A Nashville-style hot chicken chain backed by Samuel L. Jackson and Drake is on its way to Tysons.
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open its first Virginia location at Pike 7 Plaza this year, property manager Federal Realty Investment Trust confirmed to FFXnow.
The restaurant will occupy 2,445 square feet of space on the northern end of the strip mall, replacing an office for a weight loss program at 8397 Leesburg Pike. A commercial alterations permit is pending an approval from the Fairfax County Fire Marshal.
Federal Realty said it’s “thrilled” to be chosen as Dave’s entry point into Virginia. The company recently opened a spot in D.C. and has Maryland franchises in the works.
“This renowned fast-casual restaurant serving Nashville hot chicken, has generated much hype across the country not only for its delicious menu but for the innovative use of art throughout the interior and exterior of the restaurant,” Federal Realty Senior Vice President of Asset Management Deirdre Johnson said. “We look forward to adding this highly sought-after concept to Pike 7 before year-end.”
Founded by a quartet of friends, Dave’s Hot Chicken started as a “tiny” street food stand in an East Hollywood parking lot in 2017, according to its website. Instagram and a rave Eater LA review generated buzz that led to a mall storefront a year later and a slew of celebrity investors.
The business now has over 100 locations across the U.S., Canada and the Middle East.
Popular in Nashville’s Black communities before it became trendy, hot chicken is fried and coated in spicy seasonings, typically accompanied by white bread and pickles. Dave’s menu offers four combo options of sliders and chicken tenders, with spice levels ranging from none to “reaper.”
Dave’s will be joined at Pike 7 Plaza by Lidl and Shake Shack. A Lidl spokesperson told FFXnow that the grocery store is still under construction but on track to open in 2023.
Construction on the standalone Shake Shack — which will take over a corner of the parking lot — is anticipated to start early this year, though the project is still in the process of getting permit approvals from Fairfax County, according to Federal Realty.
The shopping center recently welcomed Kusshi Ko, a sushi restaurant, and the upscale Ingle Korean Steakhouse.
Photo via Dave’s Hot Chicken/Instagram
Winter Restaurant Week is scheduled to kick off next week, and over 20 eateries across Fairfax County are signed up to offer special offerings as part of the event.
During Restaurant Week — a bi-annual event sponsored by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — participating restaurants in the D.C. region offer special menus to encourage locals to try new locations around the area.
“Participating restaurants will offer multi-course brunch and lunch menus for $25 per person, and multi-course dinner menus for $40 or $55 per person for on-premises dining,” RAMW said in a release. “Many restaurants will also offer RW-To-Go dinner meals and cocktail pairings, giving more variety for diners wanting to partake in the program. RW-To-Go dinner packages will be available at two price points: $70 or $100 for two people and $140 or $200 for four people.”
The following restaurants around Fairfax have signed up for Restaurant Week this year:
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive) — French cuisine in Falls Church
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive) — Greek/Mediterranean/Turkish in Tysons
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Italian food in the Mosaic District
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road) — Steakhouse in McLean
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley) — American food in the Mosaic District
- Bellissimo Restaurant (10403 Main Street) — Italian food in Fairfax City
- Big Buns (Herndon, Reston, Vienna, Fairfax City locations) — American food chain with locations across Fairfax
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive) — American food in Tysons
- Founding Farmers (Tysons and Reston locations) — locally sourced food and bar
- Hamrock’s Restaurant (3950 Chain Bridge Road) — Southern cuisine in Fairfax City
- Makers Union (1811 Library Street) — Gastropub in Reston
- Matchbox (Mosaic District and Reston locations) — American bistro
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street) — Steakhouse in Reston
- North Italia (Reston and Tysons locations) — Italian cuisine
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) — Seafood restaurant in Reston
- The Capital Grille (Fair Lakes and Tysons locations) — A steakhouse and seafood restaurant
- TRIO Grill (8100 Lee Hwy) — American food in Falls Church
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive) — Steak and seafood in Tysons Galleria
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South) — Japanese restaurant in Tysons
- Zenola (132 Branch Road) — Lebanese restaurant in Vienna
A single-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer brought the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean to a standstill yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.
The tractor-trailer was traveling south on I-495 when it crashed near the Georgetown Pike exit, the Virginia State Police said. The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to catch fire.
