A local chain of New Mexico-inspired restaurants has set its sights on Arlington.
Anita’s, which has served New Mexican cuisine across Northern Virginia for nearly 50 years, intends to open a fast-casual location in Virginia Square later this year, Vice President of Operations Tommy Tellez told ARLnow.
The eatery will be the first in Arlington for the family-owned restaurant. Located at 3444 Fairfax Drive, it will replace the former Extreme Pizza location that shuttered earlier this year.
“We’ve never had a restaurant inside the Beltway, so this is a first for us,” Tellez said. “But of our caterings, delivery, drop-offs, 75% of it right now is Arlington, D.C. — more so Arlington. So, the opportunity came and we jumped on it.”
Founded in 1974, Anita’s currently has nine locations across Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Most operate as a traditional dine-in establishment, with patrons receiving tableside service. The Virginia Square location, however, will require customers to order at a counter before finding their seating — an idea resulting from the company’s experience during the pandemic.
Anita’s carryout efforts, which were about 65% of the company’s business before the pandemic, only grew as dining rooms shuttered, Tellez said. The model’s success, and the benefits of operating a smaller restaurant space, has prompted the family to double down on it.
The Virginia Square restaurant will be the company’s second following the fast-casual model, in addition to a Manassas location that opened in January.
“When you come in and order, the atmosphere is as if you’re in a nicer establishment, and I’m still bringing it to you on plates … you’ll feel that experience, but you’re ordering at the counter,” Tellez said. “You’re given a number and you sit and dine in, but then you also have the option to take it to go.”
Much of Anita’s traditional menu will be served at the Virginia Square location, including its popular breakfast burritos. But minor modifications will be made to embrace the hastened pace of a fast casual environment.
“It won’t change much,” Tellez said. “We’re going to be introducing some weekly specials. Because it’s a grab and go kind of place, the turnover on tables a lot faster, so we’re kind of modifying the menu a tad bit for items that are a little bit quicker to prepare.”
For now, Anita’s is aiming to open the Virginia Square location by late summer.
“We work pretty expeditiously,” Tellez said. “We have internal teams that do our cosmetic renovations… so we kind of control the timeline. And we are not as patient as most.”
