(Updated at 11 a.m.) The McDonald’s on N. Glebe Road in the Buckingham neighborhood is on track to get a second drive-thru lane.
The fast food restaurant at 40 N. Glebe Road plans to add another queuing lane leading up to the existing drive-thru window, increasing how many customers can place orders at the same time. The change is expected to bring shorter lines, cutting down on the amount of cars that back up onto the road, according to a county report.
The Arlington County Board last week signed off on a site plan amendment making this project possible.
“These modifications will alleviate a common occurrence of vehicles queueing in the single drive-through lane and backing up onto North Glebe Road,” the report says.
The change will involve removing four parking spaces and relocating a dumpster. Between 60 and 80 vehicles will be able to move through the drive-thru each hour.
The Board unanimously approved the expansion as a consent calendar item, usually reserved for non-controversial actions.
The Arlington Heights Civic Association and Buckingham Community Civic Association expressed support for the proposal, the county report says. The changes will affect only the drive-thru lanes and will have no impact on the building or the existing drive-thru window.
By contrast, the McDonald’s location at 4834 Langston Blvd faced opposition from county officials in 2020 over its initial plan to add a second drive-thru ordering lane and a recirculation lane. A revised plan, minus the recirculation lane, was approved by the County Board last year. Construction has yet to start on that project.
Photo via Google Maps
The McDonald’s at 4834 Langston Blvd is once more looking to change its drive-thru to reduce backups that spill onto the busy road.
The fast food restaurant has filed a special exception use permit application to add a second ordering station and three more “standing spots” for customers. Currently, the site has one drive-thru lane and a circulating lane wrapped around it.
“The Application proposes a site layout that will improve vehicular flow and help minimize stacking onto Langston Blvd,” McGuireWoods lawyer Matthew Weinstein wrote in the application prepared on behalf of McDonald’s.
About three years ago, the fast food restaurant proposed a second drive-thru lane and a new recirculating lane that would have run between the restaurant and Langston Blvd. These plans fizzled, however, after county officials blasted the plans during an April 2020 meeting of the Arlington County Board.
This time, Weinstein says, the business engaged Arlington County staff to address issues they had with the 2020 application. After talking with staff, McDonald’s nixed the recirculation lane.
“The recirculation lane was staff’s primary concern about the 2020 application,” he wrote. “By removing the recirculation lane, the Applicant envisions a smooth traffic flow and minimal pedestrian conflicts.”
Building a second order station would result in 16 total standing spaces for cars, compared to the 13 that exist today, which “will help minimize potential vehicular stacking onto Langston Blvd,” Weinstein said.
Customers will access the drive-thru from the property’s northwest side, queue in one of two lanes, order, pick up their food and exit on the property’s northeast side.
McDonald’s also took the plans to the Langston Blvd Alliance to compare them against Plan Langston Blvd. This planning study reenvisions the corridor as denser, greener and more walkable.
McDonald’s new plans would reduce parking spots from 34 to 28 spaces but will plant more trees and shrubs to “provide a natural buffer between the restaurant and the Langston Blvd frontage,” Weinstein said.
“[This] will create an attractive setting for McDonald’s customer sand drivers passing by the restaurant on Langston Boulevard,” he said. “McDonald’s customers will also be able to enjoy an outdoor seating and dining area in the landscaped area long the Property’s Langston Boulevard frontage.”
Although the County Board has yet to adopt a final version of the Plan Langston Blvd study, Weinstein says, the plans from McDonald’s align with the preliminary concept plan, or PCP. This document envisions an enhanced streetscape with a wider-right-of-way, landscaped areas, street trees and flexible open spaces.
“The Project accommodates and will not inhibit the PCP’s enhanced streetscape recommendations,” he said.
The application is slated to be reviewed by the Arlington County Board alone, per a public notice of items up for review by the Planning Commission and the Board this month. The Board will meet on Saturday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 21.
A video purporting to show two people attacking an employee inside the Bluemont McDonald’s has been obtained by ARLnow.
