McDonalds and Chick-fil-A will soon have some new competition for Vienna high school students looking to chow down while relaxing with friends after class.
The D.C.-based fast food chain Z-Burger is set to open later this spring in the former Pizza Hut at 541 Maple Avenue West, continuing an expansion into Northern Virginia that began in McLean and recently spread to Alexandria.
Adjacent to 7-Eleven and a Shell gas station, the restaurant is within walking distance of James Madison High School and Louise Archer Elementary School.
“We’re going to be mostly catering to the schools, the high school…Over there is a void for a really good burger place,” co-owner Peter Tabibian said, describing Z-Burger as closer in quality and approach to Shake Shack or Five Guys than the McDonald’s across the street.
After launching Z-Burger in Tenleytown in 2008, Tabibian has been working with his business partner, McLean resident Kevin Ejtemai, to expand the restaurant’s footprint beyond D.C. The pair are also behind the Persian restaurant Maman Joon, whose latest location opened at Tysons Corner Center earlier this month.
Though the windows are still covered by paper, Z-Burger has finished building out its roughly 1,200-square-foot space in Vienna, according to Tabibian. Employees are now being trained at the McLean location.
He anticipates that the new restaurant will open around mid-May.
In addition to beef burgers, Z-Burger sells chicken sandwiches, cheesesteaks, veggie burgers, hot dogs and 75 different flavors of milkshakes, which Tabibian says are popular with both kids and adults.
“We can compete with any of those guys, the burger guys, because we have a little bit more variety and we use really good ingredients,” he said. “Our meat is the foundation of our success because everything is fresh.”
The business also makes an effort to get involved with the local community, whether that giving some proceeds to schools during “Dining for Dollars” fundraisers or handing out free burgers when the federal government shuts down.
“We do a lot of stuff for the community,” Tabibian said. “That’s who serves us, so we try to help out where we can.”
Photo via Z-Burger/Instagram
County’s Last Bed Bath & Beyond to Close — After three Fairfax County locations closed earlier this year, Bed Bath & Beyond’s recent bankruptcy filing means the last holdout in Bailey’s Crossroads will soon follow suit. With all 360 remaining stores shuttering by June 30, sales after tomorrow (Wednesday) will be final, and stores will stop accepting gift cards on May 8. [Annandale Today]
Motorcyclist Dies in Crash on I-66 — “A 29-year-old motorcyclist died late Friday night after a crash on Interstate 66 in Fairfax County, Virginia State Police say. Jeffrey R. Armstrong, of Sterling, was driving a 2006 Suzuki GSX east on I-66 near mile marker 50 at around 11:25 p.m. Friday when police said the cycle rear ended a 2003 Honda Odyssey, ejecting him from the bike.” [WTOP]
Former FCPD Officer in Taser Incident Hired in Minneapolis — “A former Fairfax County police officer, who was charged with assault in June 2020 after bodycam video showed him arriving and quickly firing his Taser at a disoriented Black man, is now under investigation by the Minnesota police department that hired him.” [FOX5]
New Guidance Issued on Covid Vaccines — “On April 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced simplified COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.” As of Friday (April 21), Virginia has implemented the new rules allowing “individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness to receive an optional additional dose of the updated (bivalent) mRNA vaccine.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
Virginia Driver’s Licenses Get New, More Secure Design — “New driver’s license and ID card designs are rolling out in Virginia starting today, the Commonwealth’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday. The design features the Richmond Capitol building’s rotunda dome, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (the state insect), and an American Dogwood (the state flower).” [DCist]
Sen. Warner Discusses Issues Affecting Korean American Community — “In a meeting with the Korean community in Annandale April 22, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) spoke about issues ranging from the need to support local businesses to the reunification of Korea. Warner said he supports initiatives to help small businesses gain access to capital, increased investments in education and affordable housing, and efforts to crack down on hate crimes against Asians.” [Annandale Today]
Virginia Resumes Grading Schools on Absenteeism — “During the pandemic, the state suspended using a school’s chronic absenteeism rate as a factor in measuring school performance. But this week, the Virginia Board of Education shot down a proposal to extend that suspension to the 2022-2023 school year, meaning that for the first time since classrooms went virtual, attendance will be considered in school accreditation.” [The Washington Post]
Reston Library to Hold Book Sale This Week — “This is our largest one, typically held twice a year at Reston Regional. We offer 35-40,000 items, in over 20 categories. There are NO children’s books at these sales.” After a preview tomorrow, the sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday (April 30). [Friends of Reston Regional Library]
It’s Tuesday — Broken clouds. Cool. High of 61 and low of 41. Sunrise at 6:18 am and sunset at 7:54 pm. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 11:35 a.m. on 4/27/2023 — With rain in the forecast tomorrow (Friday), the cherry tree plantings have been postponed to May 6, the Tysons Community Alliance announced today.
