This letter was submitted by Spencer Abraham. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish article and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.
As a resident of McLean whose family owns a retail store in Reston, I was extremely excited to read the Nov. 21 article in Reston Now entitled “Crafthouse Donates Part of Bottled Beer Sales to California Wildfire Aid.”
The article indicated that Reston’s Crafthouse brewery was donating 10 percent of all bottled beer sales through Dec. 15 to aid in the cleanup of the areas that were destroyed by the recent wildfires in California.
Although my home is in Northern Virginia, I attend college at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. Fortunately, the area around my campus was not affected by the recent destruction, but we were close enough to smell the smoke from the fires and to understand, up close, just what damage had taken place.
A number of my friends from school live or have family members who live in the communities where the fires struck, and I know from them just how deadly they were and the incredible expense that will be incurred as the affected areas clean up after the infernos.
Therefore, it made me especially happy to read about the commitment made by Crafthouse and proud that businesses from my home area — a full continent from where the fires raged — were willing to help out. I salute Crafthouse and thank owner Evan Matz for his decision to help and the customers whose purchases and donations are providing the funds sent to California. Many thanks all around.
— Spencer Abraham
Photo via Crafthouse/Facebook
Crafthouse, a Northern Virginia-focused eatery, is helping families affected by the wildfires in California.
The three Crafthouse locations in Fairfax, Reston and Arlington will donate 10 percent of all bottled beer purchases to the American Red Cross, which has a fund set up for California wildfire aid.
Two wildfires burning across California this month have claimed at least 84 lives, and one of the fires is now the deadliest and most destructive one in the state’s history, according to news reports.
The restaurant posted on Facebook that the donations started last Thursday (Nov. 15) and will continue through Dec. 15.
Owner Evan Matz told Reston Now he got the idea after watching the news. “I felt so bad, and I wanted to be able to do something,” he said.
Matz said he has family near Calabasas, Calif. — they’re safe– and knows firsthand the displacement and destruction caused by natural disasters. He said his family had to move temporarily when Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane that struck the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana, hit in 1992.
Patrons have started expressing support for the donations, Matz said. “Instead of the draft beer, they buy the bottles instead,” he said.
Crafthouse’s Reston spot is at 1888 Explorer Street.
Photos via Crafthouse/Facebook
Reston-based Crafthouse, a Northern Virginia-focused eatery that offers a craft menu and local craft beer, scotch, and wine, is now franchising, the company announced this week.
Owner Evan Matz opened three locations in Fairfax, Arlington, and Reston in May 2017, positioning himself for rapid expansion in the coming years.
“Our goal is to have signature food and drink items that are available at every Crafthouse alongside menu favorites that are customized for that local community,” Matz wrote in a statement. “We will encourage each franchisee to feature what their region or state does best – North Carolina ribs or Maryland crab cakes, for instance – and source from local businesses for fresh baked buns, bread, local produce, meat, fish, brews, whiskey, wine and more. This way, Crafthouse can truly support and showcase its local neighborhood while giving guests the quality and consistency of a proven brand.”
Each drink menu has 50 craft beers and an addition 150 in bottles in cans featuring local, regional and national brews, with a special eye for local flavors. Each Crafthouse has a large Bavarian pretzel that’s paired with a house=made beer cheese, tacos, and burgers.
Matz hopes future locations will have a dining room and patio seating for around 150 guests, with square footage ranging from 3,900 to 4,500 square feet. Restaurants will offer lunch, dinner and weekend brunch options, as well as catering for private events and corporate meetings. Crafthouse was named the Best Sports Bar for Football Fans by Arlington Magazine.
Ideal franchise candidate should have liquid assets of at least $300,000 and a net worth of $1 million. More information about background and preferred qualifications is available online.
File photo
After some delays, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls is opening tomorrow (Nov. 7) in Reston Town Center.
The Annapolis-based restaurant will open its first Virginia location at 11939 Democracy Drive. Malcolm and Kim Gilbreath, the Reston couple running the Reston location, said they’re looking forward to welcoming new customers to the location.
