Around Town

Previous plans for an ax-throwing venue inside a forthcoming Clarendon restaurant have gotten the ax.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company no longer intends to let people throw axes at targets in its new restaurant on Barnes & Noble’s former ground floor. Instead, the Charlottesville-based brewery plans to focus the location primarily on dining, a whiskey distillery, tasting room and private event space, President Scott Roth told ARLnow.


Around Town

A Brazilian and Lebanese-inspired charcoal chicken shop is now open for business on Langston Blvd.

Tio Pelé celebrated its grand opening last week at 3110 Langston Blvd in Lyon Village, slinging whole and half chickens, sandwiches, bowls and fresh juice. Customers lined up around the property to get a taste of the family-owned spot, located at the former site of The Block Oven, a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge.


Around Town

Plans for a new juice bar across from the Ballston Metro station are moving forward despite the arrest of one of its co-founders earlier this month.

Signs advertising Paradise Juice Bar have recently appeared at 4219 Fairfax Drive, where co-founders Saleh Salim and Sam Ahmed have planned the business since last summer. The juice shop still intends to open within the next month, following Salim’s March 18 arrest as local authorities investigated a regional drug trafficking ring.


Around Town

Two nightlife venues have closed in Clarendon ahead of a neighborhood redevelopment project.

Arlington Beer Garden is no longer in business at 3217 10th Street N., an employee told ARLnow, and the nearby Clarendon 54 club is now fenced off, with new signage advising of “on-site construction activity” at 3200 Wilson Blvd.


Around Town

A local Thai restaurant chain with lunch specials and astrology-themed cocktails is celebrating its Falls Church debut this weekend.

After nearly a year of preparations, My Home Thai Bistro plans to host a grand opening this Saturday for its new restaurant at 1009 W. Broad Street. The new eatery aims to bring “a modern take on Thai cuisine with a refined yet welcoming atmosphere,” co-owner Anuchit “Andrew” Suthus-na-Ayuttaya told ARLnow.


Around Town

A locally owned cafe and bubble tea shop is coming to the Ballston Metro station.

Java Loco is planning to replace the former Starbucks at 901 N. Stuart Street, co-founder Nam Tran told ARLnow. The family-owned cafe, led by Tran and his wife, Nga Ho, serves espresso drinks, Vietnamese coffee, smoothies, pastries and a variety of sandwiches and salads.


Around Town

The founders of a new cafe at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center are hoping to bring some Vietnamese flair to Yorktown later this year.

Tina Dam and David Le are preparing to open Cup of Bliss “in the summer to early fall” at 2439 N. Harrison Street, Dam told ARLnow. They plan to serve coffee, baked goods and Vietnamese specialities from a retail bay that had been vacant for more than three years.


Around Town

A family-owned nail salon franchise that opened during the throes of the pandemic has closed for business near Rosslyn.

Paint Nail Bar, a nationwide chain franchised by local couple Kevin and Amber Donohoo, closed at 1520 Clarendon Blvd this week after more than five years in business. The salon is holding a final sale to get rid of merchandise, supplies and furniture at discounted prices through this Saturday.


Around Town

Restaurateurs with projects in Arlington and Falls Church are stepping into another RAMMY Awards season with plenty of recognition to go around.

Restaurants and hospitality groups with a foothold in the local area have received nearly two dozen RAMMY semifinalist nominations at the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual program spotlighting excellence in the region’s culinary scene.


News

A $25 minimum wage proposal in D.C. could push some restaurant workers into Northern Virginia in the short term and, in the long term, potentially drive businesses to relocate as well, the head of the region’s restaurant association says.

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington — an outspoken opponent of D.C.’s Initiative 82, which sought to phase out the tip credit for tipped workers — is opposing One Fair Wage’s proposal to raise the District’s minimum wage to $25 per hour by July 2029.


Around Town

A new Pilates studio is rolling out plans to open in Crystal City.

Signs advertising “Pilates on the Mat” have appeared on the ground floor of The Grace and Reva apartments (269 19th Court S.). A website for the upcoming business advertises “a revolutionary fitness concept providing reformer-quality Pilates classes at a fraction of the price,” in addition to “corporate wellness” classes offered at offices and apartments.


View More Stories