The attack happened around 11 p.m. Monday, at the restaurant on the 5000 block of Wilson Blvd. Police say two suspects, a man and a woman, were “involved in a verbal dispute with an employee after receiving an incorrect order through the drive-thru.” The incident then allegedly turned violent.
“Suspect One allegedly threw a water bottle through the window, before parking the vehicle and entering the business,” said the Arlington County Police Department. “Suspect One continued the dispute with the employee before the two suspects began physically assaulting and striking the employee.”
The grainy video, below, shows two people holding down the victim, who’s lying on the floor next to the drive-thru window.
“Call the police,” employees could be heard saying.
“Get off her head,” another says.
“What the [expletive] is wrong with you,” an unidentified person says, before the pair leave the restaurant.
The person who sent the video said the incident started when “the woman wanted free food” and the employee refused. The victim closed the drive-thru window after being splashed with water, but the suspects then went inside, according to the person.
The person alleged that the suspects made negative remarks about the victim being Latina.
The allegations could not be immediately confirmed by police. ACPD also declined to say whether they had the video below in their possession.
“As a result of the investigation, two individuals have been arrested and charged and the case will be processed through the court system where evidence and facts will be presented,” said police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “To ensure the integrity of the ongoing prosecution, there are no additional details to provide at this time.”
Two suspects were taken into custody after police say they initially ran several red lights in the Ballston area before pulling over. A search of their vehicle turned up a gun, according to ACPD.
“Justice Bridges, 26, of Washington D.C., was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and Eluding Police,” said an ACPD crime report. “Michael Ritch, 24 of Capitol Heights, Md., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.”
The person who sent the video said the victim suffered injuries to her torso and her face but is feeling better.
Note: the following video contains strong language and is not safe for work.
An employee at a local McDonald’s was beat up over an incorrect order last night.
The alleged incident happened around 11 p.m. Monday on the 5000 block of Wilson Blvd, in Arlington’s Bluemont neighborhood, west of Ballston.
Police say they were dispatched to “the report of a dispute at a business” when they spotted a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle involved in the dispute. They were trying to pull the car over, at the busy intersection of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd in Ballston, when “the driver accelerated and proceeded through two red lights before coming to a stop.”
“The passenger, Suspect Two, then attempted to flee on foot but was located by officers and taken into custody,” said the Arlington County Police Department, in a crime report this afternoon “The driver, Suspect One, remained in the vehicle and was taken into custody.”
According to ACPD, the incident stemmed from an incorrect order the suspects received at a restaurant drive-thru.
“The investigation determined that the two suspects had become involved in a verbal dispute with an employee after receiving an incorrect order through the drive-thru,” said the police department. “Suspect One allegedly threw a water bottle through the window, before parking the vehicle and entering the business. Suspect One continued the dispute with the employee before the two suspects began physically assaulting and striking the employee.”
The employee was taken to a local hospital with what are described by police as non-life threatening injuries. Though ACPD generally does not name businesses that are victims of crimes, the only late-night drive-thru on that block of Wilson Blvd is the McDonald’s.
The suspects who were arrested, a man and a woman, are both in their mid-20s.
The woman, a D.C. resident whose first name is Justice, is charged with Malicious Wounding and Eluding Police. She was previously convicted of petty larceny in Arlington in 2018 and had her entire sentence suspended, but never paid the fine, according to court records.
The man, a resident of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is charged with Assault and Battery and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. His previous felony conviction was not in Arlington.
Both suspects are set to be in court for a bail hearing tomorrow.
The McDonald’s at 3013 Columbia Pike is celebrating its newly-completed renovations.
The fast-food joint ditched the old-school, red-and-white motif in favor of a more modern gray-and-tan exterior.
Inside, faux wood floors and walls provide a higher-end look, while electronic self-serve order screens have largely replaced the human-powered ordering counter.
Despite the upgraded look, not everyone is completely happy with the renovations, which removed a few tables of outdoor seating popular with regular customers.
Minus 10 points for removing outside tables where the Ethiopian guys used to hang out.
— SRtwofourfour (@SRtwofourfour) July 14, 2021
Photo (9) via Google Maps
A man who had his wallet stolen is facing charges after allegedly trying to confront someone he mistakenly thought was the thief.
