A Reston information technology firm is moving from its original office to a newly renovated space that will also house a security center.
Neovera will relocate its global headquarters at 1840 Michael Faraday Drive near Reston Station to an office at RTC West. The new site will also encompass the company’s security operations center (SOC), which is currently in Ashburn.
Ryan Child, the company’s president, says the move could be complete by March.
“We’re moving into the office because it gives us better access to the Reston market and the Reston Town Center,” he said, noting the shift will allow the company to retain and add new employees.
Child says the area has been a good location and recruiting tool for the company’s approximately 50 employees, most of them based in the firm’s headquarters. Reston’s appeal was a factor in deciding to remain in the area.
Neovera started in 2001 and provides cybersecurity services, such as 24/7 security monitoring, and helps coordinate cloud storage and solutions.
The move westward puts the business next to the yet-to-open Reston Town Center Metro station. The company notes that while employees have always been able to telework, the new office space will help with its return-to-office plans.
“Our expectation is to definitely grow because our staffing requirements are increasing,” Child said.
Photo via Google Maps
Despite a few days’ delay, Red Velvet Bakery and Little Beast Bistro are now set to open at Reston Town Center West on Saturday (September 18).
Initially planning to open earlier this week, owner Aaron Gordon tells Reston Now they “weren’t quite ready” but doors will open at Red Velvet at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The first 200 people at the bakery will receive a free cupcake, Gordon says.
Little Beast Bistro will also officially open that day at 4 p.m..
The restaurant and bistro first announced it’s new 12100 Sunset Hills Road location back in May.
Gordon previously ran the popular Red Velvet Cupcakery at Reston Town Center. However, that bakery closed more than three years ago largely due to the implementation of paid parking at Reston Town Center.
“We’re extremely excited to be back in Reston after three years away!” he wrote in an email to Reston Now last month. “Red Velvet Bakery is coming back to Reston much stronger.”
The menu at Red Velvet includes a “full array of favorite cupcakes” as well as croissants, cross-cinnamon rolls, butterkuchen, and other pastries. It will be carry-out only, but offer some seating outside.
Little Beast Bistro serves sandwiches, pizza, and Detroit-style pizzas. It has a dining room with about 100 seats, plus 20 seats outside as well as carry-out options.
Photos courtesy of Aaron Gordon Food Group
When Gary and Diane Reedy opened Famous Toastery in Reston two years ago, the couple looked forward to running a brunch and breakfast spot near Reston Town Center’s future Metro station.
Nearly two years after operating Famous Toastery, the couple decided to close the Reston location at 12100 Sunset Hills Road. The business, which offers a combination of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options, is one of several ground-floor retailers at RTC West, a mixed-use development owned by JBG Smith.
It is the last business venture for the couple, which built several businesses — including some of the first laser tag facilities in the area — in previous years.
Gary Reedy says the landlord of the property was difficult to deal with during the pandemic.
He says that although a discount on the rent was offered for six months, payments had to be paid back over two years.
‘We tried working with the landlord over the spring and summer with no progress,’ Reedy said.
The couple is now retired after 25 years of building businesses in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
Famous Toastery has locations throughout the country, including a location in Ashburn and Roanoke.
Photo via Carlos Banos
Arlington-based MakeOffices is shutting down all of its local locations, including their offices at Reston Town Center.
The news about MakeOffices closing down was first reported by Washington Business Journal.
Last week, members of the coworking company began receiving notifications at many locations that the co-working spaces would be closed.
Reston Now spoke to representatives at the Reston location, which opened in 2015, and an employee confirmed that they would be closing as well within the next three months.
While the deal isn’t fully done yet, another coworking operator may move into the MakeOffices space in Reston Town Center, an employee said.
In an email to Reston Now, MakeOffices spokesperson said they are closing but ‘still in the process of reorganizing.'”
MakeOffices opened its first location in Rosslyn in 2012 and has since expanded to 14 locations in Northern Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Chicago, and Philadelphia.
The Clarendon location is its flagship, opening in 2016 with 40,000 square feet of space and 135 private offices. The Reston location is similar in size.
Photo via Google Maps
Tiki Thai, a bar and restaurant, will officially open its doors at 11 a.m. today (Monday) in Reston.
