An employee at Giant (359 Maple Avenue) said a child concealed four bags of candy and left without paying for them, according to Vienna police.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 2).
“The employee notified the police after the juvenile’s parents refused to come to the store to pick up their child,” according to the police report. “An officer responded, counseled the juvenile and arranged for the mother to respond to the store and pick up the juvenile.”
Police said that the store management did not want to pursue charges.
Photo via Facebook
After Bey Lounge got in trouble over the Town of Vienna’s noise ordinance, the location’s owners decided to pivot and convert the space into a grocery store.
The new supermarket (303 NE Mill Street) opened around a month ago, according to a store clerk. It offers customers a variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, including dates, sesame paste and dried garbanzo beans.
The owners are trying to replace the current “Bey Lounge” sign with one that says “LB Food Market,” according to town documents.
Customers can enter through Wooden Bakery next door and are free to stop for a snack while they shop since both establishments are owned by the same people.
The bakery and store are both open 9 a.m-midnight Sunday-Thursday and from 9 a.m. until 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
Though open for operation, the store is not yet fully stocked yet and staff said it will be at least three weeks before they are ready for a grand opening.
Tysons Reporter checked out the location and saw that though most of the dry goods seem to be stocked, the freezers and refrigerators in the back are still empty.
Tysons’ first Whole Foods officially opened its doors today.
The 70,000-square-foot store in The Boro development by the Greensboro Metro station is the Mid-Atlantic flagship store for the Texas-based grocery chain.
People on social media captured the long line of people early this morning awaiting the store’s opening at 8 a.m.
For the first 200 people who showed up, Whole Foods promised to offer a savings card ranging from $5 to $100 along with a reusable canvas tote bag featuring the Tysons store, according to a press release.
And this isn’t the line for Nats tickets – this is the line to get into the grocery store. Wraps around the block. pic.twitter.com/fV6knaUTsB
— Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) October 30, 2019
In traffic-choked Tysons, Va – a Whole Foods Market (that’s right) sparks hope of a better commute. Will it work? @nbcwashington @WholeFoodsPR #wmata #dctraffic pic.twitter.com/01vUDOzY1y
— Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) October 30, 2019
Inside, customers can find self-serve machines that slice pineapples, squeeze fresh orange juice and offer wine and beer that shoppers can sip while shopping.
A fresh bakery, premade meal options and a bar with happy hour specials and on-site dining also are available.
A bevy of food and drink options include a food hall featuring Officina, Genji Izakaya, Curiosity Doughnuts and Rappahannock Oyster Co., along with self-serve hot and cold bars. There’s also an in-house bakery, butcher and seafood departments, a specialty foods section, an Allegro coffee and tea bar and a JRINK juice bar.
This location also features a bar called High Point — the largest bar in any Whole Foods, according to the store manager — on the second floor, along with a game room.
Tysons Reporter was able to take a tour today (Tuesday) inside the new Whole Foods store ahead of its grand opening in The Boro tomorrow.
The 70,000-square-foot store was almost entirely furnished and set-up, with the exceptions of occasional minor details. Brightly colored, organic produce adorned shelves throughout the store.
The store features surprising amenities for customers, including self-serve machines that slice pineapples and squeeze fresh orange juice, a self-serve station where customers can enjoy wine and beer on-site while they shop and a gaming area.
A fresh bakery, premade meal options and a bar with happy hour specials and on-site dining also are available.
Around the store, associates were seen preparing food for the grand opening, including a woman carefully balancing a cheese display and butchers preparing fresh cuts.
A full-time “certified cheese professional” will help customers find products to suit their needs, a spokesperson told Tysons Reporter on the tour.
The store features more than 1,000 local products from the D.C. area, which includes a few brews on tap, a spokesperson said.
Food and Drink OptionsÂ
In addition to grocery shopping, customers can grab a bite to eat from several fast-food options.
The store’s food hall on the first floor will include:
- Italian food from Officina, which was founded by Chef Nicholas Stefanelli
- Sushi, poke, dumplings and ramen from Genji Izakaya
- Curiosity Doughnuts
- Rappahannock Oyster Co.
Shoppers can also expect a pub and game room on the second floor, an in-house bakery, butcher and seafood departments, a specialty foods section, an Allegro coffee and tea bar and a JRINK juice bar.
The store also has prepared foods at the self-serve hot and cold bars, along with a pizza bar, an Indian venue with two in-store tandoori ovens, a barbecue bar and a deli, according to a press release.
This location also features High Point, the largest bar in any Whole Foods, according to Carl DePree, the store manager.
Customers are also able to “sip and shop,” the store representative said. There will be eight wines, craft cocktails from Pratt Standard Cocktail Company and about a dozen beers on tap, the press release said.
Grand Opening Details
For the grand opening tomorrow, the location will offer the first 200 people a savings card ranging from $5 to $100 along with a reusable canvas tote bag featuring the Tysons store, the press release said.
Attendees will also be able to try samples from Cafe Kreyol and Poppy’s Stuffed Bagels while music plays.
DePree said he is excited to see the reactions of customers tomorrow at 8 a.m. when they finally open for business.
On Thursday (Nov. 7), the store will donate 5% of sales to Food For Others, a local charity fighting food insecurity in the Northern Virginia area, according to the press release.
A boy reported to Vienna Police that another kid smeared berries on his bicycle.
