Meridian Pint in Dominion Hills is undergoing yet another change in ownership.
The family restaurant and taphouse closed on Oct. 31 after opening its doors in 2019. This wasn’t the last call for the restaurant space at 6035 Wilson Blvd, however. Next month, it will reopen as Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar.
This transition marks the third ownership change in four years. John Andrade, the original owner, passed the reins to Fitzgerald Lewis in 2021. Lewis, a noted figure in the local restaurant scene, has ownership stakes in about 20 eateries in the area, including Crafthouse Arlington in Ballston and Barley Mac in Rosslyn.
Lewis’s tenure was also short-lived, though, with the restaurateur citing the same reasons as Andrade for tapping out: financial losses.
“It was not making money,” he told ARLnow.
One of the co-owners of the new Thai restaurant, Nancy Kittitaraphan, said she has a long-standing relationship with Lewis, having worked as his server for eight years at another Thai restaurant in Clifton.
“He’s known me a long time and said he had this opportunity for me,” Kittitaraphan told ARLnow. “I said, ‘Okay, this is my chance to open my own restaurant.'”
Last month, Lewis sold Meridian Pint to Kittitaraphan and her partners — consisting of family and friends.
“I’ve known Nancy for like seven or eight years. She’s a great operator… I think she’ll do fantastic there because she’s a very hard worker,” Lewis said.
The restaurant began renovations on Oct. 31, with plans to reopen in the first week of December, according to Kittitaraphan.
While there will be some minor cosmetic changes, the restaurant’s aesthetic will largely remain the same, with new owners opting to keep the original furniture and leaving the bar — which features over 20 taps — untouched.
Hat tip to Andy Browne