The business, which combines elements of Polynesian and Thai culture, is located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road. The team behind Sense of Thai St. — a popular Thai food restaurant in One Loudoun — is also behind the latest venture in Reston.
Here’s more from the owners on what inspired the business:
While it’s fun to celebrate Polynesian culture, at TIKI THAI we also honor it.Without compromising of integrity and staying true to the history, we aim to deliver the same experience that historians like Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (aka Donn Beach) feel in love with in the early 1930s while traveling the islands of Oceania . Around the same time the kingdom of Siam transitioned to what we know as Thailand today. Thailand’s deep culinary history pays homage to neighboring country’s like Malaysia, Indonesia and India that have heavy influence within every dish.
These two cultures carry a strong heritage worthy of respect and it is our pleasure to share our passion hospitality while honoring both cultures here at TIKI THAI.
This week’s soft opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a lunch special from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and a brunch special on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers can place orders for curbside pickup and delivery.
Photo via Tiki Thai/Facebook
JBG Smith, the company behind RTC West near the future Reston Town Center Metro Station, is looking to let go of one of its office properties in Reston.
Bisnow reports that the company is seeking to sell Reston Arboretum, a 95,000-square-foot building located at 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive.
Thus far, the owner of the property renovated the building, including upgrades to the lobby and fitness center and the addition of an outdoor park area, food market and bike storage room.
Here’s more from Bisnow on the possible sale:
“The Reston Arboretum property is a compelling investment opportunity based on its boutique characteristics, its suburban location and proximity to both the Herndon Metrorail Station and the 15-acre Herndon Nature Preserve,” Colliers Executive Vice President Bill Kaye wrote in an emailed statement to Bisnow. He is marketing the property along with David Gast. JBG Smith has pursued a strategy of selling assets since early 2018, when it said it viewed D.C. as a seller’s market with elevated pricing. It set a goal in 2018 to generate $700M through asset sales, which it accomplished. Many of those sales were stand-alone office buildings, including properties in Reston, K Street and Dupont Circle. The REIT then set another goal to sell $200M in assets this year. But early in the coronavirus crisis, JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly told investors he expects the REIT will shift to become a net buyer of assets in the coming years as it anticipated a correction in pricing. In his Q2 letter to investors released Aug. 4, Kelly said the $200M sales target may be difficult to achieve because the pandemic has slowed the investment sales market, but he said JBG Smith is still looking to sell where it can.
Pulte plans to build 40 townhouses right next to the office building. Originally, the company pitched the same number of single family houses.
Image via Google Maps
A cloud-based data protection company has relocated its headquarters from Los Angeles to Reston.
Infrascale announced the move in a release today (Wednesday). Company officials said that the move allows the business to centralize its core leadership team and business operations.
Russel Reeder, the company’s CEO, says the move “represents a significant milestone in our 2020 plan” despite hiccups related to COVID-19.
“Recognized as a top-two technology destination, Northern Virginia and the greater DC Metro area contain an impressive talent pool that will only grow with the continued expansion of technology innovation in the region. We are excited to build out the team here and across the US,” Reeder wrote in a statement.
Here’s more from the company on the relocation:
Infrascale is backed by premier investment firms, Route 66 Ventures (Alexandria, Virginia) and Carrick Capital (San Francisco), which have stewarded the change in leadership and support the company’s strategic growth plans in the rapidly expanding business continuity technology sector.
“Infrascale continues to deliver flexible, secure and easy-to-use cloud data protection and recovery solutions to a growing number of top-tier customers,” said Ryan Katz, Founding Partner at Route 66 Ventures. “Their continued success is reflected in ongoing growth, and the company’s move to Reston – the home region for much of the nation’s tech talent – represents a positive and exciting development in the evolution of Infrascale as they grow into a key player in the enterprise market and continue to innovate.”
Infrascale was founded in 2011 and offers cloud-based data protection. The company is now located in the RTC West development (12110 Sunset Hills Road).
