Bluestone Lane is still brewing at The Boro in Tysons.

A tipster alerted Tysons Reporter that signs for the Australian company’s first Virginia coffee shop went up last week, and a visit to the squat, standalone building in front of Boro Tower on Silver Hill Drive on Tuesday (Aug. 3) found workers touching up the roof and interior space.

A Bluestone Lane spokesperson told Tysons Reporter last month that they are looking to open in mid-August after previously aiming for July 15, which is still listed as the coffee shop’s opening date on a site plan for The Boro.

An employee with the construction contractor attributed the delays to a widespread demand for trade workers and resources, with a lot of projects restarting at once after many developers hit pause during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bluestone Lane’s goal now is “hopefully” opening in the third week of August, according to the contractor, who said he anticipates doing a walk-through of the site with the owner on Aug. 13.

Bluestone Lane has been eyeing The Boro as its entry into the Northern Virginia market since December 2018, before the mixed-use development had even opened its first building. The shop was expected to be ready sometime between fall 2019 and spring 2020.

The company currently has a combined six cafes and coffee shops in D.C., along with locations in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other major U.S. cities.

In other Boro restaurant news, Metropolitan Hospitality Group has swapped in Circa Bistro for Open Road, an Americana restaurant that already has a location in Merrifield.

The group is also still planning to bring the Mexican eatery El Bebe to the Tysons development, as announced in November 2019.

According to the Washington Business Journal, the restaurant group decided to make the Circa/Open Road switch after consulting with the Meridian Group, the property developer behind The Boro, in light of the pandemic.

The Boro confirmed WBJ’s report that Circa and El Bebe plan to open in Boro Tower in early 2022.

Construction is starting today (Tuesday) on Pupatella’s upcoming location in the Mosaic District, a spokesperson for the local pizza chain told Tysons Reporter.

Signage indicating that Pupatella will be moving into the space at 140 Penny Lane first emerged in early fall 2019, but no visible work on the site had been done since then.

Founded in 2007 by Enzo and Anastasiya Algarme, Pupatella began life as a food truck before opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Arlington in 2010.

Since then, the pizza restaurant has added four more locations, including a second Arlington spot and a site that opened in Reston this past December.

As first reported yesterday by the Washington Business Journal, Pupatella says it has secured a $7.5 million investment that will enable it to add as many as 15 pizzerias over the next few years.

New locations that have been confirmed so far are the Mosaic restaurant and a West Springfield site. Three other sites are currently under negotiation, including what would be the chain’s first Maryland site.

“Our focus is always going to be neighborhood Neapolitan,” Enzo Algarme said in a press release. “Our most recent capital raise gives us the opportunity to bring the true Naples pizzeria experience to more communities. It’s a dream that keeps growing for us.”

According to the spokesperson, Pupatella is aiming to open its Mosaic restaurant in late 2021.

It will join several other Italian venues at the Merrifield mixed-use development, which already has Alta Strada, Oath Pizza, and Matchbox Pizza. Most recently, The Italian Place opened across the street from Pupatella this past weekend, but a planned grand opening celebration has been delayed until later this month.

An Italian restaurant based in Alexandria is expanding with a second location at the Mosaic District in Merrifield, but patrons will have to wait a little longer than anticipated to try a sub or slice of pizza.

The Italian Place had planned to welcome customers to its new spot at 2985 District Avenue (Suite 190) this Saturday (July 24), but the grand opening will be delayed to August because more time is needed to prepare, owner and CEO Adriana Penachio-Sifakis says.

The restaurant confirmed the delay on Tuesday (July 20) on Facebook.

“We wished we had more hours in the day to prepare for our opening, and with thousands of RSVP’s for our upcoming grand opening ceremony, we will be postponing our opening by another week or so!” Penachio-Sifakis told Tysons Reporter by email.

She added that they hope to announce an exact opening date within the next week.