Police responded to the scene around 1:06 p.m., closing all southbound I-495 lanes and diverting traffic onto Georgetown Pike.
“The driver was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries,” the VSP said in a news release. “The crash remains under investigation.”
More than two hours after the crash, traffic queues stretched north into Maryland, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. It wasn’t until around 6 p.m. that the first lane on I-495 was able to reopen.
Update: 495SB at Georgetown Pike still closed due to tractor trailer fire. Traffic is being diverted onto Georgetown Pike. Seek alternate routes. https://t.co/R2KG2cljs7 pic.twitter.com/gAE4qtBO5d
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) January 8, 2023
TikTok Video of Fake Fairfax Bus Sign Goes Viral — “The City of Fairfax does not want you to run over jaywalking pedestrians in order to teach them a lesson…A video posted to TikTok by the user @hamandgreenpepperomelette shows the back of a Fairfax City CUE bus with a bogus sign that reads: ‘Don’t stop for pedestrians if they jaywalk. Let them learn a lesson.'” [Patch]
Route 28 South Closure in Centreville Tomorrow — “Overhead sign installation on Route 28 South approaching I-66 will require overnight closures of the Route 28 South collector-distributor lane, the ramp from Braddock Road/Walney Road to Route 28 South and I-66 East, and the ramp from I-66 West to Route 28 South nightly, Tuesday, January 10, through Thursday, January 12.” [VDOT]
Police Issued Over 600 Traffic Tickets Last Month — “Our Safe December Squad, comprised of 11 officers and two supervisors, helped remove dangerous drivers from our roadways. These officers made 750 traffic stops which resulted in 41 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 5 arrests for driving while under the influence of drugs and over 600 tickets being issued.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Annandale Food Festival Returns — “After a two and a-half-year break, the Taste of Annandale will be back in 2023. The family-friendly community festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., along Tom Davis Drive in the center of Annandale.” [Annandale Today]
New History Education Standards Released — “The Virginia State Superintendent of Public Instruction is out with another revision of the standards of learning for history and social science…When the proposed revisions first came out last fall, there was a lot of criticism, with some saying it was them whitewashing history.” [WTOP]
The Story Behind Herndon’s Beanstalk Farms — “A farm replacing a data center in Northern Virginia — is that even possible? This reversal of development trends happened in September, when Beanstalk Farms, the brainchild of Alexandria brothers Mike and Jack Ross, opened at what was an abandoned data center in downtown Herndon.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
What to Expect From the Park Authority This Year — Linwood Gorham, who represents Mount Vernon District on the Fairfax County Park Authority board, says his priorities for this year include an initiative to improve park access and equity. Notable projects include Overlook Ridge Park at the old Lorton Landfill, the North Hill Park along Richmond Highway, and new garden plots at the NIKE Site. [On the MoVe]
Dulles Airport Visitors Share Memories — “Once derided as a ‘white elephant’ and nicknamed ‘Lonesome Acres,’ Dulles International has grown into one of the nation’s largest airports over its six decades…As Dulles marked its 60th anniversary in November, we asked readers to share their most memorable moments of Dulles through the years.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Possible drizzle in the morning. High of 45 and low of 37. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:05 pm. [Weather.gov]
Special Olympics Virginia is ready to make another splash at the Mosaic District.
The nonprofit’s annual Polar Plunge fundraiser will return to the Merrifield community for a fourth year on Saturday, Jan. 14. As in previous years, participants will jump into a pool of icy water to raise money for the organization’s more than 18,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The event is Special Olympics Virginia’s first fundraiser of the year and one of five planned in the state for 2023, according to Senior Director of Development Ellen Head.
“I love that we start things off with a plunge because long before we had unified sports (where people with and without disabilities play on a team together instead of segregated) we had plunges which, by nature, are unified,” Head told FFXnow by email. “We have Special Olympics athletes alongside of everyone else jumping into the cold pools!”
The Mosaic District hosted a plunge for the first time in 2019. The event returned in early 2020 before taking 2021 off due to the pandemic.
Like last year, the Polar Plunge will be held on Strawberry Lane in front of Target. Check-ins will start at noon, followed by a costume contest and award presentation at 1 p.m. and the actual plunging at 1:15 p.m.