Tiki Bar Opening in Reston — The team behind Sense of Thai St. a bar and restaurant in Ashburn’s One Loudoun, is currently building the bar at RTC West. Tiki Thai bills itself as the state’s “premier tiki bar and Thai restaurant.” [The Burn]
FCPS to Offer Mental Wellness Service — “Any FCPS parent may schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker, for either themselves or their middle or high school student. This consultation provides an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s emotional well-being during their time away from school. Student consultations will provide support and strategies to students who may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety, mood, behavior, or peer or family interactions during this unprecedented and challenging time.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
The Problem with Playdates — “If your kids do go outside of the home, it is important to maintain social distance of at least six feet from anyone from outside their own household. This guidance is in place to limit contact and slow the spread of COVID-19, because even though children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19, and often show similar but milder symptoms than adults, they can still pass the virus on to others.” [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Boston Properties is looking to reduce the amount of parking at Reston Gateway, a mixed-use project currently under construction between the Reston Town Center Metro Station and RTC.
The company wants to provide 1,663 fewer parking spaces than previously approved plans outlined. The move — which would parking by 20 percent — is being considered because of the project’s proximity to the future RTC Metro Station. Parking for residential units would drop by an average of 38 percent. The company also wants to drop any requirement for parking in the lodging component of the hotel on the site.
The county’s planning staff approved the request, noting that the mixed-use center is near a Metro Station where mass transit should be encouraged via parking reductions:
The character of high-density, mixed-use development, both at the subject site and surrounding neighborhoods, and the proximity to rail and other forms of transit, provides opportunities to reduce parking demand. Analysis of multi-family development adjacent to Metro stations has shown that residents of this type of housing are less likely to own one or more personal vehicles. The availability of Metrorail and other transportation options at the site will encourage people from other neighborhoods and communities to travel to the redevelopment area for work and leisure activities using alternative modes other than their personal vehicle. Collectively, these support the applicant’s proposal for this parking reduction based on the proximity of mass transit.
The proposal heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote on March 10.
The project includes nine blocks with nine buildings spread over 33 acres. It’s located on the north side of Sunset Hills Road between Town Center Parkway and Reston Parkway. Four office buildings, three residential buildings with 2,010 units, two hotels and more than 162,000-square-foot in retail and restaurants, are planned on the site.
Crews are working on the first phase of construction, which includes four new buildings at the intersection fo Sunset Hills and Town Center Parkway. Fannie Mae plans to lease about 850,000 square feet of office space at the site.
RTC West — the suburban office park formerly known as Reston Executive Center — recently built a new office building and new retail tenants.
JBG Smith, the developer, has plans on the books to add six new buildings with up to 576 apartments at the corner of Sunset Hills Road and Town Center Parkway.
While there’s no sign of construction on the way, Reston Now readers and an inconspicuous lover of Mezzeh have noticed that the surface parking lot is often full — even on off-peak hours.
Others have also reported trouble navigating tight turns and the mix of parallel and perpendicular parking at the office park. The site also has two four-level parking garages.
A spokesperson for the company said JBG Smith has no updates to share about the project. Once built out, the project, which is opposite Reston Gateway, includes a 22-story trophy office building, two residential towers, and a one-story retail pavilion located on a common green.
JBG Smith will also build a new westbound lane on Sunset Hill Road that allows for right-hand turns into RTC West. On-road bicycle lanes to Sunset Hills Road and Town Center Parkway are planned as well. The developer is also pitching in land for a future four-lane underpass beneath the Dulles Toll Road that would extent Town Center Parkway.
While the project is less than a quarter-mile away from the future Reston Town Center Metro Station, we’d love to hear from you on how the parking situation at RTC West is faring.
A business in RTC West was robbed on Thursday (Feb. 6), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police said someone broke into Nando’s Peri-Peri (12120 Sunset Hills Road) at around 12:45 a.m. that day and stole property.
No description of the suspect has been released. Information about the incident was made public today.
Image via Google Maps
The Black Squirrel, a D.C beer bar that inked a deal to open near the Reston Town Center Metro Station two years ago, has backed away from plans to open in the area.
According to a spokesperson for JBG Smith, the developer behind RTC West, The Black Squirrel will no longer open at RTC West, which is anchored by Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant. The company did not indicate why this was the case.
