26) — slightly later than previously anticipated.
The 14,236-square-foot restaurant will have an outdoor patio, a bar with 130 taps of craft and import beers, and a glass-enclosed keg room that can hold up to 4,000 gallons of beer.
Owned by Darden Restaurants, Yard House has over 80 locations in the U.S. The Tysons restaurant is the fourth in the D.C. area, joining locations at Springfield Town Center, D.C.’s Chinatown and Gaithersburg, Maryland.
The operating hours will be 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to Tysons Galleria. Curbside pickups and online deliveries are also available at varying hours.
“Guests can toast to happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. featuring half-price appetizers and $1-$4 off beer, wine and cocktails,” Yard House said.
The menu has over 100 items, including burgers, pizza, tacos, steak, seafood and a variety of salads and desserts. The Nashville-style hot chicken and poke nachos are among the most popular dishes, according to Yard House.
Tysons Galleria has been busy with openings recently, welcoming the movie theater CMX CinéBistro in late January and the restaurant Jiwa Singapura just last week. All three tenants are located in the renovated wing that once belonged to Macy’s.
Still to come to the mall this year is a Dior clothing store, which is slated to open in June.
Before he helped oversee the Washington Nationals’ rise from cellar dwellers to World Series champions, Ted Lerner was busy building Tysons.
The real estate developer who transformed rural farmland into Fairfax County’s urban center died Sunday (Feb. 12) at the age of 91 in his Chevy Chase, Maryland, home. The cause was complications from pneumonia, as first reported by the Washington Post.
As founder and principal of Lerner Enterprises, Lerner laid the groundwork for Tysons by establishing Tysons Corner Center — now one of the biggest and busiest malls in the D.C. area — and the nearby Tysons II development. This work made him a visionary in the eyes of those now charged with shaping the area’s future.
“Ted Lerner was a visionary who laid a foundation for a mixed use Tysons Center which is now continuing to evolve into a dynamic urban community,” Tysons Community Alliance Chair Josh White said to FFXnow. “His contributions will continue on well into the future.”
In a memorial video from Lerner Enterprises, Lerner said his work in both real estate and baseball focused on “striving for excellence and building for future generations.”
“That way, it’s not about the properties at all. It’s about community. It’s about the future,” he said.
A native of D.C. and Army veteran, Theodore Lerner entered the real estate industry in 1951 with a $250 loan from his wife, painter and sculptor Annette Morris, according to a bio provided by the Nationals.
After initially getting a foothold in housing as a pioneer of concepts like model houses and centralized sales, he turned to the retail market with investments in Maryland’s Wheaton Plaza, which opened in 1960, and the land at the intersection of routes 7 and 123 then known as Tysons Corner.
When Lerner and fellow developer Gerald Halpin started building in Tysons, the area had little in the way of amenities beyond a corner store and a beer joint amid dairy farms and fruit orchards, according to the Post. That changed with the arrival of the Capital Beltway in 1961 and Dulles International Airport in 1962.
In a heated battle for control, the developer team of Lerner, Homer Gudelsky and H. Max Ammerman beat Baltimore banker James Rouse to get the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ approval for its $20 million plan to build a shopping center on 85 acres on the northeast side of the crossroads.
Tysons Corner Center opened in 1968 to quick success with an initial focus on local businesses, the Post reported in an extensive 1988 profile.
“When Tysons was still an apple orchard, he understood the potential for population growth and the demand for retail that would follow,” Fairfax County Economic Development Authority president and CEO Victor Hoskins said. “He predicted the emergence and value of enclosed malls which were a new concept at the time and helped transform Tysons into a predominant retail cluster in the Mid-Atlantic region.” Read More
A new Singaporean restaurant at Tysons Galleria is ready to serve its first patrons tonight (Wednesday).
After offering a preview in December, the mall will officially welcome Jiwa Singapura at 5 p.m. on the third floor of its redeveloped Macy’s wing, across from the recently launched CMX CinéBistro movie theater.
The restaurant comes from international chef Pepe Moncayo, who’s best known in the U.S. for the Spanish-Japanese fusion establishment Cranes in downtown D.C.
“Jiwa Singapura blends street food and high-end dining, for a taste of some of the Asian city-state’s boldest, nuanced flavors,” the restaurant said in a press release. “The menu features classics like Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and chili crab, as well as nods to the family recipes of Singapore native and Moncayo’s wife, Aishah Moncayo.”