@polarplungeva is back at Mosaic on Jan 14!
Gather your friends and GO ALL IN. It’s time for a chilly pool plunge with the coolest Special Olympics supporters in Northern VA! All proceeds support @specialolympicsva
Tap link to sign up: https://t.co/Zy3SkLixeS pic.twitter.com/xCPKvi83zT
— Mosaic (@mosaicdistrict) December 14, 2022
Advance registration is currently open, and participants have already raised over $20,000, according to Special Olympics Virginia’s website. Proceeds from the Mosaic District plunge have grown every year, from roughly $35,000 in 2019 to $50,000 last year, according to Head.
For this year’s event, the nonprofit has partnered with Archer Hotel, which replaced the Hyatt House at the Mosaic District last year. As an incentive, the hotel will provide access to its suites before and after the plunge for the two teams and two individuals who raise the most money.
Collectively, the polar plunges raise close to $1.5 million each year, though Special Olympics Virginia hopes to exceed that mark in 2023, Head says.
The organization also hopes to see its program enrollment bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, which surpassed 23,000 athletes.
In addition to organizing free local and state-level sports programs and events, the nonprofit provides health and fitness resources. A clinic at its annual Summer Games offers free physical and mental health services, including dental, vision and hearing care.
“This is important since many of our athletes lack this care due to the limitations of Medicaid,” Heard said.
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
Happy New Year Fairfax!
As we are jumping right into 2023, I want to connect you with our Fairfax family and help you achieve your 2023 goals. Based on several surveys, here are the top 6 New Year’s Resolutions — I like to call them Goals — along with links to local and digital resources for each.
Exercise More: many of these businesses are offering membership sales this month.
Eat Healthier: bowls, smoothies, and organic produce are still popular!
- Playa Bowls
- Naked Lunch
- True Food Kitchen
- Boyla Fresh Bold Kitchen
- Roots Natural Kitchen
- PokeHub
- South Block
- Pressed
- PLNT Burger
Save More Money: Advisors suggest you begin with a budget, review your expenses, and set financial goals. Check out these Best Money Saving Apps suggested by Bankrate.com.
- Digit — Best for optimizing savings decisions
- Qapital — Best for those who are motivated by visuals
- Long Game — Best for a game-like experience
- Chime — Best for effortless savings
- Current — Best for young adults seeking a banking alternative
- Acorns — Best for novice investors
- Mint — Best for financial newcomers
- Qoins — Best for those with debt
Spend More Time with Family and Friends: a game night at home is always fun, but here are some ideas to get out and about together!
- MUSE — paint bar
- Bad Axe — axe throwing
- Board & Brush — DIY wood sign workshop
- The Winery at Bull Run
- Maple Ave Restaurant — try brunch at this modern European bistro
- Bowlero Tysons — 36 lanes, an arcade, air hockey, you could even join a league
- Escapology — Fairfax’s live escape room
- Chubby Squirrel Tasting Room — and the crispy tots are great, too!
- The Boro — check out events and the latest restaurants in this vibrant neighborhood
- The Block Foodhall — food, ice cream, and a bar
- Go for a run or walk — check out some of my favorite trails here
Reduce Stress: these popular meditation apps are great tools to help with relaxation and better sleep.
Refresh Yourself: save at least one night a week to do something that refreshes you.
- Order in your life
- Enjoy the outdoors
- Listen to music
- Serve others/volunteer
Explore Fairfax with Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney.
Sharmane Medaris | Live Fairfax | www.soldbysharmane.com | [email protected] | @soldbysharmane | 813-504-4479 | 374 Maple Avenue Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A proposed shared-use path on Haycock Road over I-66 is among several pedestrian and bicycle projects in the West Falls Church Metro station area that the McLean Citizens Association believes Fairfax County should prioritize for funding.
The organization, which routinely weighs in on issues affecting the greater McLean area, approved a resolution on Wednesday (Jan. 4) endorsing 19 projects recommended by an advisory group that the county convened to study the West Falls Church Transit Station Area’s (TSA) active transportation infrastructure.
“We believe these projects will improve access to the West Falls Church Metro station and area schools, and will likely be cost effective,” Glenn Harris, who chairs the association’s transportation committee, said.