The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 7, in the 500 block of S. Center Street, according to the police report.
Other local crimes include stolen and recovered beer from the Giant Food (359 E. Maple Avenue) that same Friday.
Shortly after 11 a.m., an employee reported to the police that five kids took a case of beer and ran out of the store, according to the police report.
“The employee was able to recover the beer,” the police report said. “However, the juveniles fled the area.”
Later that day, between 7-8 p.m., police said two kids attempted to steal a 30-pack of beer, but a loss prevention officer confronted the kids.
“The juveniles ran away from the officer leaving behind the beer,” the report said.
Photo via Facebook
The Persian New Year is just around the corner on Thursday (March 21), which means that many Iranian-Americans will also soon celebrate the coming of spring.
For many locals who rely on Middle Eastern markets — specifically Persian markets — to supply them with groceries, baked goods and other assorted supplies, Vienna has several places to buy all of the necessities for parties and family gatherings around the Persian New Year.
These small bodega-like markets are important to the Persian community as they act like microcosms of classical Middle Eastern bazaars. Many of the customers that go to the stores are able to speak in Persian, Arabic and Turkish with one another and get ingredients not common in most grocery stores.
Here are three favorites among Iranian-Americans in the area:
Assal Market (112 Glyndon Street NE)
The first shop on the list is Assal Market. Assal Market is one of the oldest middle eastern grocery stores in the area, having first opened up in 1986. Customers can shop for various meats, nuts, fruits and other grocery essentials for festive dinners and other occasions. Most specifically, Assal offers a wide range of halal meats for kabobs, beef stews, and all sorts of Persian classical dishes.
Yas Bakery (137 Church Street NW)
Located in the heart of Vienna, Yas Bakery is owned by Maryam Tabrizi and has been around since 2003. Yas, which means “Jasmine” in Farsi, offers an impressive amount of many sweets, all of which are made fresh in house daily. Zoolbia bamieh — fried honey pastries — are a stable and customer favorite among the sweets offered.
Shiraz Market (8486 Tyco Road G)
Shiraz Market, owned by Mahnaz Hooshmand and located in the Tysons area, is the largest of the three markets and offers fresh produce, baked goods and a small in-house café with homestyle Persian food. Customers often come in to shop for their groceries and also get a lunch of koobideh kabob with saffron rice. The market also sells a variety of glassware, including Persian teacups, hookahs and other china for decorating and serving dishes.
These stores are not exclusive to Persians or other Middle Eastern shoppers, and many of the people that go to these stores come from all sorts of backgrounds. All the shop keepers emphasized just how glad they are that their stores not only provide essentials to Middle Eastern homes, but also introduce the entire community to their food and culture.
Whether or not you celebrate or know someone who is celebrating the Persian New Year, these stores all offer something new and exciting to all local residents.
A supermarket in Vienna has been the victim of a theft of shrimp twice in as many weeks.
Both thefts happened between 10-11 a.m. on a weekday and involved a man walking off with pilfered shrimp from the Giant store at 359 Maple Avenue E., according to the latest Vienna Police Department crime report.
The first theft happened on Monday, Feb. 25, when “a man left the store without paying for several platters of shrimp.” The second theft happened on Friday, March 8 when “a man left the store without paying for several bags of shrimp.”
A description of the suspect or suspects was not provided in the crime report.
Photo via Facebook
What to Do About Backyard Wildlife — “Don’t pet or feed wild animals. In fact, local animal control encourages you to ‘haze’ them if at all possible. As winter sets in, homes around Fairfax County could look particularly appealing to animals looking for a refuge for the cold weather or a bite to eat.” [Reston Now]
Flood Watch Today — The area remains under a Flood Watch through 6 p.m. as rain continues today. Some storms may form later in the day. This evening, the solstice will usher in winter on the shortest day and longest night of the year. [FairfaxNews, Capital Weather Gang]
Winter Weather Reminder — “Today is officially the first day of winter! Enjoy the season but stay safe and warm. Sign up for Fairfax Alerts to stay informed on winter weather.” [Twitter, Fairfax Alerts]
Holiday Grocery Store Hours — Patch has a list of grocery stores around the Tysons area and the hours for each on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Most grocery stores will be closed on Dec. 25, though some will be open with reduced hours. [Patch]
Skepticism About McLean Intersection Plan — “While there were a few who expressed their overall approval for Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s (FCDOT) recommendation for improvements to the Balls Hill Road and Old Dominion Drive intersection in McLean, the majority of those who attended the meeting at Cooper Middle School on the evening of Nov. 28 were less than satisfied with the outcome of more than two years of study and analysis.” [McLean Connection]
Disruptive Restaurant Employee Arrested — “Vienna police on Nov. 20 at 3:01 a.m. dispatched officers to Amphora Restaurant, 377 Maple Ave., W., after receiving a report that an employee, who appeared to be intoxicated, was yelling at customers.” [InsideNova]
Starbucks Customers Threatened in Falls Church — “Police responded for a report of an unknown subject approaching customers and threatening physical harm. Following an investigation, the suspect was identified, and the victim declined prosecution.” [City of Fall Church]
Flu Shots at Grocery Stores — “Giant Food announced today that flu shots are once again available at all of its in-store pharmacies for both adults and children. The vaccinations are administered by Giant’s certified in-store pharmacists and are often covered in-full by most insurance plans.” [FairfaxNews]
