Just weeks after its official opening, the owner of the Bear Branch Tavern in Vienna made the “particularly heartbreaking” decision to temporarily close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
To help the restaurant’s employees, who are now temporarily jobless, owners Chris Lefbom and Adam Lubar created a GoFundMe page on Sunday (March 22) that has already collected roughly $1,200 and counting.
The page has a goal of $5,000 right now and the description said that the proceeds raised from the page will get split between full-time and part-time employees.
“We had to seriously consider our hourly (both in the Front and Back of the House) team members who rely on their paychecks and tips to live,” the owners wrote on the GoFundMe page.
It is unclear at the moment when Bear Branch Taven will reopen but an announcement on the eatery’s Facebook page said that the owners will do so when they feel the time is right — with respect to the health and safety of the community.
“The team at Bear Branch is a new family and we want to help make sure the family is taken care of and is there for you when we open our doors again,” the page said.
Photo via Bear Branch Tavern/Facebook
Starting next week, pedestrians and cyclists along the Washington and Old Dominion will need to take detours near Idylwood Park.
The Virginia Department of Transportation recently announced that the part of the trail that runs along the south side of the park will be closed starting Monday (Feb. 24) for utility work connected to the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.
People can expect the portion of the trail between Virginia Lane and the trail bridge over I-495 to be closed for about one week, according to VDOT.
Different detours will be in place, according to VDOT:
- Pedestrians: detour through Idylwood Park during the park’s operating hours using footpaths and the parking lot
- Cyclists: on-road detour to Virginia Lane and Nottingham Drive using W&OD Trail access at the end of Nottingham Drive
VDOT noted that the work is dependent on the weather.
The I-66 project is working to add new Express Lanes, change bus service and transit routes, add new pedestrian trails and improve interchanges. The part of the project outside of the Beltway is slated to finish in December 2022.
Map via VDOT
(Updated 11 a.m.) Presidents’ Day is almost here and there will be closures around the area.
All Fairfax County government offices, public schools and public libraries will be closed, according to the county website.
Trash and recycling will be collected on a regular schedule if community members are customers of Fairfax County, the website said, which added that people with a private company should contact the company directly.
The Fairfax Connector will be running on a Holiday Weekend Schedule on Monday.
The Metro will be running on a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., according to the WMATA website.
The Mary Riley Styles Library in Falls Church (120 N. Virginia Ave) will be closed, according to the website, along with all city offices.
Since waste collection falls on a Wednesday in Falls Church, it will not be affected by the holiday.
In the Town of Vienna, all government offices will be closed but waste collection will run on a regular schedule, according to the website.
The McLean Community Center will be closed on Monday.
Tysons Reporter will also have the day off on Monday.
Photo by Lucas Sankey via Unsplash
As WMATA looks ahead to summer Metro repairs, more details have been revealed about the Orange Line closures that will impact riders in Northern Virginia.Â
Beginning May 27, the Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations will be closed, according to a WMATA presentation at a Falls Church City Council meeting earlier this week, which added that the Silver Line from McLean to Wiehle-Reston East will also be affected.Â
Crews will update slip-resistant tiles, LED lighting, add new large digital displays and build new shelters on the platforms during the closures, WMATA representatives said at the meeting.
WMATA representatives also said free buses will replace trains at each of the affected stations and riders can expect the closures to last through Sept. 7.
Summer was chosen as the ideal time for the project because ridership is down slightly during that time of the year, the representatives said.
“We found it was really much more efficient when we use longer extended periods (of closures),” one representative added, compared to completing updates at night or over weekends.
During closures, four bus routes will offer riders alternative options:
- from Vienna to West Falls Church
- from Dunn Loring to West Falls Church
- from East Falls Church to Ballston
- from Rosslyn, then to Courthouse before stopping at Ballston and finally to Vienna
There will also be added on-demand shuttles from Vienna to Dunn Loring and West Falls Church to East Falls Church.
The presentation also mentioned that Silver Line trains from McLean to Wiehle-Reston will stop at each station but run on a reduced schedule.
Riders can expect the West Falls Church station to remain open but with single-tracking and for trains to go through — but not stop at — the East Falls Church station.
There will also be a variety of Metro Buses, ART Buses and Fairfax Connector Buses that will also be affected, according to the presentation.
Image (2) via City of Falls Church
(Updated 1/29/2020) Brio is closed in Tysons Corner Center, but the restaurant chain has not officially announced why.
The location closed Friday, according to an employee from the Fair Oaks Location (11750 Fair Oaks Mall). The employee was not able to provide specifics on why the restaurant closed.
A sign on the restaurant’s door said that guests are welcome to dine at the Fair Oaks location, which will remain open.
People could previously enjoy an array of Italian fare and kinds of pasta at the Tysons location, according to the chain’s website.
