Six D.C. United soccer players will be taking over the grills in the Rosslyn new Nando’s Peri-Peri on Thursday (April 12) to benefit the team’s charity partner, D.C. Scores.

All of the proceeds earned that day at Nando’s will go towards D.C. Scores, a non-profit that offers free after school soccer and literacy programs to at-risk D.C. youth.

The players will be using Nando’s grills from 2-8 p.m. The team and Nando’s will also be raffling off a signed team item and a pair of tickets to the D.C. United v. Columbus Crew SC match on April 14.

The location at 1800 N. Lynn Street opened almost a month ago and is one of the chain’s now 41 U.S. locations.

South African spicy chicken restaurant Nando’s is opening its newest location at Rosslyn’s Central Place on Monday (March 12), the company announced today.

A press release noted that players with a Washington sports team will make an appearance for a grand opening charity event to benefit “local underserved youth,” but a Nando’s representative declined to be more specific. A Ballston Nando’s opening in 2016 featured several Washington Capitals players flipping chickens.

The location is the newest of the chain’s now 41 U.S. restaurants. Decorations inside the new location include a portrait by South African artist Nqabutho Phakathi, colorful lighting and an undulating ceiling.

Beginning Monday, the restaurant at 1800 N. Lynn Street, with an entrance on N. Moore Street, will operate from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on weekdays, from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Photos courtesy of Nando’s

(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) Rosslyn’s Central Place will soon be welcoming another restaurant option to the neighborhood.

Nando’s, a South-African/Portuguese chicken restaurant, is coming to 1800 N. Lynn Street. It is currently expected to open in March, we’re told.

There are already two Nando’s locations in Arlington: one at Pentagon Row and another a recently-opened Ballston location. The chain, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, is most well-known for its peri-peri sauce, a chili-based, lemony sauce.

Nando’s is hiring 35 positions in both the front and back of the house, according to the location’s general manager, Jorge Lemus.

A number of restaurants opened last year as part of the Central Place development, including Little Beet, Sweetgreen and a new McDonald’s. Elsewhere in Rosslyn, Poke Bar and Bibimix are expected to open in the next few months.

Photo courtesy of Annathea Cook

The Nando’s Peri-Peri in Pentagon City is set to hand out free chicken as part of a promotional event planned for next week.

The South African-Portuguese chain’s eatery at 1301 S. Joyce Street is scheduled to serve free quarter-chickens, sandwiches, wraps and pitas on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 6-8 p.m. Sides and drinks still will cost money, however

The deal, dubbed the “Nando’s Dash,” only is available to customers who don’t take their food to go.

“Because we get a kick out of being generous, next Tuesday, February 21, we’re putting on a #NandosDash for you at our Pentagon Row restaurant in Arlington,” the chain said in a promotional email.

Photo via Facebook/Nando’s Peri Peri

The new Nando’s Peri-Peri in Ballston will hold its grand opening celebration this coming Saturday, Sept. 17.

The restaurant, in the former Vapiano’s space at 4401 Wilson Blvd, is celebrating its opening with appearances by Washington Capitals players, media personalities and the Caps’ Red Rockers squad.

The new Nando’s will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and all opening day sales will be donated to the Capitals’ official charity, the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, according to a press release. The guest appearances will take place between noon and 7 p.m.

Among those expected to help flip chicken on the grills during the opening event, are:

• Radio personality Elliot Segal from “Elliot in the Morning”
• Left winger Andre Burakovsky
• Center Lars Eller
• Right winger Stanislav Galiev
• Defenseman Nate Schmidt
• Right winger Tom Wilson
• Capitals alumnus Paul Mulvey
• Red Rockers squad
• Caps announcer Wes Johnson
• CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Capitals analyst and Caps alumnus Craig Laughlin
• Capitals contributor Courtney Laughlin

“Nando’s is thrilled to partner with the Caps to Rock the Red in Ballston and support Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation,” said Nando’s U.S. CEO Burton Heiss. The Capitals practice facility, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, is located in Ballston.

From the press release:

Nando’s has built an intensely loyal following by providing fresh food in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly service. Nando’s is known worldwide for its succulent PERi-PERi chicken, marinated for 24 hours, flame-grilled to perfection, and basted to the customer’s preferred flavor and spice.

Every Nando’s is painstakingly designed and completely unique, with earthy textures and bright colors that reflect its sunny African-Portuguese heritage. With thousands of pieces of original works of art that are a constant reminder of where the restaurant came from, Nando’s has become the largest collector of South African contemporary art in the world. In the United States alone, there are more than 600 pieces of original African art in Nando’s restaurants.

