(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream is looking at opening a new location in Vienna at Cedar Park Shopping Center (280 Cedar Lane SE).
Located in Arlington’s Westover neighborhood, the ice cream shop drew attention last year for selling cicada-inspired sundaes.
The business and a representative for the shopping plaza didn’t immediately respond to inquiries for details about the new Vienna spot, but a county permit database shows a vacant space is being modified for the local mainstay.
According to the database, Toby’s Ice Cream will have a location in the plaza with a commercial kitchen, merchandise area, and dining area.
The Washington Business Journal reported last week that the space will allow an occupancy of nearly 30 people with a dining area of about 148 square feet.
Toby’s in Arlington was closed for the holidays from Dec. 23 to yesterday (Jan. 4).
Cedar Park Shopping Center is turning into a new hot spot for foodies in Vienna. The Japanese restaurant Sushi Koji opened to customers in mid-December, while America’s Best Wings and the Centreville-based Turkish restaurant Lezzet are expected to arrive early this year.
Lezzet told Tysons Reporter on Dec. 20 that it was anticipating a February opening.
Photo via Google Maps
The local “mom-owned” business Kiln & Co. has relocated its main store to a new spot on Church Street in Vienna.
After more than seven years at 138 Church Street NW, the pottery/frozen custard shop reopened on July 2 at 115 Church Street, the space previously occupied by Church Street Pizza, which moved around the corner to a Maple Avenue address earlier this year.
Sarah Selvaraj, who started Kiln & Co. in 2013 as a pottery shop, says the relocation was one of several changes to the business brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID was a challenge for us like many small businesses,” Selvaraj said. “When the inside of the studio was closed, we had to get creative in order to still be able to serve our customer base.”
In addition to downsizing to the smaller Vienna venue, Kiln & Co. sold its Reston location. Selvaraj confirmed that the Lake Anne Plaza store has closed permanently, though it is listed as just “closed for the season” on the company’s website.
When the pandemic shut most retail businesses down in the spring of 2020, Kiln & Co. created a monthly subscription service and a delivery service for custard and do-it-yourself pottery kits.
While Kiln & Co. is now open again for walk-in customers at its Vienna and Falls Church (455 South Maple Avenue) studios, staff are still required to wear masks at all times, and the business is “following all of the CDC guidelines to provide a safe environment for all,” Selvaraj says.
Details for a grand opening celebration for the new Vienna location on Sept. 6 will be announced through the company’s social media.
“We are now right off of the bike path making it easy for people to stop in to enjoy some custard and the space gives us the perfect amount of room for our studio as well as a separate area for classes, birthday parties and events,” Selvaraj said.
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tuesday (June 29)
- Planet Art: The Crossroads of Nature, Culture and Design (Online) — 7 p.m. — Join Creative Cauldron sets and costumes designer Margie Jervis for this encore crafts presentation that explores Indonesian art forms, including textile design, puppetry, theater, dance, and architecture. Email [email protected] for the Zoom link.
Thursday (July 1)
- Fifty Years Together: A Celebration of Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. at Filene Center (1551 Trap Rd.) — Join Wolf Trap and the National Symphony Orchestra in celebrating 50 years since Wolf Trap opened its doors. The musical evening will recall Wolf Trap’s historic opening and pay homage to the park’s founder, Catherine Filene Shouse. Tickets start at $47 and advance registration is required.
- Summer Live Music Featuring Justin Trawick — 5:30-8 p.m. at The Boro (8350 Broad St.) — This week’s live music series at The Boro features local musician Justin Trawick. RSVP to receive more information.
- Films in the Park — 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Strawberry Park (2910 District Ave.) — The Mosaic District continues its Films in the Park series this Thursday with Footloose, the 1984 classic starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. Grab your picnic blanket and join your neighbors at Strawberry Park for a movie night!
- Concerts in the Park: Flowerbomb — 7-9 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave.) — This week’s Concert in the Park in Falls Church features D.C. four-piece band Flowerbomb. They’ll be playing songs from their debut album “Pretty Dark,” which was released in December 2020. Email [email protected]Â with questions or concerns.
Friday (July 2)
- Sweeney Todd at Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. at the Filene Center (1551 Trap Rd.) — Wolf Trap Opera’s second in-person show of the season is Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which also has a Saturday performance. Tickets will be sold in socially distanced pods of 2 to 8 tickets. No single tickets are available. Listen to the pre-show lecture or read the insider guide for more information.
Saturday (July 3)
- 15th Amendment Concert & Festival — 6-8 p.m. at Vienna Town Green (144 Maple Ave.) — The Town of Vienna and the Vienna Presbyterian Church host a showcase of community musicians performing justice-themed songs. There will also be food, booths, voter registration and more for guests to enjoy!
Sunday (July 4)
- July 4th Drive-Thru Ice Cream Celebration — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — Celebrate Independence Day with the McLean Community Center! In-district residents are invited to enjoy music, free ice cream, and patriotic giveaways with their neighbors. Residents are asked to sign up for a morning, midday or afternoon timeslot before they arrive.
- Declaration Celebration Scavenger Hunt — 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. — The City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department is hosting a city-wide scavenger hunt to celebrate Independence Day. Find 13 historical markers throughout the city and win a free “Declaration Celebration” t-shirt by turning in your Scavenger Hunt Form at Cherry Hill Park or the community center, or emailing [email protected]. There will also be live music from Sudden M Pac Band from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park. Due to construction at Meridian High School, there are no fireworks this year.
