Fire Works Pizza, the massive new wood-fired pizza restaurant in Courthouse, has set next Wednesday, August 18, as a tentative opening date.
Fire Works Courthouse now has its own web presence and Facebook page, complete with photos of the nearly-completed interior.
The restaurant’s parent company, Mad Rose Inc., was incorporated on July 7 , according to state records. Little else is known about it.
Curiously, all the storefronts at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard are either currently occupied or have “retail space for lease” signs in the window. A call to the leasing agent has not been returned.
Considering that it’s one of the area’s biggest commercial centers, Rosslyn is a bit lacking when it comes to places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. And that’s not to mention the dearth of fun places to hang out at night (with the possible exceptions of Continental and the handful of restaurants with outdoor seating up Wilson Blvd).
But here’s the good news. We have the ear of a real estate firm that’s looking to attract a new eatery to the area. Something moderately-sized — bigger than a lunch counter but smaller than a Cheesecake Factory.
(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) To help mark the start of construction on the new Crystal City Chick-fil-A, a groundbreaking ceremony (or, in the chain’s parlance, a ground ‘mooving’ ceremony) was held at 10:30 this morning outside 2200 Crystal Drive. Local leaders and the famous Chick-fil-A cow were on hand for the event.
Since the restaurant will be located on the ground floor of an existing office building, the gathered leaders donned hard hats and shoveled some plush cow toys in a park across the street.
The restaurant, which is being built atop the Dehli Dhaba and Subway restaurants at 2424 Wilson Blvd, promises to serve classic American cuisine at moderate prices. There will be a large main dining room with high ceilings as well as a rooftop deck — that is, if the necessary permits come through. No official word on expected capacity, but the eatery’s permit application calls for 104 seats.
“Value and variety” will be the restaurant’s food credo, a rep tells ARLnow.com. In addition to a frequently-changing menu, a weekend brunch service is in the works. So far, management has been mum about the restaurant’s planned wine, beer and liquor offerings.
BGR The Burger Joint and Burapa Thai Restaurant are the latest businesses to sign leases at the still under-construction development, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of the year.
This will be BGR’s second Arlington location. The now-busy Lyon Village store, which opened earlier this year, is only a mile away from the planned Clarendon location.
Bozzelli’s Italian Deli will be opening next to the Starbucks at 2600 Crystal Drive, on the ground floor of the Concord apartment building. It will serve the same fresh Italian fare — subs, salads, pasta and pizza — that has generated some intense customer loyalty at its original Springfield, Va. location.
A building permit and a “coming soon” sign are posted at the front of the future storefront.
The restaurant will be expanding with a huge, 10,000 square foot location in Rockville this fall, and another location in Merrifield that will deliver in 2012. But Clarendon is also a big target for co-owner Drew Kim.
“Clarendon is a hotspot for us,” Kim said. “We’re actively searching in Clarendon, we just don’t have a lease signed. There are a couple spots we’re looking at.”
The new Jimmy John’s will be located on 23rd Street, next to the future Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizza Autentica restaurants. No word yet on when it will open.
Jimmy John’s has a short and simple menu but a large and loyal following, much like Chick-Fil-A, which is expected to open next month just down the road on Crystal Drive.
Owner Osiris Hoil says the fast food-style restaurant will be casual and family-oriented, with a front counter and plenty of tables. Since the storefront already has a full kitchen and other restaurant necessities, Hoil hopes to open the place as soon as September 1. (Update on 10/14: The opening is now said to be set for the first week in November.)
The larger kitchen will supply the District Taco stand with greater quantities of fresher ingredients, Hoil said. The stand has been a victim of it’s own success recently, running out of food just about every day.
This will be Cava’s third location, with the other two located in Rockville, Md. and on Capitol Hill. Owner Ted Xenohristos told WBJ that Clarendon offers “a perfect demographic.”
“It’s like a little city over there,” he said.
Two popular Shirlington destinations are growing. Capitol City Brewing, which is closing its Capital Hill location, is expanding its brewing capacity so that it can supply more beer to the local chain’s non-brewing restaurants.
On the other side of Shirlington Village, Busboys and Poets is also expanding. The restaurant will be building larger event and dining areas and a stage, reports Shirlington Village Blogspot.