No official opening date has been set yet, but construction and building permits are up outside the new Nando’s Peri-Peri restaurant in Ballston.

“We are getting close at Ballston,” said Jim Popkin, a representative for the company.

The restaurant is located at 4401 Wilson Blvd, the former home to Italian eatery Vapiano’s.

A Virginia ABC notice outside of the restaurant indicates that Nando’s is seeking to serve wine, beer and cocktails in a space with more than 150 seats.

The Portuguese-style chicken chain has an existing Arlington location in Pentagon City.

Nando’s Peri-Peri will be bringing its Portuguese-style chicken to Ballston this fall.

The chicken chain is planning to open in the former Vapiano space at the NRECA building (4401 Wilson Blvd), according to a recently-filed construction permit application.

A tipster tells us that Nando’s is eying a November opening. The company did not respond to a request for comment from ARLnow.com last month.

Nando’s has an existing Arlington location on Pentagon Row, which opened in 2012.

Hat tip to Chris Slatt

Nando’s Peri Peri is opening its first Virginia location next month in Pentagon City.

The restaurant, which is currently under construction on Pentagon Row in the old PR Grill space, is expected to open on June 13 after two days of mock service. The company has several locations in the District and Maryland, but this will be the first Nando’s Peri Peri in Virginia. A location is also planned for Old Town Alexandria.

In addition to its signature Portuguese chicken offerings, the Nando’s menu includes sandwiches, wraps, pitas, sides, salads and “appeteasers.” The restaurant also serves wine, beer and sangria.

In a press release, the company said it’s planning to expand beyond the D.C. area.

These openings mark the beginning of an East Coast expansion of the flame-grilled Portuguese chicken restaurant, which is close to announcing several new leases.

The first Nando’s Peri Peri opened its doors in 1987 outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. Since then, Nando’s Peri Peri has opened restaurants in 34 countries and five continents. Today, it has over 850 restaurants located around the world. Nando’s Peri Peri made its USA debut in 2008, when it opened its first US location on 7th Street in Washington, DC’s Chinatown.  Since then, Nando’s has gone on to open six additional locations based in and around the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, including Dupont Circle, Silver Spring, Annapolis, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, and the National Harbor.

The Pentagon Row location is currently hiring full-time and part-time cashiers and grillers, the company said.

Fernando Galaviz (Age 87)
Memorial service info

Fernando Javier Campelle Galaviz, also known as Fernando Vincent Galaviz/FVG passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 5th, 2022.

Fernando Galaviz, 87, was a successful American businessman who immigrated from Mexico at age 9 with his mother, Sara and his brother, Andre in 1944. Fernando’s love of people and life helped him overcome many challenges, including his being legally blind. He was happiest when he helped people achieve their dreams.

Fernando was a leader for most of his adult life. He was the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of THE CENTECH GROUP, Inc. (Centech), a national federal contractor headquartered in the Washington DC area. Since its inception in 1988, CENTECH earned an excellent reputation. Under Fernando Galaviz’s leadership, CENTECH successfully performed on over 4,800 federal contracts with an aggregate revenue of over $1.4 billion. Fernando sold CENTECH in 2020 and retired.

Mr. Galaviz was known nationally as a true advocate of small and minority-owned businesses since the 1960s and has been an effective volunteer and leader in national minority business development programs. His participation contributed to the creation of local, state, and federal programs that enhanced opportunities for minorities and women to participate in the entrepreneurial marketplace. His public service included serving as chief of Industry Trade and Market Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency, and as chief of Direct Contracting and Financial Assistance in the Office of the Secretary Small Business U.S. Department of Transportation. Fernando Galaviz played a key advocacy role in the start of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and was chairman of the Board for Community Investment Opportunity Group, a community-based organization founded to encourage self-investment by minorities in community projects. His community service included serving on the board of United Way in Orange County, California, and as a fundraising chairman for American Cancer Society chapter in Los Angeles. He served as a vice chairman of the Anaheim City Council Advisory Committee and was the member of the Orange County Housing Authority Advisory Board.

As an advocate for entrepreneurs testified before Congressional committees as an advocate of small business and minority programs. He is also lectured on small and minority business issues, particularly addressing the challenges facing small, disadvantaged business community. Fernando Galaviz loved music and the arts. He founded GalaMusic Group, LLC to help budding musician artists record their songs and he built a recording studio for their use. In his younger adult years, Fernando Galaviz held senior-level management positions with major national retail, wholesale, and import-export firms that have ultimately merged into organizations that are part of well-known brands.

