A property owner in Crystal City is seeking the county’s blessing to add an outdoor beer garden to a vacant building.
Scapegoat Beer Garden, in the works at 556 22nd Street S. on Restaurant Row, hopes to gain approval from the Arlington County Board to start using two of three outdoor patios constructed — without permits — during the pandemic.
The previous tenant, longtime Greek restaurant Athena Pallas, closed permanently in 2022 without ever getting official approval for the patios, built in what were previously parking spaces, property broker A. Paul Voutsas told ARLnow.
“During COVID, we built [temporary outdoor seating areas] to try to keep all those restaurants there alive,” Voutsas said. “Athena Pallas never actually applied for their permits for the TOSAs, so we’re just trying to keep those TOSAs for the beer garden going there.”
Scapegoat, which plans to serve a Korean street food menu, is seeking the County Board’s approval for outdoor patio usage and further landscaping. If approved, the restaurant’s outdoor dining area could accommodate up to 208 outdoor guests — more than double the 79 indoor seats available, a county staff report notes.
Scapegoat would only use two of the three patios. The third would be reserved for the adjacent Enjera Ethiopian Restaurant.
Because construction of the patios left the property’s parking lot out of compliance with county zoning rules, a proposed site plan amendment requires Scapegoat to restripe its parking lot, modify a pinch-point lane and add one compact parking space.
The final lot would include a total of 16 approved parking spaces and an additional eight spaces which are not up to county standards but would remain available.
County staff support the proposed changes, but some nearby residents expressed concerns at the potential for increased “noise, drunken behavior, and parking problems.”
“We support our neighbors on Restaurant Row and want them to be successful, but are concerned that without an effective mitigation and enforcement plan, things like rowdy behavior and crime, which already are issues on 23rd street, can quickly get out of control,” Rachel Hicks, president of the Aurora Highlands Civic Association, wrote in an October letter to the county.
In order to mitigate some of these “potential negative effects,” the county and restaurant agreed upon several proposed permit conditions. These conditions — similar to those applied at other outdoor cafes and rooftop dining areas in Arlington — include limiting business hours to 9 a.m.-11 p.m., prohibiting live entertainment outside and keeping all points of sale inside the restaurant.
If approved, the permit will be up for County Board review within a year to assess its effectiveness.
County staff noted ongoing efforts to support businesses while “the nature of retail is changing significantly.”
“Encouraging a successful restaurant sector is important for creating active street life, reducing vacant commercial space, and creating strong mixed-use neighborhoods,” the report says.
Pending county approval, the beer garden hopes to open later this year. Kendrick Wu, whose resume includes Malaysian bar Thirsty Crow in D.C., would be the operator.
“We’re hoping for a summer opening,” Voutsas said. “As soon as we get the green light, we’ve got crews on standby just waiting to get after it.”
Wu was unavailable to speak with ARLnow before publication.
