Kendra Scott Jewelry, a national upscale costume jewelry store, has signed a lease to open at 11900 Market St. in Reston Town Center.
Texas designer Kendra Scott launched the collection in 2002, and the jewelry is now sold at major department stores such as Nordstrom, as well at Kendra Scott stores nationwide.
Locally, a Kendra Scott store is scheduled to open this summer at Bethesda Row and in the fall at the Mosaic District in Fairfax.
Most pieces use brightly colored materials for “statement necklaces” that retail for under $120. Earrings are generally in the $50 to $100 range. The store also has a Game Day Collection, where sports fans can purchase jewelry in team colors.
Construction permits have been filed. No opening date has been announced.
The owners of Red’s Table, the restaurant planned for South Lakes Village Center, say they are now on track to open in August.
The project has been in the works since early 2014, when brother Ryan, Matt and Pat Tracy took over the old Lakeside Inn space at South Lakes.
They originally planned to open by February or March, but construction issues — including a roof structural defect that meant the whole roof had to be replaced — set back the timetable.
The trio, who grew up in Reston and graduation from South Lakes High School, were already deep in the renovation and hiring process when the roof problem was discovered, Ryan Tracy said.
Inside, construction crews have rid the space of all things Lakeside Inn (which seemingly had not been remodeled in its 22-year existence). The interior, still in construction mode, is taking shape around an open kitchen.
The restaurant, named after the brothers’ grandfather William “Red” Tracy, will focus on New American food, with an emphasis on great steaks, seafood and fresh food. Red’s Table plans to offer $1 oysters at happy hour.
The restaurant is still hiring, and is particularly looking for a sous chef and a baker. If interested, email [email protected].
Red’s Table also is up and running on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The JBG Companies have signed 24 Hour Fitness as an anchor tenant for the Reston Heights expansion on Sunrise Valley Drive.
It will be 24 Hour Fitness’ fourth Northern Virginia location. The national chain, which has more than 450 locations nationwide, has gyms in Tysons Corner, Falls Church and Fairfax.
“It’s a big win for us,” said JBG Principal Greg Trimmer.
It is not known how big the Reston gym will be, but the Tysons location, which anchors urban mixed-use development Tysons West, is 49,000 square feet. The Tysons location features an indoor pool, racquetball courts, weights, cardio equipment and a child care center.
Trimmer was part of a forum “The Future of Reston and Herndon” sponsored by business website/newsletters Bisnow in Reston on Tuesday. The panel discussion mostly looked at the commercial real estate climate in Reston.
From a retail perspective, Trimmer says the Reston market is booming. JBG is also developing RTC West, the 40,000-square-foot retail and office development at Sunset Hills Road and Town Center Parkway.
“When you look at the demographics of the DC area, it is home to 6 of the 10 wealthiest counties,” Trimmer said. “As far as Reston demographics, people in Reston are 20 percent more likely to eat out, 30 percent more likely to have a new car., and 75 percent of people in Reston will consider brand name more than price. Retailers cannot get here quickly enough.”
Most retailers, including Chili’s and 7-Eleven, have already left the Reston Heights complex at 11844 Sunrise Valley Dr. Reston Kabob will close its doors on July 31. Both JBG and Reston Kabob owners say they are interested in a new Reston Kabob when there when the new complex opens, but that could be several years away.
24 Hour Fitness will have competition from Reston branches of Life Time Athletic, which opened in fall of 2013, the YMCA Fairfax County Reston, Fitness First Reston Sport & Health, as well as boutique gyms and yoga studios.
The Westin Reston Heights, Mercer Condominiums and office buildings make up the first phase of Reston Heights.
The second phase, approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2013, will have a six-story residential building, a 15-story residential building, a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.
The plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units.
Groundbreaking should happen later this year, JBG says.
(Updated 11:20 a.m. Monday with quote from Reston Kabob owner)
Reston Kabob, a locally owned restaurant in the Reston International Center’s convenience center on Sunrise Valley Drive, will close its doors at the end of July, employees said.
The restaurant is the last remaining tenant at the convenience center located at 11844 Sunrise Valley Dr.
The 7-Eleven located two doors down from Reston Kabob closed its doors on May 31, and Sunrise Cleaners, located next door, also recently closed.
The departures are not a surprise as the area is slated for a massive redevelopment. Chili’s Bar & Grill across the parking lot closed late last year, and a Wells Fargo Bank branch has been empty since last August.