Released in November, the advisory group’s final report backed community complaints that the area is congested and unsafe to travel for those not in cars, proposing 20 projects that could help address those issues in anticipation of future development.
In its resolution, the MCA board of directors highlighted seven pedestrian projects that it says deserve “rapid identification and allocation of funding for placement” on the county’s Transportation Priorities Plan:
- Pathway improvements along Haycock Road from Great Falls Street to the Metro Access Road
- A sidewalk along Redd Road to Idylwood Road and related improvements, including a crosswalk, to provide safe access to Lemon Road Elementary School
- A pedestrian refuge on Idylwood Road near Lemon Road Elementary
- High-visibility crosswalks at the Pimmit Drive and Leesburg Pike intersection
- A mid-block crossing on Haycock Road near Casemont Drive with flashing beacons
- Pedestrian improvements at the Westmoreland Street and Haycock Road intersection
- A crosswalk on Great Falls Street at Moly Drive
The Haycock pathway improvements would consist of a new shared-use path that’s at least 8 feet wide. To make room where it passes over I-66, the road could be reduced from two southwest travel lanes to one, according to MCA board member Bruce Jones.
“The pedestrian walkways along the bridge are woefully deficient and dangerous, in our opinion,” Harris said. “But as I understand it, there’s some consideration to narrow the lanes on the bridge to allow for a wider pedestrian infrastructure without the need to actually rebuild the bridge.”
Though estimated to be one of the more expensive proposals in the report, the project is one of two that MCA has advocated for in the past, along with the Redd Road sidewalk.
While the board gave its support to all four proposed bicycle projects, it didn’t endorse one pedestrian project that would add a pathway from Idylwood Road to the Metro station through or along the railyard.
According to Harris, county staff told the advisory group that the project could cost over $10 million, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority had “expressed considerable concern” about the path as a potential security risk for its railyard.
“Given the limited amount of funds that are currently allocated, we don’t think that it makes sense to be funding this particular project, particularly when WMATA has expressed concerns, if not outright opposition to the project,” Harris said. “The available funds should be used for the other projects.”
Launched in late 2021, the West Falls Church Active Transportation Study served as a follow-up to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ approval of a plan allowing more mixed-use development around the Metro station.
The West Falls development in Falls Church City is under construction. Plans for over 1.8 million square feet of development on the Metro station property and Virginia Tech’s nearby Northern Virginia Center are being reviewed by county staff.
The Board of Supervisors accepted the study report on Dec. 6 and directed staff to incorporate its recommendations into the county’s active transportation plan.
Image via Google Maps
Tysons Corner Center Sees Uptick in Arrests — “Arnest supervises the [Fairfax County Police] Tysons Urban Team. It’s a unit that launched in 2013. Data shared with WUSA9 shows the unit made 787 arrests in 2022. That’s compared to 377 in 2021 and 406 in 2020. They say…those number[s] were likely smaller because of the pandemic.” [WUSA9]
Nashville-Style Chicken Sandwich Chain Coming for Hybla Valley — “A rapidly expanding restaurant chain has plans to open a new location in the Hybla Valley section of Alexandria. Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken recently signed a lease with KLNB to occupy an end space at 7508C Richmond Highway.” [On the MoVe]
McLean Mail Carrier Robbed — “Two men went up to the United States Postal Service letter carrier and demanded the worker’s ‘blue box’ keys just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday on Greensboro Drive in McLean, police said. One of the men implied he had a weapon, and the postal worker gave them the keys, police said. The carrier was not hurt.” [NBC4]
District 35 Candidates Share Priorities — “Democrat Holly Seibold and Republican Monique Baroudi are vying in a Jan. 10 special election to succeed former Del. Mark Keam (D) in the 35th House of Delegates District.” The candidates share their top legislative priorities and views on subjects from education to whether town elections should be held in May or November. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Pedestrian Safety Priority for Region — “When asked what were the most pressing transportation issues facing Fairfax County and the region at large, [Providence District Supervisor Dalia] Palchick said pedestrian safety…topped the list…Drivers in Fairfax County struck and killed at least 29 pedestrians in 2022, the most pedestrian deaths in a single year in the county since at least 2010, according to state data.” [Patch]
GMU to Launch Climate Change Center — “The Virginia Climate Center is expected to launch in late January…Initially, it will be focused on helping the communities in the northern part of the state, providing data to localities to make better decisions about public health, infrastructure, transportation, agriculture, and natural resources.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Metro Police Add Naloxone to Toolkit — “Medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose will be issued to officers with the Metro Transit Police Department. The move comes following a rise in calls…reporting suspected overdoses, from 27 incidents in 2021 to 43 incidents in 2022, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.” [WTOP]
State Legislators to Hear Public Tomorrow — State senators and delegates representing Fairfax County in the Virginia General Assembly will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) ahead of the legislature’s 2023 session, which begins Wednesday (Jan. 11). The meeting will take place at the Fairfax County Government Center and is open to all county residents. [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 53 and low of 41. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County ended 2022 with a “medium” level of COVID-19 in the community, the first time it reached that level since August.