Earlier: This year’s cherry blossom season has come and gone, but in Tysons, the seeds for future flowers are about to take root.
The Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the nonprofit community improvement organization formed to replace the Tysons Partnership, has partnered with the National Cherry Blossom Festival to obtain and plant 17 cherry trees around the urban center.
The trees will be planted at Tysons Corner Center and Scotts Run this Friday (April 28), which is not coincidentally also Arbor Day.
“We chose cherry trees as our first official planting in Tysons because of their beautiful blooms and rich history in the region,” Tysons Community Alliance interim CEO Rich Bradley said. “Moreover, by partnering with the National Cherry Blossom Festival to plant these trees, it allows us to be an official part of what has become a truly regional celebration and one of the largest festivals in the country.”
About 50 volunteers are needed for the plantings, according to the TCA. They can participate in one or both of the two scheduled shifts:
Shift 1
- Location: Scotts Run, 1651 Old Meadow Rd, Tysons, VA, 22102
- Volunteer arrival time: 7:30 a.m.
- Training session: 7:45 a.m.
- Planting begins: 8 a.m.
Shift 2
- Location: I-495 pedestrian bridge (Tysons Corner Center side)
- Volunteer arrival time: 11:30 a.m.
- Training session: 11:45 a.m.
- Planting begins: noon
An official ceremony to celebrate the plantings is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Scotts Run trailhead.
The Arbor Day event extends a collaboration between the TCA and the festival that began earlier this month with the first annual “Pedal with Petals” family bicycle ride. The partnership was announced at the alliance’s official launch in February.
Held from March 20 to April 14 this year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival works with the nonprofit Casey Trees to plant trees around the D.C. area. The TCA will be responsible for maintaining the new trees in Tysons going forward, according to a spokesperson.
A 12.5% salary increase for police officers will be under discussion later this week for inclusion in Fairfax County’s upcoming budget.
Other items under consideration in the mark-up package include more money for ArtsFairfax, funding for girls’ softball facilities, and establishing a self-help resource center in the Fairfax Courthouse library.
In many years, shifting revenue, expense, and administrative cost estimates enable adjustments to the advertised budget presented in February, opening up funding for some initially unaddressed items.
County Executive Bryan Hill left about $90.2 million in unallocated funds in the fiscal year 2024 advertised budget, but with adjustments, that has now risen to $110.4 million.
As a result, supervisors are able to submit items to be considered at a pre-markup discussion by the Board of Supervisors’ budget policy committee on Friday (April 28) and a mark-up session with the full board on May 2.
Seven items were submitted for the mark-up package, totaling about $26.5 million.
The biggest ask, by far, is a 12.5% salary increase for police officers at rank of second lieutenant and below from Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity. The raises would cost $26.2 million and come in addition to the 2% market rate adjustment increase already in the budget.
“Budgets should be about priorities and public safety is a priority. We are short about 200 officers; we have had to disband many of our specialty units to staff patrol, and changed shifts which have had a negative impact on our current officers,” Herrity told FFXnow. “It is past time to address a staffing shortage we have seen coming for many years. We can address the public staffing crisis without increasing the tax burden on our residents.”
He added that he’s “very optimistic” the board will approve at least some level of salary increase, if not the full 12.5%.
Last year, the county gave raises to certain public safety workers as part of the mark-up package, but it was a step increase and cost the county $6.1 million.
Herrity also is proposing to reduce supervisor office support budgets by $1.1 million, the same amount it was increased by in last year’s budget.
“This is a microcosm for the illogical spending in our County. Last year, no one answered my question about who proposed the $1.1 million increase for Board office budgets,” Herrity said. “We certainly do not need increased staff budgets, certainly not on top of the 38% salary increase. The money would be better spent focusing on improving access and customer service by county agencies as Board staff spend about 75% of their time helping residents with services.”
Also set to be considered is a proposal from Board Chairman Jeff McKay and Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw to provide $300,00 to reduce the “disparity between girls’ fastpitch softball and boys’ baseball facilities.”
In February, the two requested funding after a recent study revealed a widening gap in the quality and quantity of fields in the county available for softball compared to baseball. The supervisors asked for $1.7 million in one-time funding and a recurring cost of $300,000 for consideration in this year’s budget.