A server at an adjacent restaurant in Tysons Corner Center told Tysons Reporter that Brio closed because the restaurant was unable to renew its lease at the location.
“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.
Tysons Reporter reached out to Brio’s headquarters and is awaiting comment on why the location closed.
With the upcoming holidays, several businesses and services around the area are making adjustments for their hours of operation.
Tysons Reporter compiled a list of key changes for community members who may be affected.
County-Wide
For people who take public transit, the Fairfax Connector will operate on a normal schedule on both Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), according to a Fairfax County Department of Transportation press release. On Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) the buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Times for specific busses can be found online.
All Fairfax County government offices will be operating on a half-day schedule on Dec. 24 and be closed on Dec. 25.
The United States Postal Service will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
Metro riders can expect trains to run on a varied schedule during the holidays:
- Dec. 24: 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
- Dec. 25: 8 a.m. t0 11 p.m.
- Dec. 31: 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Jan. 1: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Vienna
The Town of Vienna Community Center will be closed on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. During New Year’s Eve, the center will be open but on a modified schedule, according to the website.
Government offices for the town will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, with a half-day on Christmas Eve.
Trash collection services will be running on a normal scheduled on Christmas Eve but not in operation on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
Falls ChurchÂ
The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will close at noon on Christmas Eve and 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. It will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
City Hall and the community center (223 Little Falls Street) will both close at noon on Christmas Eve and reopen Thursday (Dec. 26).
Most government offices will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, according to the city’s website and most meetings originally scheduled for the day will be canceled.
All curbside trash, rubbage or recycle collection originally scheduled for Dec. 24 will be moved to Saturday (Dec. 26). Collection scheduled for New Years Day (Jan. 1) will be moved to Saturday (Jan. 4).
McLean
The McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) will close early at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and the day after Christmas (Dec. 26) at 8 p.m. The center will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
Due to holiday festivities, Tysons Reporter won’t be publishing on Dec. 25 or Jan. 1. We will be pushing on a shortened schedule from tomorrow (Dec. 24) to next Tuesday (Dec. 31).
Families may have noticed that the playground at Tysons Pimmit Park isn’t open.
Located in Pimmit Hills just off of Leesburg Pike, the temporary closure at 7584 Leesburg Pike will allow for the replacement of the existing picnic shelter, according to Fairfax County.
“Work on the installation of a picnic shelter with new metal roofing is scheduled to begin Nov. 7 and continue through Feb. 28, 2020,” according to the county.
The project costs $120,000 and is being funded by the 2019 Park Bond, according to the county.
After several weeks of being closed, the new Burlington store along Leesburg Pike is preparing to reopen.
A sign on the door says that the store is reopening on Friday (Nov. 15).
“Our team is working hard to present the best shopping experience for our customers,” the sign says. “Thank you for your patience.”
The store opened at 8355 Leesburg Pike in September and then closed after smoke entered the store from a trash compactor fire on Oct. 4.
Jay Westcott contributed to this story.
Monday is Veterans Day — a chance to celebrate the servicemen and women who currently or previously served in the United States Armed Forces.
Certain businesses or offices are altering hours in remembrance or even offering perks for veterans.
The City of Falls Church is hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in front of the Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) beginning at 11 a.m. on Monday. A wreath will be laid for those missing in action and attendees can listen to a performance by the Falls Church Concert Band.
Founding Farmers (1800 Tysons Blvd) is offering a 50% discount on brunch, lunch and dinner for those who bring along a military ID or wear their uniform. The Department of Veterans Affairs compiled a list of other chain locations offering discounts or free things for servicewomen and men.
The Fairfax County government offices and Fairfax County Public Libraries will be closed in remembrance.
Fairfax County Public Schools will be open and teachers are encouraged to lead students in Veterans Day oriented activities.
Across the county, all of the neighborhood and community service centers will be closed.
In Falls Church, the senior center and Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed, while the community center will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The Vienna Community Center will have reduced hours from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Over in McLean, the McLean Community Center and the Old Firehouse Center will be closed on Monday.
Trash collection from the county will run on a normal schedule, although the offices will be closed, according to the website. Locals are advised to put their trash and recycling out by 6 a.m. for timely collection.
Fairfax County animal shelters are closed on Mondays, the website said.
Some Fairfax Connector routes will operate regular weekday service, while others won’t run at all. For Metro, buses and trains will run on a Saturday schedule on Monday.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream on Avenir Place is closing for the winter later this week.
A sign on the door says that the location (2672 Avenir Place) by the Dunn Loring Metro station will temporarily shut down beginning Thursday (Oct. 31).
The chain serves up a variety of cold treats including ice cream, shakes, floats, sodas and cakes.
Partons can grab a sweet-treat on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-9 p.m. before Bruster’s closes for the season.
The shop will reopen on March 1, 2020, according to the sign.
