A Java Loco location is preparing to open within the next few weeks near the Ballston Metro station, replacing a Starbucks that closed last year.
The Vietnamese cafe and bubble tea shop plans to open at 901 N. Stuart Street in late September or early October, co-owners Nam Tran and Nga Ho told ARLnow.
This will be the sixth location for the Northern Virginia chain. Tran and Ho, a husband-and-wife team, credit their resilience to quality ingredients, moderate pricing and good locations.
In addition to signature Vietnamese coffee and real-fruit boba tea, the new shop will feature Italian espresso, cold foam drinks and ceremonial-grade matcha. It will also serve pastries and other bakery items, including Cuban-style sandwiches and bagels with in-house aioli.
The menu will emphasize locally sourced ingredients. Tran and Ho say they are forging ahead with expanding their business, which has other spots in Alexandria and Fairfax County, despite broader economic challenges.
“In the last couple of years, there [are] rising costs in all kinds of materials and labor. It really affects [businesses] in general. We are not an exception,” Tran told ARLnow. “I would say it hurts everybody. We just try to manage.”
Their situation tracks with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, which showed a 4% year-on-year consumer price increase across the D.C. area this July. Tran said Java Loco taps into part of the market where consumer spending is still strong, even as some residents tighten their belts.
“I see people spending more money on frozen stuff, or trying to cut down the budget for everyday life,” Tran said. “But for some stuff like coffee, they still like to have really good coffee that can’t be made by machines at home.”
Ho said that the Ballston cafe’s location near the Metro station sets it apart from spots like the one in Crystal City, where traffic remains relatively steady throughout the day.
“In the morning, we will have a lot of commuters,” Ho said. “At noon, we will have a lot of office staff. And also in the afternoon, we will have a lot of students and locals around here.”
The shop will be open from 6 a.m.-8:30 p.m. It’s about 90% complete, the owners say, but it still needs a final building inspection before it can open.