Reston Kabob’s Masoud Shoja says the restaurant is talking to dh are in talks with property owner JBG about possibly returning once the project is complete.
“It’s more likely than not we will return,” he said. “However, the projected completion date is set for 2017-2018 and a lot can happen from now until then.”
The Shojas will still operate their other nearby restaurant, Grill Kabob, 905 Herndon Parkway.
Developer The JBG Companies is planning the second phase of its Reston Heights development, which will include a six-story residential building, a 15-story residential building, a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.
The plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units.
No construction start date has been announced.
Plans call for a 15-story addition to the Reston International Center office tower, though JBG sold the building to American Real Estate Partners for $35 million February of this year.
JBG first had a plan for the area approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2008. That plan featured 498 residential units, 245,000 square feet of retail and nearly 430,000 square feet of office in six buildings.
In the newer plans, approved by the supervisors in 2013, the numbers are similar, but the design has changed to better engage with the surrounding environment.
Only the stand-alone Popeye’s will remain as a holdover from current tenants.
There will be an entrance to the development from the Reston Parkway side, something the area currently lacks.
In a presentation to the Reston Association Design Review Board in 2013, Cunningham Quill Architects and Olin, a landscape architecture firm, said they were seeking a design that engages with the landscape and connects with the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station via bike and foot paths.
The new plans will also be harmonious with the adjacent Reston Heights project, also built by JBG. That includes the Westin Reston Heights hotel and the Mercer Condominium, as well as office space.
David Conn, chef/managing partner of Nomad Grill & Hookah Bar, wants to make his new Herndon business the finest Southern/American/Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah bar around.
That’s because it is the only Southern/American/Middle Eastern restaurant and hookah bar around.
Conn and partners opened Nomad in early May at 137 Spring St. in Herndon, just over the border from Reston. They took over where Sphinx, another hookah bar, used to be located.
But Conn says the total decor and menu makeover is indicative of Nomad’s outlook.
“The biggest difference is we are a chef-driven place with thoughtful combinations,” said Conn. “We’ve got unique ideas and diverse ingredients.”
Take the butterbean hummus, for instance, which combines Conn’s training in Tennessee with the flavors of of North Africa. Same with the black-eyed pea felafel and the Moroccan meat loaf on the menu.
There are still strictly American favorites too. Conn says he wants to make the best burger for lunch. He is also proud of the grilled cheese sandwich with Cooper’s Sharp American cheese, which he searched for to get the flavor exactly correct, he says.
If hookah is your thing, Nomad is offering opening specials of $12 rounds, featuring more than a dozen flavors, including grape, watermelon, strawberry and mint. A special air filtration system keeps the space from getting to smokey, says Conn.
Conn took the long route to get the Nomad. A former professional musician, conductor and music professor at Cornell University, Conn worked his way through kitchens in New York City, Chicago, Savannah and Nashville before opening Kitty’s Saloon on H Street NE in Washington, D.C. last year.
Nomad owner Anise Amri also has an outpost in the H Street Corridor. Conn says Amri came into Kitty’s Saloon often, and the two decided to expand into the suburbs.
Nomad, 137 Spring St. (Sunset Park Center), is open 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday; 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The restaurant features a full bar.
Pinstripes, the national bowling and bocce spot that has a location in Georgetown, is getting closer to two Northern Virginia locations, its CEO says.
Dale Schwartz, Pinstripes CEO, told the Washington Business Journal the Chicago-based company is close to signing a deal for a Tysons Corner location. He also said he is looking for a Reston location.
Schwartz did not elaborate on the exact location for either Virginia Pinstripes. He also said the openings could be a few years away. He said Tysons would open in late 2017; Reston two years after that.
Pinstripes already has a deal in the works to open in the new Bethesda Pike & Rose complex in 2017.
The Georgetown Pinstripes opened in late 2013. The company said shortly afterward it would like a Tysons and/or Reston location.
The 32,000-square-foot Georgetown Pinstripes, at the old Georgetown Park site, has bowling, bocce, a full bar and restaurant, and large space for special events.
A shop that had its start in Reston is moving back to the area.
Home Specialty Store, which had a space at Reston’s Spectrum Center from 1996 to 2006, left Reston for Leesburg.
Now owners Wayne and Lynn Baker are shutting the doors of the Leesburg store and opening a new space at 1137 Walker Rd. in Great Falls.
“Most of our customers are in Reston, Great Falls, and we are doing a lot of business in Arlington,” said Lynn Baker. “We are just too far out here.”
