Bakeshop in Falls Chuch will host its first weekly happy hour tomorrow (Feb. 5), offering guests deals on sweet treats.
The eatery, located at 100 E. Fairfax Street, will offer two for $4 cupcakes and classic cookies, $3 lattes and $2 espresso or drip coffee from 3-5 p.m. every Wednesday, according to its Facebook page.
An employee said the location hopes the deals will drive more traffic towards the shop.
“We’re still growing in the Falls Church community and we thought this would be a fun way to get to know more of our neighbors,” a spokesperson for the shop said. “If the community enjoys it, we’ll expand the items offered and perhaps have it more days in the week.”
Foodies can only find the specials at the Falls Church location, not the Arlington spot, according to the employee.
“If it goes really well, we plan to do something similar in the Arlington location as well,” the spokesperson said.
Typically, cupcakes cost about $2.75 each, according to the website. The bakery also offers various types of bread, pies and vegan options.
Photo via Bakeshop/Facebook
Three McLean teenagers decided to leave behind the minimum wage grind and embark on their own entrepreneurial journey.
TeenServ is an online platform that connects students to adults who need short-term jobs done, like pulling weeds, cleaning or other types of housework. It began in 2018 under Ben Jeannot, Jack Lannin and Quin Frew, a group of friends who are still in charge of the service’s development and outreach.
The idea quickly spread after the boys decided to promote the service within their own friend groups, according to Lannin.
Since September, the team said they managed to recruit around 200 teenagers from eight area schools including Falls Church, Herndon, Marshall, McLean and Oakton.
Teens who sign up for the app can accept jobs they are most interested in and make about $17 per hour, according to the founders.
“Because it’s pretty much a free market system, it allows teens to choose jobs they want and think are fair,” one of the members told Tysons Reporter.
Another group member added that all of the jobs are screened by the founders before being added to the list of available opportunities. This way, they can ensure the jobs are safe and within limits of the site user agreements.
“We tend to stay away from animals or babysitting,” a group member said, adding that any job that involves the liability of a living thing, besides plants, is also off the table.
Twice a week, the boys said they will meet to discuss goals and next steps.
Currently, Lannin said the majority of their marketing is done through word of mouth and social media presence — including Instagram and Facebook. The group’s Instagram account has more than 800 followers as of Monday (Feb. 3).
Two promotions were recently announced on the company’s Instagram. The first promotion offers workers an extra 12 percent on top of the listed rate for a job if they bring along a friend, according to TeenServ’s Instagram.
There is also a job lottery that automatically enters students in a giveaway for every job they complete within a certain month.
Photo courtesy TeenServ
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Wednesday (Feb. 5)
- Tanya Tucker — 7:30 p.m. at The Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road) — Tanya Tucker is known for her country style, according to Vist Fairfax, and has been nominated for several Grammy Awards. Guests can enjoy her music for an evening at this upcoming live performance. Tickets start at $47.
Thursday (Feb. 6)
- Meditation Class — 8:30-9:30 a.m. at EKOE Health (254 N. Washington Street) — Women are invited to take part in a meditation session that will help them unwind and work on their breath. Comfortable clothes are encouraged. Admission is $25 and all experience levels are welcome.
Saturday (Feb. 8)
- Kojam Productions’ Tysons Camp Fair — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fashion Court in Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — This event invites people to check out options for extracurricular summer activities. Representatives from multiple groups will be on-site to answer questions and the event page states it is the area’s biggest camp-related event. Admission is free and open to all.
- Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana — 7 p.m. at The Alden, McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — This one-time performance from the New York-based troop allows people to experience the newest production by Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana. General Admission tickets are $40, but discounts are available.
Sunday (Feb. 9)
- Women’s Club Fundraiser — 3-5 p.m. at Chain Bridge Cellars (1351 Chain Bridge Road) — Attendees over the age of 21 will have the chance to sample a variety of wines while benefiting the Dominion Women’s Club. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
- NOVA Central Farm Markets — 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at George C. Marshall High School (7731 Leesburg Pike) — This farmers market invites people to stock up with fresh goods such as bread, produce and possibly meats. It is one of the few farmers markets available in the area year-round.
- Cookie Decorating — 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Botanologica (817 W. Broad Street) — Attendees can learn how to work with wet icing in this interactive workshop. People will walk away with six cookies and all materials will be supplied by the hosts. Tickets are $85. No experience is needed for this three-hour class.
Photo courtesy McLean Community Center
Tomorrow (Feb. 4), the Fairfax County’s Transportation Committee will meet to discuss upcoming projects around the area.
Board members will kick off the meeting, which begins at 3 p.m. in the Fairfax County Government Center, with updates and progress regarding the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Expansion project.
According to the documents posted ahead of the meeting, the I-495 project will include expansion of express lanes to George Washington Memorial Parkway, replacement of existing overpasses, implementation of a shared-use path and addition of new noise barrier walls.
Upgrades could save drivers up to 25 minutes during their peak-hour commute, especially with ease cut-through traffic congestion in local communities, according to the documents.
Other items on the agenda include bus and Metrorail improvements and the Bicycle Master Plan.
For people who bike to work, a shared-use bike path behind the noise wall will connect the American Legion Bridge to Maryland, the presentation said.
Meanwhile, an ongoing I-495 Regional Transit Study is expected to become public sometime this year.