The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The chain opened in 2014 with a flagship shop in Main Street in Annapolis, Md. Along with other locations in Maryland, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls has a footprint in Delaware and South Carolina.
Photo via Malcolm Gilbreath
The food scene at RTC West, a small office park slated to become a major mixed-use project, is coming to life with the addition of another restaurant.
Rajiv Chopra, a chef-turned-owner, plans to open Bombay Velvet (12120 Sunset Hills Road), a fine-dining, Indian restaurant by the last week of November or the beginning of December. Chopra says the restaurant, which will be located next to Honeygrow, will offer a unique “upscale” dining experience with a full bar menu.
A grand opening will likely be held sometime near Christmas, Chopra told Reston Now. Chopra also owns three other Indian restaurants called Punjabi By Nature in Leesburg, Chantilly, and Vienna, but Bombay Velvet offers “a completely new concept” that differentiates itself from Chopra’s other businesses, he said.
The Indian restaurant adds a new mix to existing area restaurants, including Honeygrow and BGR The Burger Joint.
Photos by Fatimah Waseem
The soft opening of Mason’s Famous Lobsters in Reston Town Center has been delayed.
The Annapolis-based restaurant, which is opening its first Virginia location in RTC at 11939 Democracy Drive, will open within the next 10 days, said Malcolm and Kim Gilbreath, the Reston couple runs the Reston location.
A soft opening was anticipated by Malcolm Gilbreath this week, but the process was delayed pending the scheduling of final inspections with the county.
“The store is fully furnished and menu boards are mounted, but we are unable to serve customers until we receive all final approvals from Fairfax County,” Gilbreath said.
So far, Gilbreath said there appears to be strong interest in the restaurant ahead of its opening. At RTC’s trick-or-treat event on Saturday, Gilbreath said several hundred people stopped by the restaurant ahead of the opening. An exact opening date has not been determined yet.
Photo via Malcolm Gilbreath
A new sit-down restaurant is joining the food scene at JBG Smith’s RTC West development (12120 Sunset Hills Road).
Famous Toastery, a breakfast and brunch restaurant, will open next to BGR The Burger Joint in February or March next year.
Gary Ready, the Reston location’s owner who was born and raised in Fairfax County, said the restaurant is currently in the process of receiving permits from Fairfax County. Ready, who has been behind several businesses over the last 25 years in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, said he was intrigued by the restaurant’s high-quality ingredients and speed of service.
“The average ticket time is 10 minutes. A lot of other restaurants in Reston Town Center give you quick service. This is one of the few sit-down restaurants in Reston where you can get the sit-down experience and still be in and out in 30 minutes,” he told Reston Now.
Ready said the restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can seat between 100 to 105 people.
County records indicate the building plan is under review.
Photo via Famous Toastery
Helmut Jahn building wins award — The Reston Station building known for its iconic X design has won an award for best project and an award for excellence in safety. [ENR Mid Atlantic]
A passion for fish — PassionFish in Reston Town Center is celebrating ten years. Loyalty members can enjoy dinner specials to celebrate the restaurant’s milestone. [PassionFish]
No need to be alarmed — Units from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department took part in roof ventilation and forced entry training in the area. The building will later be demolished. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Photo by Ray Copson
Finishing touches are underway at Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, an Annapolis-based restaurant, ahead of its opening next week.
The restaurant’s sign was installed over the weekend at the new location at 11939 Democracy Drive, the former location of Red Velvet Cupcakery.
Malcolm Gilbreath, who runs the Reston location and is a Reston resident of 16 years, said he’s excited to bring a new enterprise to Reston Town Center.
“We’re in town center all the time and we’re excited to be a part of the whole community,” Gilbreath said.
There will be indoor seating at the restaurant, which is around 800 square feet. Gilbreath also plans to incorporate gluten-free lobster rolls and is working with local bakeries to have their items on the menu. More details on the grand opening are expected in several days.
The restaurant would be the first Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls branch in Virginia. The company has four locations in Maryland, one in Delaware and another in South Carolina. The Reston location’s menu is modeled after the Delaware location.
