Black Dog Beer Shop has been open for less than three months in Merrifield, but already its owner has seen a recent uptick in sales — partly thanks to a federal loan.
As craft brewers face coronavirus challenges and many breweries pivot to making hand sanitizer, Tyler Cohen says he thinks his new local craft beer store is faring well, all things considered.
While he doesn’t have months and months of data to compare, he said sales grew 10% from March to April: “That’s a good thing, I guess.”
Cohen, who lives in the Mosaic District, opened the store in February at 2672M Avenir Place near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.
Before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the governor to enforce restrictions on businesses, Cohen said 10-15 people would be at the store “at all times” on Fridays and Saturdays.
When businesses started to close or switched to delivery, take-out and curbside pickup services, Cohen said most of his customers initially ordered online, but now he’s starting to see more and more people trickle into the store.
“This last weekend we had to stop people from coming in,” he said.
What the Federal Loan Process Was Like
Receiving a loan during the first round of funding for the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program made a big difference to the store’s finances and ability to keep growing, Cohen said.
“We were getting close where we could probably survive another month and then need to pay payroll out of my own pocket, but as soon as we got that [loan], we were able to breathe a sigh of relief,” he said.
Cohen said M&T Bank was “awesome” with telling him what he would need to submit before the application became available and then communicating with him — even on weekends — about the process.
“It was a pretty quick process,” Cohen said, adding that it took about a week after he submitted the application to hear that he was approved for the loan and then another week to receive it.
Cohen said he’s been able to keep all of his staff employed. One employee, who used to work part-time, now has longer shifts and is covering for another employee, who is over the age of 65 and decided to stay home, he said.
As for rent, the store’s landlord offered delayed rent payments for a few months, but Cohen declined. “I think we can afford rent now.”
COVID-19 ChangesÂ
The store already had a stockpile of personal protective equipment, but Cohen still teamed up with a friend to make homemade hand sanitizer when his supply got low.
“We went from cleaning a couple of times to cleaning all of the surfaces constantly,” he said.
Another change has been allowing people to buy single cans and bottles of beer.
“Instead of buying a four-pack on something they haven’t had, people will try one or two,” he said.
And the store’s growler fill-ups are less popular too now that customers “want to avoid the touching and contact,” he said.
Speeding up some of his longer-term plans has been one of the biggest challenges Cohen’s faced due to the pandemic.
“The online store was something I was planning on rolling out later,” Cohen said. “[The pandemic] forced my hand.”
But, the pandemic did cause one positive thing Cohen’s black dog, Ash, who inspired the shop’s name — there’s now more time for hour-long walks.
“It’s been an interesting time with him because we’ll both get stir crazy,” he said.
Local Community SupportÂ
To get ideas for how to manage the store during the pandemic, Cohen said he and his team talked to local businesses including nearby Inca Social and listened to podcasts about the beer industry.
“The store manager is constantly trying to come up with new ideas,” Cohen said.
Local businesses in the community are trying to show support, he noted.
“I probably buy more beer and take out food to support local businesses,” he said. “We’re trying to help each other.”
Photos via Black Dog Beer Shop/Facebook
Metro announced today (Thursday) plans to add Silver Line connection work to its summer construction, which includes platform reconstruction at several Orange Line stations.
Now, all Orange and Silver line stations west of Ballston will be closed starting Saturday, May 23. The nine stations are expected to be closed through the fall.
“This is about two things: working smarter and working safer,” Metro General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld said, adding that the changes will “limit the exposure of our frontline staff and contractors, mitigate delays to our capital program, and minimize inconvenience to the public.”
Metro said that the decision was prompted by “historically low ridership and traffic-free highways” — likely due to Virginia’s stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to rebuilding four Orange Line station platforms, crews will also work to connect the upcoming Silver Line Phase II stations, which run from Reston to Ashburn.
Riders who normally use the stations will be able to use free express and local shuttle buses.
Metro bus options will include:
- Orange Line Local between Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and Ballston
- Orange Line Express directly between Vienna and Ballston
- Silver Line Local between Wiehle-Reston East, Spring Hill, Tysons Corner and Ballston
While the Fairfax Connector has currently reduced its service, the county bus system said it will offer several routes for riders traveling to the Dunn Loring, Vienna, Tysons Corner and Wiehle Reston-East stations.
Drivers can find free parking at the Vienna and Dunn Loring stations, but won’t be able to park at the East Falls Church station, Metro said.
For people looking to pick up a few new culinary skills while staying home, Inca Social is offering free digital cooking classes.
Every week, the Merrifield-based eatery plans to release a new video on its Facebook page that walks viewers through the steps to prepare a specialty Peruvian dish or drink.
“We wanted to provide something for our guests and for everyone to be able to do at home,” a spokesperson said. “During these times we need to do more positive things.”
Yesterday, a bartender demonstrated how to make a “Passion Chilcano,” which contains pisco Peruvian liquor, limes, passionfruit syrup and ginger ale.
In another video, the eatery’s chefs tossed up a few servings of chaufa mixto, which is a type of fried rice.
The eatery said that the next video will likely be released either next Tuesday or Saturday.
For guests who don’t feel like cooking themselves, the restaurant is also offering free delivery and curbside pickup, according to the website.
To encourage takeout orders, the restaurant is offering 25% off its entire menu, the Facebook page said, adding that any meal can be customized. A menu can be found online.
Photo via Inca Social/Facebook
Cedar Lane in Dunn Loring is closed after a tree fell into power lines, according to Fairfax County police.