Home Speciality Store has all kinds of home decor, including art, lamps and furnishings. They also have a huge selection of decorative hardware items such as drawer pulls, cabinet pulls, light switch plates and other fixtures.
The Great Falls store is expected to open by July 1.
Primo Italiano at Plaza America appears to have closed its doors.
The pizza-and-sub restaurant has been located at 11888 Plaza America since the shopping center opened in the 1990s, but had changed ownership recently.
The restaurant has had a hand-lettered “closed” sign up on the door since last week, but all the fixtures and supplies seem to still be in place. Reston Now placed several calls to the store, but there was no answer, so it is not yet known whether the closure is for good or temporarily.
As Mother’s Day approaches, Joy & Co. is, understandably, very busy.
The floral studio at 286 Sunset Park in Herndon was opened by Reston resident Joy Charles this spring, with the vision of creating custom, gorgeous arrangements.
More importantly, the goal is putting the freshest flowers in those arrangements, says Charles.
“I am really focused on freshness as much as local product,” says Charles. “If the flowers don’t last a week, then I have failed.”
The studio does not have a large refrigerated section and does not participate in online or mail-orders. Instead, Charles is focused on creating relationships and repeat customers.
She is building those with area Realtors, who come by weekly for fresh open house arrangements; brides, who seek her design skills for weddings; and, of course, individual customers who want flowers with a personal touch.
“We don’t have a big stock of refrigerated flowers,” says Charles. “But I can get anything on 24-hours notice.”
Charles previously spent several years working in floral studios. She branched out into a home-based wedding planning business as she spent time with her young sons, now ages 5 and 3, the last few years.
“It made me realize I wanted to return to floral design,” she said.
She still has kids in mind, though. The studio features a kids’ activity table, and Charles’ boys often come to work with her.
Kids can come in Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to create their own Mother’s Day bouquets and cards, says Charles. They can pick out flowers (Joy & Co. will charge by the stem), a vase, choose ribbon and make a card for mom (or grandma or any other special person).
Joy & Co. is also partnering with Sunset Park neighbor Scoop of the Hill for Mother’s Day. For $50, patrons can send a bouquet and a box of one dozen Scoop on the Hill macarons. Orders will be taken through Saturday at the store or by phone (703) 627-2725.
After nearly 13 years at Plaza America, M. Beem Jewelers will close for good later this spring.
Owner Michael Beem said in a mailer to customers that he has “decided to pursue other interests” and will shut the store at 11730 Plaza America Dr. #120.
“In life there are choices, and I have now decided to pursue other interests and close this chapter of my life,” he said.
The store is having a huge sale to clear inventory. All merchandise is on sale, with some fine jewelry priced at up to 70 percent off.
Store employees said they are unsure of the exact closing date, but it will likely be in mid-June.
(Corrected 11 a.m. Monday to reflect the Romanos bought the space rather than leased it)
Lake Anne Plaza will soon be getting a new tenant. Restonians Melissa and Jason Romano have purchased retail space at 11424 Washington Plaza, where they will open Lake Anne Brew House, a nanobrewery.
Brewing has been a passion of Jason Romano’s for years, says Melissa Romano, an architect whose current full time job is raising three young sons.
Jason, a government contractor by day, has been a home brewer for years, and earned certification from the American Homebrewers Association to judge brewing contests.
“We’ve always had a desire to own a piece of Lake Anne,” says Melissa Romano. “We’re going to follow Bob Simon’s dream of ‘live-work-play.’ We already live and play here. Now we will work.”
The space was formerly occupied by Singh Thai restaurant, which recently moved across the plaza to 1633 Washington Plaza, the former Jasmine Cafe space. Romano said renovations will begin right away, but the brewery will not open until at least late summer.
A nanobrewery — a growing segment of the craft beer market — is a small microbrewery operation, typically producing fewer than three barrels at a time. A barrel is typically 31 gallons or two kegs.
The beer will be made on site in the former kitchen space. There will be bar and inside seating, as well as seating on the deck overlooking Lake Anne.
Under Virginia law, breweries can sell pints of beer on site without the need for food service. Food service is required at bars. There won’t be a kitchen at Lake Anne Brew House, but Romano said they will sell simple snacks (similar to food operations at a winery) to go with the beer.
There are several nanobreweries in Loudoun County, but this is believed to be the first one in Fairfax County. Romano said they had to work with the county to get non-manufacturing status.