Continuing an upward trend that began around Thanksgiving, the county is averaging 291 cases per day for the past week, the highest weekly average since Aug. 13, per Virginia Department of Health data.
However, increased hospitalizations are what pushed the county from “low” to “medium,” as of Dec. 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the county’s case rate of 147.19 cases per 100,000 residents is below the CDC’s 200-case threshold, there have been 11 new hospital patients admitted with Covid for every 100,000 residents over the past seven days. In addition, 6.4% of all staffed, inpatient beds are being occupied by people with Covid.
Those numbers changed slightly earlier this week. As of Monday (Jan. 2), 7.6% of beds were being used by Covid patients, and the hospitalization rate dipped to 9.2 patients per 100,000 residents, which would put the county back in “low” territory.
The CDC is supposed to update its local community level classifications on Thursdays, but the dashboard still said “medium” by press time.
Despite the recent resurgence in the coronavirus, which remains far from the heights seen last winter, the Fairfax County Department of Health says it’s “unlikely” to bring back the face mask requirements that were in place until last February, unless a mandate is recommended by the CDC or the state.
The county’s approach reflects a national shift away from mandates in the public health response to the pandemic.
“To help prevent spread of COVID, FCHD does strongly recommend that our residents stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations,” department spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said by email. “In addition, handwashing, getting tested if symptomatic and/or staying home when ill will also help stem the spread of COVID in the community.”
While the county’s mobile testing and mass vaccine sites were phased out last month, the FCHD still offers both services at its district offices, though anyone in need must call 703-324-7404 to make an appointment. Testing sites can be found through the VDH, and vaccine options are at vaccines.gov.
There have been 2.8 million vaccine doses administered to residents of the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church as well as the county.
According to the FCHD, 86% of residents have gotten at least one dose, including:
- 93% of people 18 and older
- 99% of 16-17 year olds
- 95.6% of 12-15 year olds
- 64.2% of 5-11 year olds
- 22.7% of kids aged 6 months to 4 years old
As of yesterday, 942,162 residents — or 79.6% — are fully vaccinated, including 86.7% of adults. Booster uptake remains under 50% for all age groups under 45.
The district has reported a total of 259,627 cases, 5,273 hospitalizations and 1,729 deaths during the pandemic.
In the future, Vienna residents will no longer have to brave Chain Bridge Road traffic to get a taste of Paul Bakery’s bread and macarons.
The 133-year-old French bakery and cafe is planning to expand right into the heart of the town in Jades Shopping Center, replacing Al Nakheel Lebanese Cafe & Market, which closed last year.
The business confirmed that it’s working to add the location to FFXnow, but the timeline for construction and a potential opening is “unknown at this point.”
An application for an interior renovation permit to turn the existing retail space at 340 Maple Avenue West into a bakery was accepted by Fairfax County on Oct. 13 and remains under review by staff.
This will be Paul’s first expansion in the D.C. area since its popular Tysons Galleria cafe opened on Jan. 14, 2013. The business also has three sites in downtown D.C. and one in Bethesda.
According to its website, Paul originated in 1889 as a small bakery run by a family of agricultural workers in Croix, France. It acquired its name in the 1950s after the owner took over a bakery-pâtisserie from the Paul family.
Known for fresh, traditionally made bread, the company now has over 620 restaurants in 34 countries. The D.C. area locations are owned and managed by Cole Hospitality, a hospitality service consultant based in Fairfax.