Though originally from Spain, Moncayo moved to Singapore in 2010 to work at a new restaurant. He met his wife and launched his first solo venture on the island before relocating to D.C. to open Cranes in 2019.
Brookfield Properties, which manages Tysons Galleria, previously told FFXnow that it made a deal with the Cranes team for Jiwa Singapura because the restaurant would be “a unique offering” not just for the mall, but for the D.C. area as a whole.
Moncayo says the “diverse and collaborative” community in Tysons is something he values after working and living in Singapore.
“Tysons has an urban presence with a small community feel and we felt it would be the perfect place to open this new and exciting concept of Singaporean cuisine in the Northern Virginia area,” he said in a statement to FFXnow. “We look forward to this new chapter and collaborating with our neighbors and other stakeholders in the community.”
Designed by the architectural firm //3877, the 10,000-square-foot restaurant features a main dining room with 170 seats, 30-foot-high ceilings, an open kitchen, and a bar area with 10 seats and four stand-up tables.
There is also a 16-seat “semi-private” dining room and a 3,000-square-foot outdoor terrace with 80 seats and a mini-bar.
The drink offerings include a wine list with nearly 60 labels, sake, a house rice pilsner developed in partnership with local favorite Caboose Brewing Company, and a signature rum and apple brandy cocktail named after Singapore’s iconic Merlion.
For now, Jiwa Singapura is only open for dinner, operating from 5-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, but lunch hours are coming soon, according to the press release.
Tysons moviegoers can now escape to Pandora while munching on blackened salmon.
CMX CinéBistro (2001 International Drive, Suite 1700U) has officially opened at Tysons Galleria after a couple of delays last fall. The dine-in movie theater, which features a full bar and lounge, is located on the third floor of the mall’s redeveloped Macy’s wing.
CMX Cinemas announced on Instagram that its newest theater opened its doors for the first time last Friday (Jan. 27).
The 43,268-square-foot theater has over 800 reclining seats in eight screening rooms. Available in theaters and at the Stone Sports Bar in the lobby, the menu focuses on “rustic New American cuisine” prepared by formally trained chefs, CMX said in a press release.
“The thing that really sets our menu and concept apart from other theaters in the region is that we serve it in-theater while guests are sitting in a plush recliner, and we pair it with the latest projection and audio technology,” CMX CEO Patrick Ryan said. “We want to be able to check every box in terms of food, technology, comfort and amenities, because it’s when you put it all together that it adds up to an unbeatable experience.”
Dishes include blackened salmon with roasted garlic mash and butter sauce, artichoke cakes with Old Bay remoulade and Brazilian tomato slaw, a signature CMX Burger, and a crispy chicken bowl with jasmine rice.
Standard movie theater concessions are also available, along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic milkshakes.
Patrons planning to use the in-theater dining service need to arrive at least 30 minutes before their showtime, and except for films designated as “family-friendly,” showings after 8:30 p.m. are limited to people 21 and older.
Movies currently playing include recent Oscar nominees like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” along with this weekend’s new releases “80 for Brady” and M. Night Shamalyan’s “Knock at the Cabin.” There was also a repertory screening of “Rocky” on Wednesday (Feb. 1).
Ticket prices vary based on the movie and time of day, from $8 for a weekday matinee of “80 for Brady” to $14.49 for a “prime time” showing of “Top Gun: Maverick” on Friday night. On Tuesdays, all tickets for adults and kids are just $5, according to a promotional sign outside the theater.
This is CMX’s first location in Fairfax County, though the Florida-based company has theaters in Richmond and Leesburg.
“We are proud of our tenant offerings, and CMX CineBistro is one of the final elements that will complete the new wing at Tysons Galleria,” said Chris Pine, executive vice president of anchors, big box leasing and development at Brookfield Properties for retail. “CMX offers a sophisticated and comfortable experience that compliments the Tysons Galleria experience.”
The final additions to the new wing include the Southeast Asian restaurant Jiwa Singapura, which is located directly across from CinéBistro and expected to open early this year, and Yard House.
The sports bar was scheduled to have a grand opening on Jan. 15, but permit issues with Fairfax County delayed the opening, which will now be on Feb. 26, according to Dylan Wieder, executive chef for Yard House’s Tysons location.
Holiday shoppers have flocked over the past week to a new coffee shop in Tysons Galleria from an unexpected source.
Ralph Lauren, the fashion company known for its polo shirts, opened Ralph’s Coffee on Dec. 19, just in time to take advantage of the final Christmas shopping rush.