Other items that will be considered at the mark-up sessions in the coming weeks include:
- Expanding the Opportunity Neighborhoods initiative into Centreville at a cost of $413,000
- Establishing a self-help resource center within the law library at the Fairfax County Courthouse at a cost of $96,000
- An increase of $200,000 to ArtsFairfax for operating expenses
- Providing $350,000 to nonprofit projects that make home repairs and accessibility modifications so low and moderate-income households who are aging or disabled can stay in their homes
The 2024 fiscal year budget is set to be adopted on May 9.
A 33-year-old man from Haymarket was charged with reckless driving and felony property destruction last week following a vehicle and foot chase with Vienna police.
The Vienna Police Department received a report around 2:28 p.m. last Tuesday (April 18) that a reckless driver was “harassing people” in the 300 block of Maple Avenue East, according to the department’s recap of the week of April 14-20.
Officers sent to the scene spotted the vehicle leaving the area and moved to make a traffic stop.
“The driver fled, crashed into a parked car, and ran away, damaging some fences while trying to elude the officers,” the report said. “The suspect also attempted to enter homes, with officers closing in on him.”
Officers and detectives who “saturated the area” were soon able to arrest the man in the 700 block of Cottage Street SW, police said.
Vienna police charged the man with reckless driving, two counts of felony destruction of property, two misdemeanor counts of unlawful entry, a felony for eluding a law enforcement officer, and driving on a license revoked for driving under the influence.
According to VPD, the man also faced outstanding warrants in Fairfax and Prince William counties for petit larceny and concealing merchandise. He was held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Other notable public safety incidents from the past week include a fight in the Pazzo Pomodoro parking lot (118 Branch Road SE) on April 14 that was triggered either by an “inappropriate gesture” or shouted “obscenities,” depending on who’s asked.
An employee reported a fight in the parking lot of Pazzo Pomodoro involving a resident and a couple. According to the resident, the man made an inappropriate gesture toward him, leading to a physical altercation. However, the couple claimed that the resident drove past them, yelling obscenities and started the fight. The woman ran into the restaurant to get help, and a customer also became involved. Police could not identify a primary aggressor, and all parties were informed about the warrant process if they wanted to press charges.
The resident was transported to receive medical treatment for injuries considered non-life-threatening, police said.
On April 15, the VPD responded to an argument at a baby shower on Kingsley Road that escalated to shoving and an apparent road rage incident at Nutley Street and Princeton Terrace SW.
“A driver reported he was traveling southbound on Nutley Street when he was cut off by another driver, causing him to stop on the roadway,” the police summary says. “The other driver proceeded to throw a half-filled can of fluid, striking his vehicle before leaving the area at a high rate of speed.”
Police also responded to Glyndon Park at 5:46 p.m. on April 16 for a report of four people playing pickleball, which is no longer allowed on Sundays due to noise complaints.
Bijan Ghaisar’s Family to Settle Lawsuit Over Shooting — “The family of Bijan Ghaisar, shot dead by two U.S. Park Police officers as he slowly drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee away from them in 2017, agreed to settle their lawsuit against the agency for $5 million, according to a court filing Friday.” The agreement still needs to be approved by a judge. [The Washington Post]
Fatal Crash in Chantilly Under Investigation — “A 39-year-old man died in a car crash in Chantilly, Virginia Saturday morning after speeding away from a DWI checkpoint, according to Fairfax County Police. Around 1:15 a.m. officers responded to a two-car crash near the intersection of Lee Highway and Bull Run Post Office Road. Once on scene, they found a man, later identified as Ashton Robinson, who had been thrown from his car.” [WUSA9]
Scotts Run Fire Station Unveils Official Patch — “Introducing the official station patch of Station 44, Scott’s Run! The design captures a few of the area’s features, including the unique and still evolving skyline and a Metro train. It highlights all three apparatus assigned to the station, and includes an NFPA 704 placard representing membership in the Hazardous Materials Response Team.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
TV Behind Fire at Centreville Townhouse — Investigators have determined that a townhouse fire on April 19 in the 14600 block of Seasons Drive started in the living room after an “electrical event involving a flat panel television.” Four people and three dogs were displaced by the fire, which caused about $30,000 in property damages. [FCFRD]
Three Arrested for Retail Fraud in Tysons — “On March 23, our Tysons Urban Team (TUT) was alerted to multiple traveling organized retail theft groups performing fraudulent purchases and returns in a neighboring jurisdiction. The next day, TUT officers observed three men at Tysons Corner Center making fraudulent merchandise returns. The men were arrested with 5 fraudulent ID’s, 154 items of merchandise valued at $33k, and 35 gift cards valued at $20k.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Vienna Considers Lower Tax Rate — “A lower real estate tax rate is being considered in Vienna as a public hearing approaches on Monday, April 24. Town Manager Mercury Payton’s 2023-2024 budget proposal calls for reducing the rate from 20.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 20.25 cents per $100 of assessed value…However, Town Council is considering an even lower rate than what was proposed — 19.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.” [Patch]
Virginia High School Athletes May Be Able to Make Money — “The Virginia High School League is moving toward allowing high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.” An executive committee unanimously recommended a proposal in January that would let athletes make money by selling autographs, making personal appearances, and other means. The proposal is scheduled to get a second vote on May 3. [Inside NoVA]
Workhouse “LOVE” Sign Gets New Look — “The LOVEworks sign at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton has a fresh new look thanks to the meticulous work of fiber artist Marisela Rumberg. Rumberg, a native of Mexico and award-winning quilter who has had an art studio at the Workhouse since 2015, specializes in free-motion quilting and Zentangle — a form of abstract art based on structured patterns.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Afternoon clouds. Refreshingly cool. High of 60 and low of 42. Sunrise at 6:19 am and sunset at 7:53 pm. [Weather.gov]
After a few months of settling into McLean, Big Buns Damn Good Burgers and Matchbox are evidently ready for a housewarming party.