A public forum to discuss the discuss environmental and technical reports from the project is set for March 12 at Langley High School (6520 Georgetown Pike) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Shoppers at an upcoming business in Falls Church may feel nostalgic after checking out its offerings of video games and old toys.
Super Bit Video Games, located next to the Toy Nest along E. Broad Street, will primarily sell video games but also offer retro toys, according to owner Chris Jackson.
“We are trying to build around the retro game community,” he said.
The location will source games from around the area and resell them at a fair market price, Jackson said, adding that people who bring in items for sale can receive store credit in exchange for their game or toy.
The roughly 1,400 square foot store will seel roughly 85% video games and 25% other toys such as vintage skateboards, according to Jackson.
Super Bit Video Games will promote new and featured items through its Instagram account.
The location is expected to celebrate a soft opening sometime in March, Jackson said.
Photo courtesy Chris Jackson
Updated 1/31/2020 — The event will be held on the second level near the Old Navy.
Earlier: Student innovators and entrepreneurs will gather this Saturday (Feb. 1) to showcase their ideas at Tysons Corner Center.
The Junior Achievement Trade Show is set to take place from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on level one of the mall in BrandBox.
Community members are welcome to stop by, ask questions and purchase items sold by the students, according to Gayle Robinson, a spokesperson for the Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.
Students will get the chance to “display, demonstrate and discuss their innovative products and services in the hopes of building brand awareness, selling to new customers and connecting with the local community,” the event page said.
A total of 140 students will be present at the event, Robinson said, adding that they will be broken up into eight teams that will take turns presenting throughout the day.
Tables will be set up “market-style,” according to the event’s Facebook page.
Students tabling their ideas at this event are part of a program that helped them develop a business plan, pitch ideas and build confidence, the website said.
Robinson told Tysons Reporter that the students, who represent the entire D.C. area, have been preparing for this moment since they began the program in September and will be evaluated by judges wandering around the room during the event.
Students who win this competition will be fast-tracked to future competitions later this spring, according to Robinson.
Aditi Streetside Indian will soon rebrand as Kochin Kitchen in the Town of Vienna.
Located in Danor Plaza (126 Branch Road SE), the eatery will still be under the same ownership, Andrea West, a town spokesperson, said.
While the eatery is currently closed, an employee said that the owners hope to begin serving food again within the next week.
The owners haven’t announced if Kochin Kitchen’s menu will be similar to Aditi Streetside Indian.
Image via Town of Vienna
A new eatery recently opened in McLean — giving people yet another casual dining option.
The Union serves a variety of Asian-fusion dishes among other fares, according to the location’s website. Options that cater to keto and vegan diets are also served, such as the Ancient Grain Bowl, which can be ordered vegan or vegetarian.
Giridhar Sastry, the owner, was born in India and opened the restaurant after working at The Ritz-Carlton and as a head-chef at other restaurants around D.C., Sastry told Tysons Reporter.
The restaurant opened at 1379 Beverly Road on Sunday (Jan. 26), Sastry said.
The location has both indoor and outdoor seating and can fit up to around 80 patrons at a time, according to Sastry.
The Union is open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., according to the website.
Photos via The Union
A nail salon in Vienna will soon move into a new home.
Cindy Nail Spa is currently located at 338 Maple Avenue W. and plans to relocate to an adjacent building that houses Burke & Herbert Bank, according to a Town of Vienna employee.
Thi Thai, the location’s owner, told Tysons Reporter that staff hopes to have the new salon up and running within two weeks.
The nail salon applied to install signs at the new location 302 Maple Avenue W., replacing Mathnasium.
The salon of nail services — from manicures to pedicures to gel fills — along with waxing for men and women, according to the salon’s website.
Image via Town of Vienna
(Updated 1/29/2020) Several new stores and eateries plan to expand the offerings at Tysons Corner Center.
Cotton On, B8TA, Teriyaki Way and China Kitchen will all open within the following months, a mall spokesperson said. (Tysons Reporter previously reported that Cotton On and B8TA plan to open stores in the mall.)
The Australian brand Cotton On, which offers clothing and stationery brands, will be located across from Oakley and Abercrombie & Fitch, the press release said.
Meanwhile, B8TA will be located on level 1 by Kids Foot Locker and Abercrombie Kids, according to the press release, and allow shoppers to “try on the latest and innovative products out of the box from home, technology, to health-related and lifestyle focused items.”
China Kitchen will be located on level three in the food court, and Teriyaki Way will be next to California Pizza Kitchen.
Opening dates have not been announced yet for any of the upcoming locations.
Sunglass Hut, which already has a location in the mall near now-closed Lord and Taylor, will add a second location just a few steps away near Macy’s, according to a sign outside the location.
Renovations will be finished in March, the sign said.
A kiosk with mini doughnuts from Doughnuttery is coming to the mall’s second level near Barnes and Noble, according to the mall’s website.
Along with the upcoming openings, a few stores plan to say goodbye or have already closed.
With all of its stores closing nationwide, a store employee said Papyrus will likely stay open for a few more weeks at the mall.
Tradition d’Afrique has closed in BrandBox on the first level by Barnes and Noble. Brio, an Italian restaurant chain, recently closed its location near BrandBox.
American Tandoor was still closed yesterday (Monday). The Indian restaurant has signs saying it’s “temporarily closed until further notice.”
“The closings of Brio and American Tandoor are for different circumstances and has no correlation to the vitality of Tysons Corner Center,” a spokesperson for Tysons Corner Center told Tysons Reporter on Jan. 29.