The incident happened Sunday afternoon on the 1400 block of 28th Street S., near Gunston Middle School in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood.
“The suspect’s wallet and credit card had been stolen the day prior and he had noticed suspicious charges on his credit card,” Arlington County police said in a crime report. “The suspect went to a restaurant where his card had been used and followed a delivery driver to the home to confront the individual who had placed the order.”
“When the victim opened the door, the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm,” said ACPD. “The victim was able to close and lock the door. The investigation determined the victim did not use the suspect’s stolen credit card to place the order.”
A 27-year-old man from Stafford, Virginia was arrested and charged with brandishing a gun within 1000 feet of a school.
“The investigation into the fraud is ongoing,” police noted.
Monday’s crime report included another weekend brandishing, this time along Route 1 in the Crystal City area.
Just before 5 p.m. on Saturday a man in the drive-through line at McDonald’s allegedly became irate at the driver in front of him.
“The female victim was waiting in a drive-thru line when the suspect, who was behind her, began to honk his vehicle’s horn,” said ACPD. “He then approached her on the passenger side and brandished a firearm. The suspect then proceeded to exit the parking lot onto Richmond Highway.”
No injuries were reported. Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
File photo
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Pike McDonald’s Robbed by Irate Customer — “The suspect was in the drive thru line of a business and became irate over an issue with their order. The suspect then parked their vehicle and entered the business yelling and threatening the victim. She slapped items out of the victim’s hand, then pushed her out of the way and stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the register, threw food items on the floor, and damaged property, then fled in a vehicle prior to police arrival.” [ACPD]
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The McDonald’s at 4834 Lee Highway is backing off plans to reconfigure its drive-thru, at least for now.
The fast food restaurant withdrew a use permit application at the Arlington County Board over the weekend. That followed a drubbing at the Board’s April meeting, during which county officials blasted the plans, which included a second drive-thru lane and a new recirculating lane that would run between the restaurant and Lee Highway.
After deferring the restaurant’s application to this summer, then deferring it again, the Board accepted a request by McDonald’s to withdraw it entirely.
From a county staff report:
The applicant has requested withdrawal of the use permit request due to the physical constraints in accommodating on-site vehicle circulation, as well as the growing trend toward mobile orders and curbside pick-up. This application was initially heard at the April 2020 County Board meeting and was deferred twice to allow the applicant time to evaluate how it might address concerns regarding pedestrian safety and site circulation with the proposed design of the drive-thru; most recently from the July 2020 County Board meeting to the September 2020 County Board meeting. Therefore, staff recommends the County Board accept the applicant’s request to withdraw the subject use permit application.
In addition to the second ordering lane, intended to reduce incidence of drive-thru traffic backing up to Lee Highway, the plans called for the 1960s era building to be rebuilt as a modernized, two-story restaurant with around the same floor area but a smaller overall footprint.
The new restaurant would have included a kids play area, as the current one has, and was designed to be more efficient for preparing drive-thru and online orders. Other amenities would have included new landscaping and McDonald’s restoring a mural at the nearby Langston-Brown Community Center.
County staff and the John M. Langston Citizens Association opposed the plans, citing concerns about pedestrian safety for those needing to cross the new recirculation lane to access the restaurant, as well as potential backups caused by the lane being blocked by those waiting for the drive-thru.
Despite agreeing to some changes, McDonald’s and its land use attorney continued to argue for the merits of its plan during the April meeting. ARLnow has asked about whether a new plan is in the works, but has yet to hear back.