Penachio-Sifakis opened The Italian Place at 621 Wythe Street in Old Town Alexandria in September 2016, inspired by the traditions and values imparted by her grandparents, who were the children of immigrants from a small province outside Naples, according to the restaurant’s website.

A photo of Naples adorns one wall of the new Mosaic District site, which also features an espresso bar.

“We are humbled by the love and appreciation our customers have for our food!” Penachio-Sifakis said. “They come back and they tell their friends about us and that really keeps us going!”

Encouraged by the restaurant’s warm reception in Alexandria, Penachio-Sifakis started exploring the idea of franchising in early 2020. She says her team “really fell in love” with the Mosaic District when they visited after the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, citing the development’s “outdoor walkability” and the quality of the brands there.

“[Mosaic District property owner EDENS] is led by a woman which impressed me and certainly persuaded me to expand my operation to a professionally and well-run community that has so many exciting plans for their residents and their visitors,” she said. “They have been enjoyable to work with and we look forward to a long-term relationship with them and have also viewed some of their other successful properties.”

The Italian Place’s menu features pizza, a variety of Italian subs, paninis, salads, and pasta. There are also breakfast options and soup specials, along with a new “secret” menu that includes a tuna melt sub, an Italian grinder, and a Mosaic classic sub with salami, provolone cheese, hot pepper spread, and other toppings.

The Italian Place will expand the Italian dining options at the Mosaic District, which currently has Alta Strada, Matchbox Pizza, Oath Pizza, and Dolcezza Gelato.

The Mexican restaurant Urbano, another import from Alexandria, opened there in December. The development will also get the first Virginia location of the D.C.-based Carribean eatery Colada Shop in conjunction with a small Bloomingdale’s store called Bloomie’s that is expected to open in August.

Vienna has hosted many tenants at 175 Maple Avenue East over the years, from a gelato shop to a Persian rug store and America’s arch support experts, but the southwestern corner of Maple Avenue and Park Street hasn’t seen anything quite like Lily’s Chocolate & Coffee.

The cafe, which held its grand opening this past Saturday (July 10), purports to be the first in the U.S. to specialize in lokma, a fried dough pastry popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean.

Owner Saifalden Alobaidi and his sister Lily Alobaidi wanted to share a taste of their native Iraq with their adopted home, but knowing that many potential customers might not be familiar with the treat, they decided to add their own touch, substituting the traditional honey or date syrup coating with a drizzle of chocolate.

“It’s a family-owned business,” Saifalden told Tysons Reporter. “We’re just trying to bring our culture from back home, from Iraq, introduce it to the community here…and make a friendly place, so people can come to a different vibe, a different coffee shop style than normal.”

The lokma, which can be filled with peanut butter or nutella, isn’t the only thing that distinguishes the Town of Vienna’s newest eatery, which operates from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

In fact, just about everything in Lily’s Chocolate has been specially designed, from the cardamom-spiced hot tea and Belgium-imported chocolate to the mousse, cakes, and other bakery-style desserts that Lily makes herself each day.

The coffee is a blend of Guatemalan and Brazilian beans that the Alobaidis developed through “a lot of coffee tasting,” Saifalden says. The beans are roasted by Grace Street Coffee in Georgetown, which has formed a partnership with Lily’s Chocolate.

Even the cafe’s tables, chairs, lighting fixtures, and other furnishings were custom-made by Saifalden, who also works as a civil engineer and owns a construction business. This is his first venture into the food service world.

“We’re trying to be unique so it’s not repetitive,” Saifalden said. “Even the coffee taste we have, the pastry we sell, the style of the place, we’re trying to be different than what’s in the market.”

The Alobaidis immigrated from Iraq to the U.S. — specifically to Arizona — in 2009, according to Saifalden, who obtained a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Arizona before entering construction work.

After traveling from state to state for a while, he moved to McLean in 2016, and he and Lily came up with the idea for a lokma shop, signing a lease for the Maple Avenue spot in October 2020.

Though he now lives in Reston, Saifalden says he loves the Town of Vienna for its family-friendly atmosphere and an increasingly diverse population that embraces different cuisines and cultures. The town’s central location within Fairfax County and efforts to support small businesses heightened its attractiveness.

Getting Lily’s Chocolate off the ground was not without its challenges, though, as the COVID-19 pandemic delayed shipments and prolonged the licensing process and other preparations.

Saifalden also allows that he has gotten a few comments about the availability of parking at the site, which is prominently but awkwardly situated at the intersection of two busy streets with little room for drivers to manuever into or out of spaces without blocking traffic.

The building does have additional parking in the back, and he says the cafe is working to put up a sign to make that clearer to passersby. He also anticipates getting reliable foot traffic, including from pedestrians and bicyclists coming into town on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.

According to Saifalden, Lily’s Chocolate drew over 300 people between 6 and 9 p.m. for its grand opening, which offered free pastries, tea, and coffee. The cafe has also gotten some social media buzz, thanks in part to the popular Vienna VA Foodies Facebook group.

Expansion plans are already taking shape. A friend has expressed interest in starting a franchise in Georgia, and the Alobaidis are looking at a possible location in Georgetown to complement their partnership with Grace Street Coffee.

“We’ve been getting a lot of feedback from people about the place, the design, the location, the scene, the quality of the coffee, the pastry or the lokma that we are serving, and a lot of reviews on Facebook, on Instagram as well,” Saifalden said. “We appreciate everybody’s business here.”

Tysons Corner Center welcomed its latest restaurant last week with the opening of Istanbul Kitchen.

Run by Feride Ozkan and Arzu Ozen, who also own Ozfeka Catering, Istanbul Kitchen joins a number of other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern eateries at the mall, from Cava Mezze Grill to The Halal Guys, but this is the only one to specialize specifically in Turkish cuisine.

“You can find all kinds of international food in the mall and we thought ours would be a great addition,” Ozkan said.

Ozkan says Istanbul Kitchen serves “homemade gourmet and healthy selections of Mediterranean cuisine,” including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options so there is something for all dietary preferences.

There is also a variety of desserts, including baklava, rice pudding, cookies, and Turkish coffees and teas.

“We are hoping to become one of the best restaurants in the mall with exceptional quality of foods and customer service,” Ozkan said.

Istanbul Kitchen is located on the first level between McDonald’s and Pokeworks.

“We are pleased to provide small and independent eateries like Istanbul Kitchen the opportunity to showcase their global cuisine with Tysons Corner Center as the backdrop,” said Matt Barry, the assistant vice president of property management for Tysons Corner Center.

Tickle your taste buds at the newly open Istanbul Kitchen here at Tysons Corner Center. They offer an array of Turkish and Mediterranean dishes, pastries, as well as Turkish coffee and tea ❤️ 🍽️ pic.twitter.com/x1cXI4A6N9

— Tysons Corner Center (@ShopTysons) July 9, 2021

The Arlington-founded burger chain Big Buns Damn Good Burgers is coming to Vienna, looking to take over the Danor Plaza space formerly occupied by Elevation Burger (142 Branch Road SE).

Big Buns, which specializes in making different styles of burgers and also provides craft beer and more, filed for Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control beer, wine, and mixed drinks licenses around May 28 and June 1.

“We couldn’t be more excited about these locations,” founder Craig Carey said in an email to Tysons Reporter, noting that the eatery is also working on sites in Franklin Farm and Fairfax.

Big Buns plans to open in Vienna on Sept. 1. Its hours of operation will be from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to a state ABC application obtained by Tysons Reporter.

Patch reported that the organic-focused chain Elevation Burger closed its Danor Plaza location in March. A sign still posted to the door notes that its Arlington location remains open (2447 Harrison St. N.).

Big Buns’ planned fall opening depends on permits, construction, and hiring, but Carey believes the timeline should be doable.

“We would love more patio seating but will need to see what the county comes back with in terms of occupancy after they review our plans,” Carey wrote about possible changes from Elevation Burger’s setup.

The chain seeks to have indoor and outdoor seating, with 14 tables outside for 28 people and a full capacity for over 55 seated customers, not including a counter/bar area, according to its state ABC application.

Carey and his business partner Tom Racosky started the chain in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood in 2007 with the goal of providing a variety of burgers as an alternative to “best burger” restaurants that each focus on their own specialty.

Those seeking jobs at the Vienna location can start at the Reston Big Buns (1908 Reston Metro Plaza) now and will transfer over to Vienna as part of a grand opening team, Carey wrote.

The chain, which typically has a staff of 25 full and part-time workers at each location, is offering $500 sign-up bonuses for workers on their 100th day.

After years of working as a chef in restaurants throughout the region, Thomas Harvey will launch his own restaurant in downtown Falls Church later this year.

The eponymous Harvey’s is slated to open in early September at 513 W Broad Street. Harvey is an Alexandrian, but he says in a press release that Falls Church was the ideal spot for his latest venture.

Harvey was most recently executive chef of Tuskie’s Restaurant Group of Virginia and oversaw operations at local restaurants like Fireworks American Pizzeria and Bar in Arlington.

“Chef Harvey’s goal for his new 2,600-square-foot counter service restaurant is that it will become the neighborhood’s local spot,” the press release said. “…Harvey’s will serve true American cuisine in the sense that it will encompass multiple different cultural dishes, from sandwiches to house-made pasta dishes, and banana splits to Russian pastries. Locally sourced seasonal ingredients will drive the menu.”

The restaurant will serve daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch in a 48-seat main dining room, a 12-seat beer and wine bar, and an outdoor patio with 70 seats, according to the announcement.

Breakfasts, like croissants, buscuits, or scrambled eggs and sausage are expected to be between $7 to $12. Sandwiches at $12 to $18, entrees at $13 to $28 and desserts from $8 to $12. Among the deserts spotlit in the press release are Russian Honey Cake, along with the classic eclairs and tiramisu.

The restaurant will also have vegetarian options, like the Beyond Burger substitute.

The press release noted that Harvey’s will have beer and wine options as well, with beer selected primarily from local breweries.

According to the press release, the restaurant will also be supplemented by a retail market showcasing signature items from its pantry, along with prepared foods packaged for grab-and-go customers. The market will be open seven days a week with the same hours as the restaurant.

Courtesy Heather Freeman PR

Bloomingdale’s is setting up shop at the Mosaic District — with a culinary twist.

The clothing retailer announced today (Wednesday) that it will launch a new concept for a smaller, more tailored store at the Merrifield mixed-use development on Aug. 26.

Dubbed “Bloomie’s,” the 22,000 square-foot venue will feature a rotating assortment of fashion brands as well as the first Virginia location of the Colada Shop, a Caribbean eatery and cafe that started in D.C. in 2016.

“Our new Bloomie’s store will deliver everything [customers] love about Bloomingdale’s in a highly edited, convenient, and unexpected way,” Bloomingdale’s CEO Tony Spring said in a press release. “We’ve been part of the Washington, D.C., metro area community for decades, and we are excited to welcome new and longtime customers to Bloomie’s to be the first to shop this fresh and casual experience.”

Bloomingdale’s plans to introduce a small-store concept at the Mosaic District this fall were first reported in January by the fashion magazine WWD and its sister publication Footwear News. The Mosaic District confirmed the news through social media.

According to Footwear News, Bloomie’s is part of a broader effort by Macy’s Inc. — Bloomingdale’s parent company — to adapt to an uncertain retail landscape that was shifting away from traditional department stores even before the tumult brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macy’s Inc. laid off about 3% of its workforce last summer, including hundreds of Bloomingdale’s executives, and is in the midst of a three-year downsizing plan that involves shuttering 125 stores and eliminating 2,000 positions, moves that the company projects will save $630 million annually.

Bloomingdale’s Director of Stores Charles Anderson says the company’s familiarity with the D.C. area, which includes a store in Tysons Corner Center, made the Mosaic District a logical place to introduce the Bloomie’s concept.

“We have two powerful existing Bloomingdale’s stores in the area and a vibrant online business, so Bloomie’s enters a market where customers know our brand,” Anderson said in a statement. “We chose this first Bloomie’s location within Mosaic District…because it provides an approachable and convenient location for customers.”

According to Bloomingdale’s press release, the Mosaic District store will emphasize fresh styles, with deliveries of new apparel coming in multiple times a week.

A centralized front desk will provide various customer services, including a returns dropbox, in-store and curbside pickups for online purchases, and customization and alteration services. The fitting rooms will also be outfitted with digital intercoms that customers can use to request assistance.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Bloomie’s, however, is its partnership with Colada Shop, which will have an outdoor patio seating area in addition to its indoor dining room.

The restaurant serves coffee, cocktails, and a variety of Caribbean food, including Cuban sandwiches and empanadas, depending on the location. It currently has two sites in D.C. and one location in Potomac, Maryland.

“My team and I are incredibly excited to become part of one of the DMV’s most innovative retail and entertainment communities,” Colada Shop CEO and co-founder Daniella Senior said. “Not only are we energized to bring the Caribbean way of life to Virginia, but we are also honored to be side-by-side with our partners at Bloomie’s and committed to create the most vibrant and sophisticated experiences for our guests.”

The store will mark its arrival in the Mosaic District “pre-opening activations” throughout the month of August and various festivities during the week of its grand opening on Aug. 26, the press release says.

General Assembly to Hold Special Session in August — “Governor Ralph Northam today [Wednesday] issued a proclamation calling the members of the General Assembly into special session on Monday, August 2. A special session is necessary to fill judicial vacancies and allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding.” [Office of the Governor]

British Pub Opens Doors in Vienna — Hawk & Griffin had a long-awaited soft opening this week for its 435 Maple Avenue West venue, which is now open for reservations and will start allowing walk-ins on Friday (June 25). The British pub has been in the works since February 2020 but delayed opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [Patch]

Tysons Boulevard Lane to Close Again — One northbound lane of Tysons Boulevard will be temporarily closed for a second year to give pedestrians and bicyclists access to a half-mile stretch of road in the Tysons Galleria area. The closure will begin on July 6 with no set end date, though it could be reassessed depending on traffic conditions. [Fairfax County Department of Transportation]

Scott’s Run Trail Project Awarded — A new asphalt pedestrian trail and two bridges over Scott’s Run were named Project of the Year for Transportation in the under-$5 million category by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The project started construction in July 2019, and Fairfax County held a ribbon-cutting on Feb. 4. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Vienna Hosts George Mason University President — GMU President Dr. Gregory Washington will discuss the paradox of Mason’s role as a key figure in American history and as a slaveholder at the Vienna Community Center at 5 p.m. today. The event will also feature a panel discussion as part of the Town of Vienna’s Liberty Amendments Month celebration. [Volunteer Fairfax/Twitter]

Rosslyn-based Taco Rock is planning to open its third location — and its largest to date — in Falls Church this fall.

In a press release, Chef Mike Cordero announced yesterday (Tuesday) that the new Taco Rock will open at 1116 West Broad Street in October.

“The former retail space will be transformed into a 2,815-square-foot fast casual taqueria and tequila bar that replicates its Rosslyn and Alexandria locations,” the press release said.

The restaurant will seat 85 guests and feature a 25-foot tequila bar. The menu will match the existing Arlington and Alexandria locations with the eponymous tacos on blue corn tortillas and churros, along with tequila and Mexican beer.

The new Taco Rock will be located in Falls Plaza Shopping Center, which has been rebranded as Birch & Broad in conjunction with ongoing renovations to the property. Existing retailers include a remodeled Giant, CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks, and Jersey Mike’s.