“I think that’s what really brought the foot traffic in the mall because of the holiday time,” store manager Danica Little told FFXnow. “Everyone’s looking, they’re seeing something new, and they want to try it, so we’re excited. It was perfect timing for us.”
Replacing a shuttered Starbucks, the shop is located next to Ralph Lauren’s store, which recently moved from Tysons Galleria’s third floor to the first floor near Neiman Marcus. An internal doorway allows visitors to walk back and forth between the two businesses.
This is the first Ralph’s Coffee in the D.C. area, Little confirmed. The concept began as a pop-up truck in New York City, where Ralph Lauren has its headquarters, before a brick-and-mortar location overlooking Fifth Avenue opened in 2014.
Since then, Ralph’s Coffee has expanded to four locations in New York, one in Miami and one in Chicago, along with two shops in Europe and several in Asia. Ralph Lauren is also dabbling in the food service industry with restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Italy, France and China.
According to its website, Ralph’s sells special roast, decaf and espresso blends that use coffee beans grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The beans are roasted and packaged by La Colombe, a Philadelphia-based roaster that says it uses sustainable, equitable trade practices.
In addition to coffee, the menu includes hot and cold teas, hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods and pastries. The brownie got an approving shoutout from at least one TikTok foodie who visited the shop on its opening day.
While not aware of any specific plans for other locations, Little says Ralph Lauren intends to expand its coffee services. The company has other stores in the D.C. area, including in downtown D.C., Silver Spring, and Woodbridge, but Tysons Galleria is the only Fairfax County location.
Ralph’s Coffee follows the mall’s operating hours, which are typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Tysons Galleria’s hours are slightly different for the winter holidays until Feb. 1.
“We’ve been open for just a few days…It’s been very successful, and we’ve been really happy with all the turnout,” Little said.
(Updated at 8:55 a.m. on 12/15/2022) A new sports bar is brewing at Tysons Galleria, and it will arrive just in time for the NFL playoffs.
Yard House will hold a grand opening for its location in the mall’s redeveloped Macy’s wing on Jan. 15, the team announced on the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Instagram last week.
“We’re ready to take care of ya’ll,” Dylan Wieder, the restaurant’s executive chef, said in the announcement.
Yard House’s planned entry into Tysons was first reported in August 2021 by the Washington Business Journal. The restaurant has taken over a 14,236-square-foot space with an outdoor patio next to Arhaus Furniture.
Known for an extensive menu and draft beer lineup, Yard House was envisioned by its founders as “the world’s greatest tap room” when it launched in Long Beach, California. Its December 1996 opening featured 250 beers and “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark” actor Cassandra Peterson as a guest bartender, according to the Press-Telegram.
The company was acquired in 2012 by Darden Restaurants, the group behind chains like Olive Garden and The Capital Grille. It now has over 80 locations around the U.S., including ones at Springfield Town Center and D.C.’s Chinatown.
The Tysons Galleria location will feature 130 taps, ranging from American craft and import beers to “local and regional pours hand-picked by the restaurant’s management team,” according to the business.
“Nothing unites better than beer,” Yard House said in a statement to FFXnow. “Tysons Galleria is already known for bringing people together, and we’re excited to join the community and the party with great beer, great food and great music.”
Here’s more on what to expect from the new restaurant/bar:
The glass-enclosed keg room showcases hundreds of steel barrels containing as much as 4,000 gallons of beer that flow to the center-island bar through an extensive network of beer lines positioned overhead.
While beer is Yard House’s heart, food is its soul. With more than 100 menu items made from scratch, there’s something for everyone on the menu. Featured menu items include the Poke Nachos, Nashville Hot Chicken, Street Tacos and Proprietary USDA Prime Blend burgers. Gluten-sensitive, vegan and vegetarian options are also available.
The restaurant is open daily for lunch, dinner and late night dining. Guests can toast to happy hour Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. featuring half-price appetizers and $1-$4 off beer, wine and cocktails.
Tysons Galleria owner Brookfield Properties created a new wing by subdividing 260,000 square feet of space that had belonged to Macy’s until the department store closed in 2019. Major tenants in the fully leased wing include Crate & Barrel and Bowlero.
In addition to Yard House, the mall is awaiting the arrivals of the restaurant Jiwa Singapura, which slated to open in early 2023, and CMX CinéBistro, a dine-in movie theater whose premiere has been put on hold.
Tysons Galleria is getting a triple dose of Santa Claus this December.