The two restaurants paired with McLean’s Lidl grocery store on Chain Bridge Road will get a grand opening celebration, complete with an official ribbon-cutting, this coming Wednesday (April 26).
Both owned by Thompson Hospitality, Big Buns opened its doors to customers on Jan. 16, while the pizzeria followed suit in early February.
The event will take place at 1340 Chain Bridge Road from 5-7 p.m., bringing free food and drinks, a live DJ and giveaways.
“Enjoy complimentary samples of burgers, sliders, nuggets, pizza, and beer from both restaurants as well as tunes from a local DJ all night long,” Thompson Hospitality said in a media alert. “A percentage of proceeds from other items purchased during the evening will be donated to [the nonprofit] Food for Others.”
Expected attendees of the ribbon-cutting, which will be at 5:30 p.m., include Thompson Hospitality president and board chair Warren Thompson, Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Andrew Clark, and Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Director of Diversity Business Investment Karen Smaw.
There are now 14 Matchbox restaurants and 10 Big Buns in existence, including another joint location at Reston Station. Both eateries were also in Fairfax City’s Point 50 shopping center until Slice of Matchbox — a pared-down version of the pizzeria — shuttered last month.
Thompson Hospitality says it currently owns and operates over 60 restaurants and hopes to expand to 100 restaurants by the end of 2023. Its other brands include Chick-fil-A, the Reston-based pub Makers Union, and Milk & Honey Cafe, which has a Fairfax location.
O, muse, send me your cleverest rhymes, your liveliest verses and most starry-eyed odes to nightingales.
So says Fairfax County Public Library, as time ticks down on its second annual poetry contest.
Launched on April 1, in time with the start of National Poetry Month, the Poetic Musings competition invites anyone who lives, works or studies in the county to submit a poem for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card, a certificate and a moment in the limelight.
The contest was first held in 2022 as part of the library system’s year-long celebration of literacy, FCPL Director Jessica Hudson says.
“We were thrilled with the participation last year!” Hudson told FFXnow by email. “FCPL supports literacy in all its forms, including poetry, and plans to continue with some of its Year of Literacy initiatives, including the poetry contest.”
Where last year’s contest focused on the theme of love, the 2023 version is accepting one or two-page poems written in the specific styles of free verse, rhymes or odes. Two teen and adult winners will be chosen from each style by a panel of judges that includes 2022-2024 Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra.
Participants must be at least 15 years old and a resident, worker or student in the county. The window for online submissions will close on May 7.
The winners will be announced on June 5 and get a celebration on June 29 at Burke Centre Library (5935 Freds Oak Road), where they’ll read their poems.
In addition to the poetry contest, Fairfax County has been marking National Poetry Month with video readings by professional poets, local elected officials and other community members.
ArtsFairfax also collaborated with the Fairfax County Park Authority to kick off Badra’s “Poetry in the Parks” initiative with an Arab-American Heritage Month poetry reading last Saturday (April 15). The event at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly drew around 50 attendees, including 12-15 people who stayed for a workshop after the readings, the local arts agency says.
Upcoming “Poetry in the Parks” events include a Pride Month poetry reading at Ellanor Lawrence Park on June 24 and a “Poetry Beneath the Stars” event on Aug. 19 at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls.
(Updated at 5:25 p.m.) McLean Central Park is getting a new playground, but the exact design will depend on whether a group of local moms can raise nearly $400,000 by the end of this year.