Photo (1) via Google Maps
McDonald’s Rebuild Decision Delayed — “Action on a proposal to rebuild the existing McDonald’s fast-food restaurant in the 4800 block of Lee Highway has been put off for another two months. Arlington County officials and the applicant had sparred over the plan, which also would include a revamped traffic-circulation design.” [InsideNova]
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Crystal City Farmers Market Moving — “Arlington County Board members on July 18 approved the temporary relocation of the once-a-week Crystal City Farmers’ Market, so services could continue to be provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. The traditional spot of the market – the 2000-2100 block of Crystal Drive – does not have enough room to space out vendors.” [InsideNova]
County Opposes Second McD’s Drive-Thru Window — “Maybe, in the end, they can all sit down amicably over a Happy Meal. But the mood was decidedly unhappy when the Arlington County Board and representatives of McDonald’s recently tangled over redevelopment of the restaurant chain’s 60-year-old outlet in the 4800 block of Lee Highway.” [InsideNova]
Sloppy Mama’s to Reopen Today — “Sloppy Mama’s BBQ owner Joe Neuman also isn’t in a rush to open his dining room, though he is launching takeout at his Arlington restaurant on Friday. He received a Paycheck Protection Program loan, which has terms that reward businesses that rehire staff. Neuman closed Sloppy Mama’s on March 16, just as barbecue season beckoned.” [Washington City Paper]
Va. Trying to Ramp Up Testing — “As the state plans to reopen on Friday — though it will delay Northern Virginia’s reopening until after Memorial Day — the commonwealth is still not meeting Gov. Ralph Northam’s testing goal of 10,000 tests a day. This week, Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management signed contracts with three commercial labs in an effort to ramp up testing as the state gears up to reopen.” [DCist]
March Hotel Occupancy Rate Shows Big Drop — “Arlington hotel and motel occupancy took a pummeling in March as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold… March’s occupancy rate of 34.5 percent for Arlington resulted in a first-quarter occupancy rate of 52.3 percent.” [InsideNova]
GMA Profiles YHS Senior Photo Project — “In Arlington, Virginia, photographer Matt Mendelsohn has made it his mission to give the senior class of Yorktown High School the celebration they deserve… With the growing popularity of his project, which he’s named ‘Not Forgotten: The Yorktown Seniors of 2020,’ he’s enlisted the help from his daughter on shoots and a parent.” [Good Morning America]
Library Launches Virtual Career Services — “Arlington Public Library is offering virtual one-on-one appointments to job seekers who want career help or to improve their resume. All appointments are free and confidential. Appointments are available Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30-7 p.m., and Tuesdays, 9:30-11 a.m. No library card is required.” [Arlington County]
Signature Helps With Inn’s Mannequins — “Instead of letting tables sit vacant, the [Inn at Little Washington] chef plans to outfit his dining rooms with mannequins… The chef (who majored in drama in college) has been working with Shirlington’s Signature Theatre to get the faux humans costumed in 1940s-era garb. Servers will be instructed to pour them wine and to ask them about their evening.” [Washingtonian, Eater]
Arlington may be the landing spot for Amazon’s HQ2, but it was selected for an even tastier honor today: the unveiling of a new Blueberry McGriddles breakfast sandwich from McDonald’s.
Corporate officials, including the company’s national Culinary Innovation Spokesperson, were on hand to debut what is basically an egg sandwich with a pair of blueberry pancakes as buns.
Offered with sausage or bacon, along with egg and cheese, the new McGriddles sandwich is being tested in the D.C. area market, including at the Rosslyn McDonald’s (1800 N. Lynn Street) where the event was held this morning.
Carol Martino, the Chicago-based culinary innovation spokeswoman, donned a black McDonald’s chef jacket as she described the process of creating the sandwich, a variation on the existing McGriddles sandwich.
Martino said her team was seeking to create a “cravable, indulgent” breakfast sandwich with a “sweet-savory balance.” The sweetness, she said, will likely mean that it’s more of a treat “for certain days of the week.”
The company’s chefs whittled down 30 recipes before selecting the one featured today, which has not only a distinct blueberry-and-maple-syrup flavor — “reminiscent of mom’s blueberry pancakes,” Martino said — but actual, embedded blueberries visible in the blue-tinted buns.
Currently, the sandwiches are only being offered as part of a test in the D.C. area before being, potentially, rolled out nationally. Part of the process of creating the new McGriddles, Martino said, was obtaining a national-scale supply of blueberries should the sandwich prove popular.
Currently, the Blueberry McGriddles are available only at certain McDonald’s locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. In Arlington, those locations are:
- 1800 N. Lynn Street (Rosslyn)
- 4834 Lee Highway
- 3013 Columbia Pike