Sense of Thai, a Thai restaurant, is expected to open in place of the beer bar by the first quarter of 2020. Infinity Spa and Nails is already open.
File photo
From elementary school to George Mason University to the play pens of their entertainment businesses, Gary and Diane Reedy have been together. Instead of what was supposed to be a long awaited retirement ahead of the 41st anniversary, the couple decided to opt for something different: running a brunch and breakfast spot in RTC West (12100 Sunset Hills Road).
Famous Toastery had its first official opening on Monday (April 15), after a soft opening this weekend. All sales over the weekend were donated to Cornerstones, a nonprofit organization that the couple said embodies their mission of serving the community. Diane brings a heightened awareness of socio-economic struggle after years of traveling Africa and Asia for the World Bank, while her husband, Gary, reflects on previous experiences as a high school teacher and coach. Their partnership roots back to years in high school when Gary, who calls himself a former jock, dated Diane, who was a straight-A student.
Before opening the 3,300-square-foot restaurant at the mixed use center, the couple built several businesses, including Planet Play in Plaza America, some of the first laser tags in the area, a carousel in Springfield Mall for 12 years, and other entertainment businesses. Since then, they’ve sold off their ventures and opted for Famous Toastery, which is open for breakfast and lunch.
“The problem is that we can’t ever stop. I can’t play golf every single day,” Gary said, chuckling. “We’ve had our careers and retirements and a couple of kids. Sometimes I wonder how we did it all, but we’re young at heart and we want to stay involved.”
Although he lives in Loudoun County, Gary says Reston is a special community because it combines what he says are the best elements of work and family life. His wife agrees.
“Simon’s vision for Reston was to include people from all different kinds of backgrounds, ” Diane said. “It was really meant to be an integrated community and its benefited from a lot of public involvement and will continue to benefit from a lot of public involvement.”
As the Famous Toastery kicks off, they hope to continue partnering with the community after spending most of their lives in Fairfax County. “We’ve gotten out of the night business,” Gary said. “Reston is still really growing and we look forward to growing with it.”
Famous Toastery has two other Virginia locations. It was started in 2005 in Huntersville, NC in a small house. The owners turned the concept into a franchise in 2013.
Photo via Carlos Banos
Contractor Identifies New Problems with Silver Line Phase Two — “The contractor building Phase 2 of the Silver Line has identified another problem with the beleaguered project. This time it’s at the Dulles Airport station, where concrete pedestals designed to support the two-story structure’s glass walls and windscreens are cracking because they were built without proper internal reinforcement.” [The Washington Post]
Famous Toastery Now Open— The breakfast-focused North Carolina-based chain opened on Saturday (April 13) at RTC West (12100 Sunset Hills Road). Diane and Gary Reedy, both Reston natives, are the owners of the new Reston location.[Reston Patch]
Indian Restaurant Opens Today — Bombay Velvet will join other restaurants at RTC West. The chef and entrepreneur behind the venture, Rajiv Chopra, describes the new business as an “upscale” business that brings new tastes to the area. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner today. [DC Eater]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Bombay Velvet, an Indian restaurant, will open at RTC West (12100 Sunset Hills Road) on Monday (April 15). The 2,500-square-foot restaurant, which the owner describes as “upscale,” can seat 100 guests between 22 indoor tables, three outdoor tables and one bar.
Rajiv Chopra, the chef and owner, is also behind other food ventures in the area like Punjabi By Nature and dessert shop Evergreen Sweets.
“We knew there was an opportunity to fulfill a missing need for a fine dining Indian establishment in the DMV,” Chopra said in a written statement. “Our new world approach to traditional cooking paired with our elegant food presentation gives us hope that locals and visitors who come into Bombay Velvet will expand their palates and try new regional Indian dishes that they have never experienced before.”Â
The menu includes dishes like “Calangute Beach Surf ‘N’ Turf” — a spicy chicken chorizo with Goan balchao shrimps — and “Khosla Ka Ghosla” — a dessert with vermicelli and dates. The restaurant takes its interior design inspiration from 1970s Bombay and 1930s American households.
Bombay Velvet is open from Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to midnight.
Photos via Bombay Velvet