In addition to the previously reported “Pictures with Santa” event, which is now taking place daily near Sweetgreen, the mall will host a Fashion Santa and the return of Black Santa, who proved to be a big draw for Neiman Marcus last year.
Neiman Marcus confirmed to FFXnow that it has partnered again with Santas Just Like Me to bring a Black man dressed as Santa to its Tysons Galleria store (2255 International Drive).
As the first time in its 33-year history that the department store hired a non-white Santa, last year’s appearance morphed from a three-hour storytime to two days of photos to accommodate the demand.
“Neiman Marcus has a storied history of holiday traditions and in-store celebrations that are beloved by our customers, especially as we look to make each moment special this season,” Neiman Marcus General Manager Kathy Leigh said. “We are delighted to have a Santa that represents our community join us again…Customers and their families can share their wish lists, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and explore our remarkable holiday gifting assortment.”
The “Black Santa Experience” will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 10-11). Appointments cost $74.95, including the cost of the photos, and can be booked online through Santas Just Like Me.
Just two days later, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Fashion Santa will strike poses from 6 to 8 p.m. outside Neiman Marcus.
Described as “the suave brother of our favorite jolly holiday icon,” this Santa will host a sneak peek of Jiwa Singapura, the 10,000-square-foot Singaporean and Malaysian restaurant coming to Tysons Galleria’s redeveloped Macy’s wing.
Previously expected to open in October, the restaurant is now slated to open in early 2023, according to a public relations representative.
Jiwa Singapura is being developed by the team behind Cranes, a D.C.-based Spanish and Japanese fusion restaurant. Chef Pepe Moncayo, who’s also working on a concept at Capital One Center, will be present at next week’s event to offer a preview of the planned menu.
“Designed by //3877, Jiwa Singapura takes inspiration from the modern built forms of Singapore with traditional patterns,” the public relations representative said by email. “The space will capture the best of Singapore’s street-food culture and high-end dining, giving the larger D.C.-metro area a taste of some of the Asian city-state’s boldest, nuanced flavors. Expect to see the classics like Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and chili crab.”
Registration for the Fashion Santa event is free, but the event page says donations to Capital Area Food Bank will be encouraged.
Fresh off a successful appearance on the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” a Bethesda-based men’s fashion start-up will open its first physical store at Tysons Galleria this weekend.
The Collars & Co. pop-up will launch Sunday (Nov. 20) on the mall’s first floor in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. It will stay open through Thanksgiving weekend, departing after Dec. 4, the company announced Wednesday (Nov. 16).
“Inspired by holiday jet-setting, the pop-up store will highlight the comfort and versatility of Collars & Co.’s quality menswear products that make it the perfect clothing for holiday travel as well as the best gifts for men on-the-go,” the press release said.
The opening comes on the heels of Collars & Co. founder and CEO Justin Baer securing an investment deal worth $1 million on an episode of “Shark Tank” that aired Nov. 11.
Founded in 2021, the company has laid claim to inventing a “dress collar polo” as a more comfortable alternative to formal men’s dress shirts. It has sold 92,000 shirts and made $5.4 million with only online sales so far, Baer told the show’s panel of investors.
“It’s a stretchy, comfortable golf shirt, except the top has a firm collar on it, so it gives you the exact same look of a dress shirt, but it’s really just a comfortable polo,” Baer said in his pitch. “…We are helping guys look stylish and stay comfortable.”
The panel sounded impressed by the quality of the shirts, a few of which were handed out as examples, and the early success that the business has seen, but Baer nearly ended up empty-handed after he rejected a proposal from “sharks” Mark Cuban and Peter Jones.
The billionaire entrepreneurs offered to provide $300,000 in cash and a $700,000 line of credit for a 10% stake in Collars & Co., higher than the 3% Baer was seeking. He argued the offer was undervaluing the company, which led to comments about the unpredictable nature of fashion trends and fears of a looming recession.
“People aren’t buying shirts when they can’t pay their mortgage,” FUBU CEO Daymond John said, warning that “everything goes out of style.”
When Cuban and Jones said they wouldn’t invest for less than 10%, Baer relented and accepted their offer, which included market-rate interest.
“It’s first dollar in, meaning I get paid the minute you get paid by your customer,” Cuban said.
Open during regular mall hours, the Tysons Galleria store will have those signature dress collar polo shirts, a brand-new outerwear collection, and accessories. There will also be “an Instagram-worthy first-class travel photo opp” where shoppers can take pictures “in a space designed to look like the interior of a private jet,” the press release said.