“Most nanobreweries pop up in industrial parks,” she said. “That’s not what we wanted. We don’t want a big brewery. We wanted a community space, and to make our business community focused and community supported. We’re not hoping to get bottles on the shelf at Harris Teeter. We’re going to make beer for our neighbors, make what people want and get a good rotation on tap.”
It looks as though Reston’s two Yogiberry locations are closed for good.
Both the Reston Town Center store and the South Lakes Village Center store closed “temporarily” last fall, leaving signs on the door that said they were taking the winter off and would be back in March.
We are heading toward late April and there is no sign of life at either store.
The Reston locations have also been taken off Yogiberry’s website, which mentions locations in Rockville and Gaithersburg, Md., and Cleveland Park in D.C.
Voice mailboxes for both locations were full and not accepting messages.
Riding the frozen yogurt wave of a few years ago, Yogiberry opened both Reston locations in 2012.
The chain has 11 area locations by 2013, but then closed in College Park, Pentagon City, Olney and Friendship Heights soon after, according to Yelp listings.
Need a frozen yogurt fix? Iceberry at Reston Town Center, Cold Spoon at Hunters Woods Village Center and Sweetfrog at North Point are all open.
Reston Town Center will soon have a new tenant. Bluemercury, an upscale cosmetics store, has filed Fairfax County construction permits to open a store at 11918 Market St.
The space has been empty since Gap/Gapkids closed in January.
Bluemercury, which carries high-end brands such as Bobbi Brown, NARS and Le Mer, is a national chain that was founded in Washington, DC, in 1999.
The company, still operated by founders Barry and Marla Beck, recently sold the chain of 60 stores to Macy’s for $210 million.
Bluemercury also offers spa services, such as facials, massage and waxing. Other Virginia locations include Clarendon, Old Town Alexandria and Fairfax Corner.
The store’s opening at Reston Town Center will be direct competition with Sephora, a similar cosmetics store located at at 11960 Market St.
Photo: Bluemercury in Clarendon/Credit: ARLnow.com
Duck Donuts is getting closer to opening in the Reston-Herndon area.
The popular Outer Banks doughnut shop is expanding in Virginia. It hopes to have the store at 300 Elden St. (in the former Milwaukee Custard space) open by the end of April, according to its Facebook page.
Crew have been busy renovating the storefront, and over the weekend the big Duck Donuts sign was put in place.
Duck Donuts began as a family-run operation in, of course, Duck, N.C. It later expanded to nearby Kill Devil Hills and Corolla.
Recently, it has been offering franchise opportunities, and Virginia outposts are planned for Williamsburg, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, as well as Herndon. Duck Donuts announced in December it was heading for the area.
Photo Credit: Duck Donuts via Facebook
(Updated Wednesday 3 p.m. to remove legal background info and add quotes from Hunter Mill Golf Park owner)
Hunter Mill Golf Park has closed its doors.
The driving range located at 1627 Hunter Mill Rd. on the Reston-Vienna line, actually quietly locked its gates in late January. But with the arrival of spring in recent weeks, the spot has been missed by are golfers looking to hit a couple buckets of balls at the large (100 tees) range.
The back half of the property was sold years ago to Oakcrest School, a private girls school, to build a new campus adjacent to the golf park site. Construction began over the winter and the new school should open in 2016, according to its website.
It took Oakcrest more than three years — from 2010 to 2014 — to gain Fairfax County approval for alternate access to the school via a driveway on Crowell Road.
Hunter Mill Golf Park had been in business since 1995. Its owner, John Thoburn, made news in 2001 when he was fined and eventually jailed, he said, for zoning violations including not planting enough shrubs and for selling illegal snack foods.
“I was surprised we stayed in business as long as we did,” Thoburn said on Wednesday. He said he had issues with county zoning and with neighbors for years, which made it hard to operate his business.
“I would have liked to have put netting up on the driving range,” he said. “[The county] turned us down on mini golf and on a par-3, 9-hole course. It costs $7 round-trip [on the Dulles Toll Road from the Beltway] to come here and hit a $10 bucket of balls. “
Meanwhile, the closing of the golf park is the latest in a series of golf news in and around Reston. Woody’s Golf Range in Herndon recently announced it would close in the fall. RN Golf Management, the owners of Reston National Golf Course will also find out next week whether their zoning appeal is approved.
RN Golf’s appeal was in response to a 2012 inquiry it made with the county, asking if the 166-acre public course can be considered residential. The county maintains its is open and recreational space and should remain so.
Photo: Hunter Mill Golf Park/Courtesy Yelp