People can expect an extended road closure in both directions “due to several downed utility poles,” according to a tweet from FCPD shortly after 2 p.m.
Roughly 500 Dominion Energy customers are without power just west of Dunn Loring Park, according to Dominion’s power outage map.
Dominion estimates that power will be restored by 7 p.m.
ROAD CLOSURE: Cedar Lane in the Dunn Loring area is closed in both directions near the 2400 block due to a fallen tree into power lines. Expect extended road closure due to several downed utility poles. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/p589RzwnUl
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 9, 2020
Maps via Google Maps and Dominion Energy
A new proposal submitted to Fairfax County aims to transform the Dunn Loring Center into a residential mixed-use project.
The site (2722 Merrilee Drive) near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station is currently home to a three-story office building that was built in 1984.
According to county documents, Merilee Ventures, L.C. wants to rezone the 2-acre property for a mixed-use development with a five-story building with up to 239 multifamily dwelling units, including 40 Workforce Dwelling Units, atop two-and-a-half levels of parking with 293 spaces.
The development would also include 3,875 square feet of ground-floor retail use, a public plaza to “bookend” the Halstead Square development to the east and changes to the Merilee Drive streetscape, including a 6-foot sidewalk and 8-foot parking lane.
Merilee Ventures says that the redevelopment will help implement the Comprehensive Plan for the Merrifield Suburban Center, according to county documents.
More from the documents:
The Comprehensive Plan guidance for the area envisions mixed use redevelopment in a pedestrian-oriented urban environment.
Merrilee Ventures, L.C.’s objective is to bring forth a development proposal that carries forward the theories and concepts reflected in the Plan language by establishing a highquality living environment that activates the street and complements other recent development projects in the area.
Ground floor retail and interior amenity space, in combination with a public plaza and additional streetscape improvements provide a strategic focal point that will create a sense of place and anchor the Halstead Square development to the east.
The county’s Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal in September.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police said they recently arrested a woman for allegedly trespassing with a gun in a truck near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station.
The incident happened shortly before 3 p.m. in the 2600 block of Prosperity Avenue yesterday (Thursday).
“The victim saw a woman inside of his truck and confronted her,” police said. “The woman displayed a gun then left the area and was found by officers a short distance away”
Police charged the 24-year-old woman from South Carolina with brandishing a firearm, concealed carry weapon violation and vehicle trespassing.
File photo
Come March 15, some or all of the parking options will be closed at three Metro stations in the Falls Church and Vienna area.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced on Friday that pre-construction ahead of summer work will impact parking at three Orange Line stations.
While the summer work on the Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church stations doesn’t start until May, the parking changes are set to start on March 15.
“Due to the stations’ location and extreme space limitations, construction crews will need to utilize surface parking lots to stage heavy equipment and tons of material,” according to a press release from WMATA.
Here are the planned changes:
- surface parking lots at the East Falls Church, West Falls Church and Vienna stations will be closed for seven to nine months
- parking at the Dunn Loring station will not be impacted
- Kiss & Ride lot will remain open for pick-up and drop-off only at East Falls Church station
- West Falls Church station parking garage will remain open
- Vienna station Parking Lot 1 will be temporarily closed beginning March 15
- Vienna station’s parking garages and Parking Lot 3 will remain open.
The changes mean that parking won’t be available at the East Falls Church station.
Metro expects that the parking will fill up at the West Falls Church station before 7 a.m., according to the press release.
“Vehicles parked in closed lots after 12:01 a.m. on March 15, 2020, may be subject to towing,” the press release says.
Not only is Metro closing East Falls Church, Dunn Loring and Vienna stations this summer, but starting next month the surface parking lots of East F.C., West F.C. and Vienna will be closed for UP TO THE REST OF THE YEAR. https://t.co/G3X3Mu4NS2
— Jody Fellows (@FCNP_Jody) February 14, 2020
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
A neighborhood market tucked into the Halstead Square apartment complex is now open.
The Bodega (2730 Gallows Road) opened last Tuesday (Jan. 14), according to its website and Instagram.
Shoppers can find “essential groceries,” according to the Instagram.
The market is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 9 p.m. on Sundays, according to the website.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
McLean and Vienna are not HOA heavy areas, in my opinion, as compared to areas out in Loudoun County.
We have a short list of neighborhoods that have mandatory participation, which is the main difference between a civic association and an HOA. An HOA has a mandatory fee you have to pay if you buy a property within that area, which also means you have to obey the rules and regulations of that neighborhood. A civic association may also have a fee, but it’s strictly optional if you want to participate, and usually it’s very small.
Now some people like the rules of an HOA so they can keep the neighborhood looking “clean,” for example if a neighbor’s lawn gets too long, or there’s a bunch of trash/old cars in a yard. However, the downsides to an HOA are that any changes you want to make on the outside require approval (usually). Adding a shed, renovations, a pool, etc. all require review and approval. With a civic association, you can usually do whatever you want and only have to adhere to Fairfax County regulations.
The other big thing to know is that when you’re buying or selling homes within an HOA community, the seller is required to provide a copy of all of the bylaws, budget, meeting notes, etc. to a purchaser who has a 3 day review period, during which they can void for any reason.
Want chickens and the HOA documents say no? Void the contract without a penalty. A civic association is not subject to this 3 day period since participation is optional. However, it still might be nice to know what the civic association does. It might give insight into neighborhood parties, events, resources, etc.
Some example of civic associations are:
