A new tutoring service and study space will soon open in McLean, offering families a place to bring kids for extra help in school or just find a quiet place to work.
Called ‘The STUDY studio on Elm,’ the facility is located at 6846 Elm Street in McLean and run by Carly Latessa, a Northern Virginia native, the website said. The studio posted on Facebook that it opens next Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Students seeking a place to study outside of school can sign up for either a private desk or room at the studio. The location also offers places for group work too.
Pricing varies depending on the time of day and time. For example, a desk can be reserved for $8/hour from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. and $5/hour from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Memberships are available on a monthly basis for $50 f0r an individual and $80 for families with two kids. “Membership fees cover cleaning supplies, strong wifi, snacks, water refill, printing and a committed staff,” the website said.
The business also offers flexible tutoring options starting at $35/hour. “Tutoring sessions can be held at our space, in your home or virtually,” the website said adding that tutoring is also available for a wide variety of subjects.
Tysons Reporter reached out to Latessa for an interview but didn’t receive a response.
Image via Google Maps
Crumbl Cookies, a gourmet cookie delivery and takeout business, is opening in the Town of Vienna next week.
The cookie business recently announced it plans to celebrate its new location at 203 Maple Ave. E with a grand opening next Thursday, Sept. 3. The next day, they will be offering free delivery all day with orders placed on Friday, Sept. 4. Customers can place orders through the Crumbl Cookie app or on their website.
“We’re excited to bring Crumbl to Vienna and hope the local residents love these cookies as much as we do,” said Jason McGowan, the co-founder and CEO of Crumbl Cookies.
In each Crumbl store, cookies are mixed, baked and prepared fresh by staff in an open kitchen for customers to watch.
“Having our customers see every cookie being made is one of the best experiences of our stores,” said Sawyer Hemsley, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Crumbl Cookies.
The store features four different specialty cookies each week in addition to two favorites, warm chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookie. Some of the specialty flavors include Muddy Buddy, Biscoff Lava, Funfetti, Snickerdoodle and more. The store also offers cold milk and gourmet ice cream to order on the side.
Crumbl will be open from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays.
“Nothing beats biting into a warm, delicious cookie that has been delivered straight to your door,” said Melanie Bunker, the owner of the Vienna location. “We’re really excited to bring this experience to Virginia.”
Photo via Crumbl Cookies/Facebook
PLNT Burger has started serving up vegan burgers and beverages inside Whole Foods at The Boro development.
The new location, which an employee at the Tysons location (1635 Boro Place) said opened today, is the sixth one all located within Whole Foods stores for Chef Spike Mendelsohn.
PLNT Burger’s menu is vegan and features burgers, cheeseburgers, chili bowls, Beyond Meat sausage, oat milk-based soft serve, fries, Whisked cookies, a salad and more.
Mendelsohn, the D.C.-area restaurateur who competed during the fourth season of “Top Chef,” opened the first PLNT Burger in September 2019 in Silver Spring, Md. Mendelsohn also operates several other D.C. eateries, including Good Stuff Eatery; We, The Pizza; Béarnaise; and Santa Rosa Taqueria.
The employee said that the PLNT Burger location in Tysons is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
Hat tip Vernon Miles
Photo via PLNT Burger/Facebook
SHOTTED Specialty Coffee is serving drinks from its new home in Tysons Corner Center.
The coffee shop originally had a kiosk on level two. Two weeks ago, SHOTTED held its grand opening for its kiosk on the first level outside Barnes and Noble.
The coffee shop has been active in the D.C. area, from supporting local Saudi student clubs to serving up pistachio lattes at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, according to its Instagram.
People who stop by the new location in Tysons Corner Center can try a Spanish latte, which is usually sweeter than traditional lattes.
Photo via SHOTTED/Facebook
The wait is almost over for the opening of Viva Sol Juice Company, a new smoothie and juice bar along Maple Avenue.
Viva Sol Juice plans to have a soft opening starting tomorrow (Thursday) before its official debut on Saturday (Aug. 29) at 124 Maple Ave W. in the Vienna Shopping Center, owner Kelly Hartranft told Tysons Reporter.
Hartranft grew up in Vienna and graduated from Madison High School. She opened a cafe in Delaware in 2017 after finding dairy-free bowls helped ease symptoms from her autoimmune condition, according to Viva Sol Juice’s website. “With the opening of Viva Sol Juice Co., the evolution of Viva Bowls, a larger and more extensive menu is now available to the local community,” according to the website.
Self-described as “Vienna’s original superfood cafe,” the business focuses on offering plant-based, gluten-free food and drinks. Customers can expect to find 100% cold-pressed juice, bowls, smoothies, doughnuts, and brunch at the new spot.
The online menu includes bowls, smoothies, all-day brunch, cold-pressed juice, an espresso bar and season menu items.
For the soft opening, Viva Sol Juice will offer “sneak peek” ordering through UberEats from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. On Friday and Saturday, people will be able to come to the new location between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Once fully open, the regular hours will be from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends.
Photo courtesy Kelly Hartranft
Dogs in Falls Church will soon have a new daycare destination with the upcoming arrival of Dogtopia.
The daycare, boarding and spa service for dogs plans to open soon at 108 W. Jefferson Street in Falls Church. The business has more than 90 locations across the U.S. and Canada, including one in Tysons near the Spring Hill Metro station.
The business initially planned to open earlier this summer, but pushed the opening due to construction and economic factors. Now, they hope to finish construction by the end of September and open in early October.
Not only does the business work to care for dogs, but they also want to make an impact on the community.
“We have this awesome foundation that we work with and we do truly believe in always giving back to our community,” Cat Michael, the general manager of Dogtopia of Falls Church, said.
First, they are raising money to provide a service dog to local veterans. Second, they are looking to set up employment opportunities for adults with autism. Lastly, they want to raise funds to help the youth literacy programs across the country.
They are currently pairing up with Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. in Falls Church every Thursday night of September to raise money toward their first goal of providing a service dog to local veterans.
“We are currently fundraising to hopefully train to place one dog by the time we open in a veteran’s home in the Falls Church community,” Dogtopia of Falls Church’s Owner Jim Hannesschlager said.
The upcoming location also wants to keep the community safe. To combat COVID-19, Dogtopia Falls Church installed an HVAC air filtering system. They plan to deep clean and sanitize every room with pet-friendly sanitizer to maintain cleanliness while keeping pets safe from harsh chemicals.
The location will also offer contactless pet drop-off and aim to eliminate possibilities of cross-contamination of pet belongings.
Dogtopia is offering a Founders Program for two weeks leading up to the opening. People who sign up will receive two weeks of unlimited daycare prior to the grand opening, according to their website. This offer is available for the first 50 dogs registered.
Photos by Michelle Goldchain, image by Katie Runnerstrom
Tysons Corner Center is welcoming Doughnuttery to its mall this weekend.
Known for its mini doughnuts, the New York-based chain is opening its doors to the public on Saturday, Aug. 8, at 3 p.m.
“We really like this mall. It’s convenient. It’s close by. It’s well-known. It’s a tourist attraction,” said Leyla Khater and Katherine Ronckovitz, the owners of the new Doughnuttery. “We knew we wanted to be here.”
Khater and Ronckivitz had been thinking of partnering to start a business for a long time when they found out Doughnuttery was franchising and decided that opening the Tysons location would be a good fit for their entrepreneurial spirit, according to Ronckivitz.
The store was initially supposed to open in March but was delayed due to the pandemic. They put opening procedures on hold when the shutdown began, but once the government began loosening restrictions, they were able to move forward again.
For their grand opening this weekend, they will have social distancing markers on the floor and masks to hand out, in addition to wearing masks themselves, according to Khater.
Doughnuttery was founded in 2012 in New York City. The store currently has three locations in New York and other locations across the country. They offer dozens of different doughnut flavors and several dipping sauces, according to Ronckivitz.
The owners are also excited to bring catering with custom glazes and patterns for any event to Virginia.
“We are two women entrepreneurs, and we didn’t give up despite the challenges we faced through COVID,” said Ronckivitz. “We have daughters and we want to be their example in showing them that we didn’t give up.”
Photo courtesy of Leyla Khater
LEON, a natural-based fast food restaurant, is finally arriving in the Mosaic District. The restaurant plans to open its doors on Thursday, Aug 6.
Originally, the restaurant was aiming to open in the winter at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 160. It’s unclear what caused the delay.
To celebrate their opening, LEON is holding a giveaway contest, according to a post on their Facebook page. The winner will receive free LEON through the end of the year. To enter, participants must download the app and create an account.
The restaurant aims to provide a natural take on fast food, offering many options to accommodate people with dietary restrictions, including vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans. Their goal is to “make it easier for everyone to live and eat well,” according to their website.
The online menu includes breakfast items like shakshuka and avocado toast, along with all-day dishes ranging from salads to the “LOVe burger” made with a beetroot-soy patty.
LEON was founded in 2004 and has more than 60 locations across the world, including Norway, the U.K. and the Netherlands.
Photo via LEON/Facebook
A local Turkish catering company recently opened up a new bakery and gourmet market in Falls Church.
BorekG officially opened its bakery and market around June 1 at 315 S Maple Ave., but the catering company appeared at the Falls Church Farmers Market prior to the creation of the market.
“We initially wanted to open a full cafe, but unfortunately seating nor funding was available to us,” Dilek Kaygusuz, the owner of BorekG, told Tysons Reporter.
The catering business has been serving the community for 10 years.
Kaygusuz said plans to open the store started seven years ago. Finally, at the beginning of June, the team was able to move forward with opening plans under COVID-19 safety protocols and through the Falls Church Food Safety Workshop.
She said they are disappointed that they didn’t get any financial help from Falls Church or Fairfax County. “I hope in the future they value us more,” Kaygusuz said.
Business at BorekG has been stable, but they hope things get better, Kaygusuz said. Many businesses have struggled due to the pandemic, and BorekG is no exception.
The BorekG Bakery and Gourmet Market offers Turkish breakfast, brunch, appetizers, and lunch. Some of the items included in their store include flatbreads, pastries, baklava and more. The market also sells grocery items such as eggs, cheese, butter, milk and oils.
“You can also sign up for our future cooking classes, make reservations for outdoor seating and find out about our host dinners,” BorekG’s website says.
Outside of the store, people can find BorekG at the Falls Church Farmers Market each Saturday.
Photo via Borek-G/Facebook
The pandemic hasn’t stopped a Vienna family from selling its new baseball training equipment.
John Morabito and his two sons Nick and Dominic are the three founders behind Perfect Swings USA.
Nick Morabito, the CEO, told Tysons Reporter that the company was going to open in the spring but then faced shipping issues and then decided to wait a little longer when George Floyd’s killing prompted massive protests. “Most of people’s focus was on that, rightly so,” he said.
Currently, Perfect Swings USA is selling the Swing Path Trainer for $349 to help athletes keep the bat in the hitting zone with the proper angle.
“The launch has been good,” Morabito said, adding that the company has sold several dozen Swing Path Trainers.
Morabito said that the company is looking to debut the Tempo Trainer (undecided price) in early fall after some delays due to the pandemic. The tool will help athletes with their tempo and rhythm during a swing.
“Both of our products are tools to help hitters become better,” Morabito said.
While originally geared toward baseball players, Morabito said that softball players are buying the equipment. “We’ve made a huge splash into softball,” Morabito said.
The pandemic also eliminated marketing opportunities by shutting down some tournaments and college baseball programs. “I think a lot of people are drawn to it when they try it out,” he said.
The company hopes to soon roll out an online search feature for people to find which facilities have the equipment, so they can try it out.
Even with the challenges, the company has managed to make some headway nationally with preorders from colleges and influencers in California and Colorado.
In the future, customers will be able to buy a variation of a baseball called a wiffle ball. When the COVID-19 risk decreases some more, the family hopes to bring Perfect Swings USA to local tournaments.
“I think it’s going to continue to grow,” he said.
Photo courtesy Nick Morabito
