(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) Trustar Bank is opening a commercial loan office this week by Tysons Galleria ahead of a future branch in the area.

Last week, the bank opened a branch in Great Falls. The company website said, “As a community bank, Trustar Bank’s strategy is to be a personalized alternative to larger, super-regional financial institutions that increasingly dominate the bank’s primary market.”

While the upcoming Tysons location (1650 Tysons Blvd) will just handle commercial loans, Chief Executive Officer Shaza Anderson said that the company also plans to bring branches in Reston in October 2019 and Tysons in 2021.

The new loan office opens after the company raised the required capital and received regulatory approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, she said.

Anderson said that the company partially decided on the location because it seemed to be the most accessible for employees and customers.

Community support has been “overwhelming” during this process, she added.

Image via Google Maps

Updated at 11:10 a.m. 7/16/19 — Agora said in a press release that the restaurant opens today (Tuesday).

Earlier: After a long series of delays, Mediterranean restaurant Agora plans to hold a grand opening in Tysons in about two weeks.

The restaurant is set to have a grand opening on Thursday, July 25, from 7-9 p.m.

Located at the Nouvelle (7911 Westpark Drive), the 4,000-square-foot, split-level eatery will feature Turkish decor and a custom brick oven. The tapas-style menu will feature Turkish, Lebanese and Greek flavors, according to the restaurant’s website.

Agora also has a restaurant in D.C.

Four years after BoConcept closed its doors in Tysons Galleria, the high-end furniture retailer is finally open again.

The store opened on Saturday (May 11) on the second floor of the mall.

Staff at the store said the core concept is “modular design.” If an item is too large or too small, or if the coverings aren’t the color or texture you like, aspects of the furniture are flexible and can be altered by store staff to meet specifications.

Started in Denmark in 1952, BoConcept has nearly 300 stores spanning 60 countries.

The new retailer is part of a broader series of changes planned for the northern wing of the mall, including a new fitness section and the redevelopment of the Macy’s into a series of smaller stores.

Industrious, a new coworking space, launched last Wednesday (April 24) in the heart of Tysons as part of an expansion across Northern Virginia.

“It’s a rich market, especially with Amazon moving in,” Joyce Oh, an area manager for Industrious, said. “We’re trying to be proactive and support the companies there.”

Before its official launch, Industrious recently hosted several events in the new space at 1660 International Drive.

The company also has a new Ballston location in Arlington and a location in Alexandria, with another opening in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington later this year or early next year. While Amazon and Alexandria are the main hubs of Amazon-hullabaloo, Oh said Tysons as a hub for other government contractors and consulting firms made it a perfect target for a new coworking space.

“We were excited to open with higher occupancy [than normal],” Oh said. “It speaks to the level of demand we see in the market and the different product.”

Oh said that most of the offices are built with one to eight people in mind, though if they find a demand for larger offices, Oh said that’s something the company could look into.

Industrious fits 300 at max capacity, with individual rooms able to support up to 12 people. Oh said prices vary by the size of the office, with smaller offices starting at $800 per month or coworking memberships for a desk at the facility at $515.

While there are already a handful of other coworking spaces in Tysons, like MakeOffices and WeWork, Oh said Industrious sets itself apart with a more “mature” aesthetic and sense of hospitality.

“We’re a coworking office, but we train our staff to be hospitality staff and make members feel at home,” Oh said. “It attracts a different type of demographic. If you walk into Industrious, the space feels more mature than other coworking spaces. There’s a lot of maple — a lot of natural woods. We have a more polished feel.”

Around 25 years ago, Sherri Routt started working at the Fair Oaks Barnes and Noble. Now, she’s helping the book store chain launch a new prototype store in the Mosaic District (2921 District Avenue).

Tomorrow (April 24), Routt’s 8,300-square-foot Barnes and Noble will open its doors to the public. The store is considerably smaller than the usual stores.

Frank Morabito, Vice President of stores for Barnes and Noble, attended a special preview event at the store and said the new slimmer size is part of a shift towards a more cafe feel for the chain rather than sprawling brick and mortar stores.

The store would feel familiar to anyone who has visited the chain’s larger locations. Though the store is smaller, a quick check on obscure fantasy and historical titles showed that the store is still considerably well stocked.