Photo via Art Display Co.
After weeks of renovations, Wendy’s at 1701 Bracknell Drive reopened today.
The first 100 people in line by 10 a.m. on Oct. 27 (Saturday) for the restaurant’s grand reopening event will have the chance to win free food for a year.
The newly renovated interior has larger windows, more open dining areas and updated menus, among other changes.
“This restaurant has bold curb appeal and features a compelling design―inside and out,” said
Arif Islam, Wendy’s Region Manager. “It’s very different from what our customers in Woodbridge are used to, but we think they’ll really like the fresh look and feel of the new Wendy’s.”
Photo via Google Maps
As signs have foretold for several weeks, BGR The Burger Joint will open its newest location in Reston on Monday (Sept. 24), the company announced today.
The restaurant, which sells burgers grilled over an open flame and hand-spun milkshakes, is the latest retail tenant to join JBG Smith’s RTC West development at 12120 Sunset Hills Road.
The restaurant company did not respond to a request for comment from Reston Now, although an announcement by the company was posted online.
BGR has locations in Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, the District, Tennessee, and Utah. The restaurant is also located in Arlington, Springfield, and Tysons Corner. Two locations are also in Kuwait. It’s currently celebrating its 10th anniversary since it opened the first location in Bethesda, Md. in 2008.
Other businesses that are scheduled to open at the development include The Black Squirrel, Forever Nails, and Punjabi by Nature.
More retail tenants could be on the way if the county approves an application by JBG Smith for expansion of the existing development, which is mostly office buildings and ground floor retail so far. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will vote on the expansion project next week.
Photo via BGR The Burger Joint/Facebook
Finn Thai Restaurant and Bar, a Thai restaurant, is coming soon to North Point Village Center.
The restaurant has one location in Purcellville and a second location in Martinsburg, West Virginia. It will take up space formerly occupied by Payless. (1466 North Point Village Center), which closed in April last year after the company announced plans to file for bankruptcy.
A restaurant representative from the Martinsburg location told Reston Now that the opening day could be several weeks from now. But an exact date was not known yet, the representative said.
Photo by Twitter user @GigiBennett_DC
Fox Restaurant Concepts plans to open its North Italia concept in Reston Town Center by early 2019.
The new restaurant, which offers a contemporarily Italian model, will take up space at 11898 Freedom Drive in the Fountain One building. The space was previously occupied by Neyla Mediterranean Bistro, which closed earlier this year.
The North Italia restaurant concept is the second in the D.C.-region. The restaurant offers pizza, salads and home-made pizzas.
Boston Properties issued the following statement about the opening on Tuesday (August 14):
“We are delighted that North Italia will become part of the Reston Town Center community this winter. Their passion for handmade Italian cuisine and heartfelt customer engagement is unparalleled. They will be a compelling addition to our vibrant tenant mix,” said Stephanie Friedman, director of retail leasing at Boston Properties.
Other new tenants expected to open by next year include lululemon, Muse Paintbar, and Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls.
File photo
Several Reston restaurants will participate in this year’s Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Summer Week, which begins on Monday (August 13).
Restaurants throughout the greater Washington region will offer three-course lunch and brunch menus for $22 and a three-course dinner for $35 at fixed prices. The annual event is sponsored by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, a regional trade association that represents restaurants and the foodservice industry in the DC-area.
Restaurants in Reston that are participated are:
- Founding Farmers (1904 Reston Metro Plaza Drive)
- McCormick & Schmick’s (11920 Democracy Drive)
- The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive)
- Morton’s The Steakhouse (11956 Market Street)
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive)
Special menus for the week, which runs from Monday through Aug. 19, are available online.
File photo
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, an Annapolis-based restaurant, will open in late September, according to the company’s founder.
The 800-square-foot restaurant will be located at 11939 Democracy Drive, the former location of Red Velvet Cupcakery.
The restaurant would be the first Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls branch in Virginia. The company has four locations in Maryland, one in Delaware and another in South Carolina. The Reston location’s menu is modeled after the Delaware location.
An exact opening date has not been set yet.