Ideally, the facility will have a rubberized surface to cushion the ground, tot lot fencing, additional seating and plenty of shiny, modern equipment, including an adaptive tandem swing and other elements accessible to people with disabilities.
But the vision of an inclusive playground reminiscent of the one at Clemyjontri Park exceeds the $279,361 that the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) has budgeted for the project as part of an overhaul of the 28-acre park at 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd.
To close the funding gap, a group of volunteering parents formed the McLean Central Park Playground Team and launched a community fundraising campaign in early March.
“We were all extremely passionate about making sure that this was an inclusive playground for all different types of abilities and ages,” said Jessica Wu, who joined the team last year. “…Clemyjontri is amazing. It’s a wonderful, wonderful playground and we’re so lucky to have it right in our backyard here, but McLean Central Park, that’s our central park, right? That’s the heart of McLean.”
While the fundraiser is just getting underway, it continues a years-long advocacy effort that began in a McLean Facebook group, when Cara Schantz, a McLean native, expressed disappointment with the playground options for young kids after moving back to the area from Arlington County.
She wasn’t alone in her dissatisfaction, as others chimed in with their own experiences, shaped in part by having more time to take their kids to local parks during the early months of the Covid pandemic, fellow original team member Ang Golder recalls.
Clemyjontri has been lauded for accommodating kids with physical and developmental disabilities, but its uniqueness makes it a regional draw, which can mean crowds, the parents told FFXnow. Many other playgrounds belong to schools, making them off-limits when classes are in session.
When Schantz and Golder learned the park authority was developing a concept for new facilities at McLean Central, they saw an opportunity to advocate for improvements to the existing playground for school-aged kids and tot lot.
Installed in 1998 and 2002, respectively, the playground and tot lot are on opposite ends of the park, inconveniencing families with kids of different ages.
“It makes no sense that the playgrounds are like…two or three blocks apart,” Schantz said.
Initially, the FCPA presented a concept for the park in spring 2021 that left both facilities in their existing locations and replaced the school-aged playground, which is at the end of its useful life, according to spokesperson Benjamin Boxer. Read More
Reminder: County Libraries Closed Today — “All FCPL branches will be closed…Friday, April 21 for Staff Day so all FCPL employees can participate in professional development. Regular hours will resume Saturday, April 22.” [FCPL]
New Social Studies Standards Approved for Virginia Schools — “After more than eight months of debate, the Virginia Board of Education reached a compromise and approved new guidance for what students will learn in history and social studies classes from kindergarten through 12th grade…The standards will require, for the first time, that Virginia students to be taught about racism” [The Washington Post]
Pet Emergency Room Opens in Pimmit Hills — “Veterinary Emergency Group celebrated the grand opening of its first Virginia hospital in Falls Church this week. The new pet clinic at 7500 Leesburg Pike, Suite 11, offers emergency care in veterinary medicine, including surgeries, ultrasounds, x-rays and more.” [Inside NoVA]
Reston Contractor Joins Race to Design Lunar Rover — The IT and engineering company Leidos, which is headquartered at Reston Town Center, has partnered with NASCAR to design a Lunar Terrain Vehicle that could be deployed on the moon. After the Artemis I launch on Nov. 16, 2022, the company has submitted a bid to develop a landing system that will be “a critical component of NASA’s efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the moon.” [NASCAR]
Metro Unveils New Train Design Concepts — “New renderings of Metro’s 8000-series train cars show the transit agency is switching up the trains’ seating configuration, moving forward with the open gangway concept, and adding a touch of D.C. flair to the design.” The first of 256 ordered trains are projected to arrive in 2025. [DCist]
No Messing With Fawns This Spring, Police Warn — “Spring is here and with it the onset of fawning season. The Fairfax County Police Department is warning residents to leave the fawns alone for the welfare of the animals. Beginning May 1, the rehabilitation of fawns in Fairfax County is prohibited.” [WUSA9]
County Farmers Markets Aim to Produce No Waste — “Ringing in a new farmers market season at Mount Vernon with Supervisor Storck and FCPA Executive Director Jai Cole! This year, Fairfax County Park Authority is implementing zero waste at the markets by giving out compostable plastic and reusable canvas bags.” [FCPA/Facebook]
Halley Rise Developer Defaults on $161 Million Loan — “The mortgage, partially backed by seven Brookfield Properties-owned Class B office buildings, the majority in Rockville, was transferred to a special servicer on March 14…Brookfield has dozens of properties in the region, including huge mixed-use projects in D.C.’s The Yards and Reston’s Halley Rise.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Friday — Sunny. High of 88 and low of 58. Sunrise at 6:23 am and sunset at 7:51 pm. [Weather.gov]