But there are other differences immediately apparent when stepping into the store. Lower bookshelves in the building offer clear views from one end of the store to the other in contrast to the more labyrinthian, library-feel of many book stores.

Routt said that staff will be roaming the store assisting visitors with product selection and allowing them to purchase books without needing to visit a cash wrap. The store will also feature a self-serve kiosk so customers can research books on their own.

But as a person who has worked in local Barnes and Nobles for years, Routt said she wanted to include a focus on local authors. Routt said she knew several from her days working in Fair Oaks, and used those connections to help put together a lineup of book signings for the grand opening.

The book store also has a children’s section with a selection for younger ages along with toys and a special activity table for children to play with LEGOs.

“This is the cleanest this playspace is ever going to be,” one parent noted as the tour group passed the LEGO table.

Routt said there are many children’s book authors in the area, so moving forward she’s hoping to organize more reading events with writers and children.

“We’re really trying to make our store feel very localized,” Routt said.

The store also features a Barnes and Noble Cafe. While many locations include Starbucks, Morabito said the Barnes and Noble Cafes are company owned and feature Starbucks coffee, but may have a slightly different selection of baked goods.

Morabito said the Mosaic District was the perfect location to open a prototype smaller store, the second in the D.C. region.

“This is the ideal model [for the Mosaic District],” Morabito said. “It’s an amazing shopping experience here and they needed a book store.”

Routt said the store opening had been an easy and streamlined process, though she’s aware there are a lot of eyes in the corporate hierarchy trained on this store opening.

“I’m super excited for the opening,” Routt said. “We’re being watched because this is a new model. So there’s a pressure there, but it’s the good kind — not a stress pressure.”

The lineup of authors signing for the grand opening include:

• April 24: Kristyn Kusek Lewis — 5 p.m.
• April 24: Ikechuku Chigewe — 5 p.m.
• April 25: Ellen Crosby — 5 p.m.
• April 26: Olivia Hinebaugh — 5 p.m.
• April 27: Kwame Alexander – 12 p.m.
• April 27: Eleanor Jones, Barb Goffman and Libby Kelin — 4 p.m.
• April 28: Barbara Carroll Roberts — 10 a.m.
• April 28: Tiffany Foo — 1 p.m.

The store will also host face painting and balloon twisting on Saturday (April 27) and Sunday (April 28).

A new photography studio opening tomorrow (Thursday) in Vienna focuses on high-end, portraiture photoshoots.

The Melody Yazdani Studio at 144 Church Street NW. has a grand opening scheduled for 6 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting at 6:30 p.m.

The studio specializes in portraits of women.

According to the website:

Session fees start at $275, with hair and makeup services available. Clients typically invest $1400-$5000 on custom collections. Session fees do not include prints or digital files, and travel fees may apply for sessions further than 15 miles from Vienna, Virginia.

The studio advises potential subjects to book a session at least two weeks before the photo shoot, though during peak seasons some slots fill up months in advance.

Exterior photo via Google Maps. Studio photo via Facebook.

Last August, the future looked uncertain for popular local nightspot Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike). But just a few months later, Biergarten isn’t just staying in place: it’s growing.

The Biergarten had been in-place on a month-to-month basis — a placeholder until the construction nearby extended into the lot. Owner Matt Rofougaran said the Biergarten will remain in place through the end of the year, if not longer.

But the extension doesn’t mean the Biergarten will remain stagnant. This past weekend, the Biergarten opened a new speakeasy-by-day and nightclub-by-night in the basement.

Where there were once German style long tables in the basement, fitting the German beerhall theme of the rest of the establishment, the room has been turned into a club called Room 7.

There are 50 beers available downstairs, both in bottles and cans, with a special table service being offered. The club is over-21 only and has a strict dress code.

During the speakeasy hours, the location is planned to offer “prohibition-type cocktails,” mainly custom house mixes with higher-end whiskey in a more relaxed atmosphere.

“I like the speakeasy trend,” Rofougaran said. “This is a good first-date spot. A lot of places you go are too loud and obnoxious.”

After a pause, Rofougaran added, “But then in the evenings, it’s going to get loud and obnoxious.”

Rofougaran said he’s also looking to get some of the big DJs from D.C. to make the trip across the Potomac to perform at the club. The club is also planned to host a variety of themed nights, like “Persian Night” on Thursdays or “Old School Hip Hop” on Fridays.