- Vienna July 4th Celebration — 7-9 p.m. at Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Dr. SW) — The Town of Vienna invites all residents to come out to celebrate July 4th! Music, food and drinks will be available, but guests are asked to leave their pets at home.
Photo via Sheri Hooley on Unsplash
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — a Ohio-based ice cream franchise — has opened a new scoop shop in The Boro in Tysons.
According to a press release, the 1,400-square-foot shop is located at 1669 C Silver Hill Drive. The shop has the classics, like salty caramel, as well as new flavors like buttercream birthday cake and dairy-free options, like cold brew with coconut cream
“Jeni’s has been available at area Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Giant Food, Safeway, Fresh Market, Wegmans, Butcher’s Alley, Pescadeli and UPtown Market, but McLean residents will now enjoy Jeni’s beloved flavors in scoop form,” the press release said. “Pro tip: we highly recommend the freshly made waffle cones.”
Doors are open for customers, but ice cream can also be ordered via app.
“The Boro is excited to welcome Jeni’s to Tysons!” The Boro said in a statement to Tysons Reporter. “Especially in the heat of the summer, Jeni’s will be the perfect addition to our growing community of popular restaurants and retailers for people to walk around and enjoy.”
Photo courtesy Jeni‘s Splendid Ice Creams
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Since quarantine hit, Facebook stalking has been my new (okay, fine, continued) source of entertainment research.
Anything “new” to make the day more exciting and something to look forward to. Recently I stumbled upon a feature where you can request these 2 dessert trucks to come to your neighborhood and deliver treats to you and your neighbors.
Scoops2U: Ice Cream
Follow their Facebook page for details on where the truck will be. You can visit their website for updates as well and see the flavors. There you can request a visit to your part of town.
Kona Ice: Shaved Ice
Follow this Facebook page (there are many as there are trucks all over NoVA). You can see where they’ll be and at what time. We placed an order online, paid online, and then my kids got to pick their flavor when the truck rolled up in front of my house. A great way to chat on our lawn with our neighbors.
It was a small treat that was affordable as well as exciting!
If you want other options, don’t forget that these places are all doing contact-less pick up:
Tysons Corner Center has a few new tenants — including a bubble tea place and kids’ clothing store.
Moge Tee officially opened on Thanksgiving, according to the store manager, and now offers customers a variety of drinks including bubble milk tea, taro tea, tea made from fresh juices, Yakult yogurt drinks and cheese tea, which takes a form of foam on the top of the drink.
The tea shop is a chain with roughly 300 locations across the world, according to the company’s website.
Besides the new location in Tysons, there are several other stores in the U.S. — including a Falls Church location (6122-B Arlington Blvd).
When asked about potential competition with the preexisting Kung Fu Tea in Tysons Corner Center, the manager said it shouldn’t be an issue since Moge Tee offers specialized items like brown sugar bubble milk tea or cheese tea.
Moge Tee also carries Dorayki, a type of red bean pancake dessert that comes in various flavors including Oreo and taro.
Beginning next week, Moge Tee is running a buy-one-get-one-free promotion for customers who share a post on either WeChat, Facebook or Instagram and get at least eight likes, the manager said.
Nearby Moge Tee on the first level of the mall near Nordstrom, Abercrombie Kids opened roughly a month ago, according to store employees.
Business was slow at first because of the location in the mall, another employee said, adding that things began to pick up after Black Friday.
For anyone seeking employment, Abercrombie Kids is actively hiring and people can apply in-person.
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.
The Ice Cream Jubilee pop-up in Tysons Galleria is now closed.
The location closed its doors during the last week of July after serving customers since December 2018, according to Jenna Hahn, the vice president of operations for Ice Cream Jubilee.
“While we very much enjoyed getting to know the people of the area, we decided to focus on our permanent locations,” Hahn said.
Matthew Woods, the assistant manager of Jubilee’s Ballston spot, said the Tysons location was not meeting its sales goals.
“The foot traffic didn’t pick up during the summer as we expected it to,” Woods said, adding that sales were unusually low especially for the hot summer months.
Unlike the Tysons location, Ice Cream Jubilee in Ballston seems to be very popular according to Woods. He added that they still have a steady flow of customers despite the start of the new school year.
Kiln & Custard, a local woman-owned custard and ice cream chain, has plans to celebrate National Ice Cream Day this weekend.
The Vienna, Reston and Falls Church locations will offer a buy-one, get-one-free deal on ice cream scoops on Sunday (July 21).
“[The] custard is made fresh daily, in-house with no food dyes, artificial flavoring or harmful preservatives and are colored with fresh spinach, pureed beets and ripe tomatoes,” according to a press release about the event.
Here are the locations and hours on Sunday:
- Falls Church — open from 1-7 p.m. at 455 S. Maple Avenue
- Vienna — open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 138 Church Street NW
- Reston — open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at 1631 N. Washington Plaza
The Kiln & Custard locations are inside the Kiln & Co. pottery stores, which offer pottery painting and classes.
Former President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day in 1984, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
Photo courtesy Kiln and Custard
