A restaurant space and large outdoor dining area in Crystal City could be getting a new dining concept — but it probably won’t be a beer garden.
The former Athena Pallas space at 556 22nd Street S. has sat vacant since summer 2022. For a time, a restaurant and bar called Scapegoat Beer Garden was eyeing the space and working with the county to set up shop — but those plans ultimately crumbled and the site went back on the market earlier this year.
Now, property broker A. Paul Voutsas told ARLnow that he’s closing in on a new tenant. However, he said, “the beer garden fad has kind of come and gone.”
Instead, Voutsas said, he’s seeing more interest in all-day restaurant concepts such as Matt and Tony’s in Alexandria.
“We want something that’s going to complement Bob and Edith’s more than anything,” Voutsas said, referring to the diner located nearby on Restaurant Row.
Voutsas, the principal broker at the commercial real estate company PVIM, is working with several properties in the Crystal City area. The neighborhood has seen an unusual amount of turnover lately, including the closure of restaurants such as Bonsai Sushi and Los Tios Grill.
Voutsas attributed the closures to economic pressures affecting restaurants across the county. He said he hopes to have more news about the former Athena Pallas space in the coming weeks.
Nolan Stout contributed to this story.