“It was time for a renovation,” Rofougaran said.

Rofougaran was frank that he hoped the change would generate sales, but also added that the higher end speakeasy and nightclub vibes were something he felt the Tysons area was lacking.

A grand opening celebration for Room 7 is planned for April 11.

Rofougaran also opened up a little about The Shipyard, a new location for the Biergarten planned for the Scotts Run development in Tysons East.

Early plans indicated that the new location near the McLean Metro station would replace the existing Biergarten, but according to Rofougaran, current plans have The Shipyard and Tysons Biergarten operating concurrently.

The Shipyard is planned to have four shipping containers modified into their own types of mini-restaurant or bar. One will be a branch of the Biergarten. Another will be an egg roll spot called Roll Bär. The other two have not been announced yet.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of the most 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!

Monday (April 1)

• Providence District Supervisor Election Forum — 7:30-9:15 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) — The Democratic candidates running for the nomination in the Providence District Supervisor election are scheduled to meet tonight for a debate. The event will be held in the auditorium and is open to the public.

Thursday (April 4)

• Bubbles Salons Grand Opening Blowout Party — 6-9 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (8043 Tysons Corner Center) — Food, drinks, and giveaways are planned for a “blowout party” at the new Bubbles Salon, a hair stylist specializing in coloring and shaping.
• Maple Avenue Corridor Multimodal Study — 7 p.m. at the Vienna Town Hall (127 Center Street) — The Town of Vienna is hosting the first of three community meetings to discuss a multimodal transportation and land use study, giving the public an opportunity to ask questions about the study and provide feedback.

Friday (April 5)

• Board of Supervisors Breakfast — 7:30 a.m. at Fairview Park Marriott (3111 Fairview Park Dr) — Leadership Fairfax is presenting a breakfast with Fairfax County and regional leaders for a discussion with the Board of Supervisors regarding the state of the County. Tickets are $50 for class members, $75 for Leadership Fairfax members, and $100 for the general public.

Saturday (April 6)

• Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Petting Zoo — 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church (1301 Trap Road) — The Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church is hosting a free Easter Egg hunt for children. Kids can bring their own basket or one will be provided. In addition to the egg hunt, a petting zoo will include rabbits, ducks, chickens, guinea pigs and a pig.
• Art Blooms in Mosaic — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Mosaic District (2910 District Ave) — The Mosaic District is hosting a cherry blossom-themed event in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Activities include a painting class focused on creating a cherry blossom vase and artwork from Torpedo Factory artists.

Sunday (April 7)

• National Arab American Women’s Association Dinner — 5 p.m. at Sheraton Tysons (8661 Leesburg Pike) — The NAAWA will host a dinner featuring Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib as the keynote speaker. Front row tickets are sold out, but general seating tickets and meals are still available at $75.

Image via Facebook

After some delays, Virginia Tire and Auto, at 141 Maple Ave in Vienna, is finally open for business.

The shop opened today (Thursday) and while an employee said he wasn’t aware of any grand opening celebrations planned, the store is currently in the middle of a hiring fair.

The employee said the store is looking for people to fill a variety of vacancies, from sales to technicians, and one general service manager position. The fair run until the business closes at 6 p.m. today.

While the store looks to add more people to the crew, the facility is currently operational. The shop has already had a few cars dropped off for repairs and the employee said the first oil checks and tire changes are starting today.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has been baking in 129 Maple Ave W. in Vienna for two months, but a ribbon cutting on Tuesday (Jan. 29) and celebrations this weekend mark the official grand opening for the bakery.

Tomorrow (Friday), 20 percent of sales at the store will go to Amy’s Army, a non-profit dedicated to cancer research.

From 5-7 p.m., the store will also host a wine and cake tasting. Nothing Bundt Cakes’ most popular flavors will be specially paired with selections from Vienna Vintner.

On Saturday, the first 50 guests will receive free bundtlets — small bundt cakes — for a year. This offer is limited to one bundtlet cake per month for 12 months. The store opens at 10 a.m.

From 12-2 p.m., Nothing Bundt Cakes will host a “Cake-A-Palooza,” with a variety of free samples of various types of cakes.

Photo via Facebook