His father, Fernando Aguirre Campelle an attorney and social activist in Mexican labor law, and his mother, Sara Diez de Bonilla Galaviz a senior official with Secretary of Education, were role models for Fernando’s foundation of love and service. Fernando Galaviz was single when passed; he is survived by his sons, Adam, Matthew, Daniel, and Jonathan; and daughters, Linda and Karla. His son David passed earlier this year. Fernando has 12 grandchildren: David Jr., Jonathan, Chevelle, Chris, Russ, Kevin, Nico, Cameron, Melissia, Jordan, Zachary, and Sarah; and seven (7) great-grandchildren: Geniva, Parx, Leyla, Scarlett, Ava, Emily, and Daniel.

Fernando made friends with everyone he met. His list of “best friends” is too long to list. His smile, his humor, his dancing, and his love of tackling challenges is what people loved most about Fernando Galaviz. As he would say, he has “graduated”. His spirit and impact remains with so many.

A visitation for Fernando will be held Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10am until 1pm at Murphy Funeral Homes in Arlington. A Mass of Christian Burial will occur at 1pm on Monday, November 21, 2022 at St James Catholic Church, 905 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046 with the burial at Columbia Gardens Cemetery.

A celebration of life party will be held at 5pm on Monday, November 21, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in Tysons, 7901 Tysons One Pl, Tysons, VA 22102

New Rail Bridge Design Revealed — “The new rail bridge will be built with many of the features in the existing span, including its structure, material and form, with steel girders and similar pier spacing, according to preliminary site plans approved this month by the National Capital Planning Commission. The plans also call for the use of Ashlar stone cladding for the bridge piers, and abutments and walls near the George Washington Memorial Parkway.” [Washington Post]

County Board Approves ‘Heights’ Parking — From School Board member Barbara Kanninen: “‘APS did us a solid.’ Thx @kcristol for that comment regarding our hosting the County’s temp fire station for several years! Glad to see the use permit for Phase 2 [of The Heights building in Rosslyn] approved this morning, providing important universal access improvements for all students, esp @APS_Shriver.” [Twitter]

APS Hiring Hundreds of Teachers — “Officials in Arlington Public Schools will also spend the summer working to fill an atypically large number of empty positions. Arlington, which enrolls 27,045 students, according to state data, saw 284 teachers resign between August 2021 and mid-May 2022. The district usually employs about 3,000 teachers, per spokesman Frank Bellavia. That is 96 percent higher than the average number of resignations between 2018-2019 and 2020-2021: 145.” [Washington Post]

Free Chicken Today — “July 18th is Nelson Mandela’s birthday. His birthday is recognized and celebrated world wide as Mandela day; a day for us all to inspire change and make a difference in our communities. At Nando’s we are proud of our South African heritage. We will join in celebrating his birthday on July 18th by following his example and giving back to our communities.” [Nando’s Peri Peri]

Cyclist Struck on Busy Ramp — “Police, fire on scene of cyclist struck by driver on the WB Route 50 / Washington Blvd ramp. Cyclist was thrown from bike and is being treated by medics, per scanner.” [Twitter]

Treasurer Honored, Again — “Arlington County Treasurer Carla de la Pava received the President’s Award for her service and leadership to the Treasurers’ Association of Virginia (TAV). The award was presented during the association’s annual conference in June. It is the second time de la Pava has be recognized with the President’s Award.” [Arlington County]

More Bad Driving on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “You’ll want to see this one. Driver goes bowling with the barrels & almost takes one along for the ride. @VaDOTNOVA time for clean-up again on aisle 8C.” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Mostly cloudy, with rain and possible storms in the evening. High of 88 and low of 74. Sunrise at 5:59 am and sunset at 8:33 pm. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

An opportunistic thief stole a car that was left parked and unlocked, with the key in the ignition, near the Rosslyn Metro station last night, police say.

It happened around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, on the 1800 block of N. Moore Street. The crime was initially reported as a carjacking, and a description of the vehicle was broadcast to other local police departments, but officers later determined that the car was simply driven off and not taken forcibly.

The driver of the car was reportedly inside a restaurant — the block includes a McDonald’s, Bethesda Bagels, Nando’s Peri-Peri, and Happy Eatery (recently renamed after formerly being called Happy Endings Eatery) — when the theft occurred.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2021-12010223, 1800 block of N. Moore Street. At approximately 9:43 p.m. on December 1, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. The investigation determined that at approximately 9:40 p.m., the victim parked his vehicle and left it unlocked with the key in the ignition and entered a restaurant. While inside, a witness observed the suspect enter the vehicle and drive away. The vehicle is described as a 2003 Silver Toyota Matrix XR with Maryland license plate 1DB6405. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Photo via Google Maps. Hat tip to Alan Henney.