Tysons Galleria recently announced new promotions to support local restaurants and a Feeding America fund in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first promotion offers a complimentary gift card for shoppers, while the other aims to raise money for people in need.

Anyone who purchases more than $50 worth of food from either the Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano’s or P.F. Changs at Tysons Galleria will receive a $20 Visa gift card to use at the mall, the website said. All three of the restaurants offer curbside pickup and to-go orders so people can limit exposure out in public.

In addition, the mall is also raising money for the Feeding America® COVID-19 Response Fund.

When people post a photo of their food with the #DineDelightDonate between April 24-June 30, the mall will donate $10 for every post — up to $100,000, according to its website.

People who want to support the fund directly can donate online.

Photo courtesy David Endres

As malls shut down around the U.S, Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center are currently still open.

Macerich, the operator of Tysons Corner Center, said the COVID-19 situation is being monitored and listed the preventive actions being taken.

“We want you to feel confident when visiting our properties,” according to Macerich’s website. “We recognize that places where people gather, like shopping centers, need to be clean, welcoming and safe.”

Macerich said that it’s using sanitizing and disinfectant formulas recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to clean entrance door handles, handrails and restrooms several times a day and play areas twice daily. The cleaning staff is wearing gloves and Macerich wants sick employees to stay home.

In a statement, Tysons Corner Center said staying open helps the employees at the mall:

Our centers and our retailers employ hundreds of individuals, across many job types, who are dependent on their jobs to meet their families’ needs.  We are doing our best to remain open to serve our community and our retailers and continually assess the situation. We remain in close contact with government health authorities and will continue to implement our intensified cleaning and sanitizing procedures as long as we remain open.

The mall currently has reduced hours of 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sundays as of March 17.

Meanwhile, Tysons Galleria has adjusted its hours so that the mall is open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Tysons Galleria said that it is letting restaurants and bars decide how to operate in compliance with the recent cap of 10 patrons maximum. The mall is not allowing people to sit in the food court.

As for cleaning, Tysons Galleria says its staff is disinfecting “high traffic areas,” increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning “touchable surfaces” and offering hand sanitizer dispensers.

Around the country, malls are closing due to orders from state officials or by operators over concerns that shoppers and employees could spread the virus.

Fox 5 reported that Simon Property Group announced on Wednesday that it would close all of its retail properties, which include the nearby Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Taubman Centers, which operates Fair Oaks Mall, also plans to temporarily shutter its malls, USA Today reported.

Indoor shopping malls in New Jersey are closing due to orders from the governor, Retail Dive reported. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently ordered malls to close.

A growing list of retailers — including Macy’s, Sephora, Nordstrom, H&M, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret and Apple — are closing all of their locations temporarily, leaving the malls that are still open with limited retail options for shoppers.

Diners, though, can find food at malls as restaurants pivot to pick-up and delivery options. Here are what some of the restaurants are doing in the two malls.

Tysons Galleria:

• The Cheesecake Factory — curbside pick-up and delivery via Doordash
• Wildfire — temporarily closed
• Maggiano’s Little Italy — delivery via Doordash and take-out
• P. F. Chang’s — delivery, take-out and curbside pick-up
• Lady M Boutique — take-out

Tysons Corner Center:

• &pizza — take-out and delivery
• Barrel and Bushel — pick-up and delivery via Doordash
• Coastal Flats — take-out and delivery with a limited menu
• Eddie V’s — take-out
• Turkish Coffee Lady — temporarily closed

Shoppers and diners will need to check the websites and social media to see if the store or eatery is open, closed or just open for delivery and take-out options.

A new nail place is set to arrive in Tysons Galleria.

The mall’s website says that the “Nail Saloon Tysons Galleria” is “coming soon.”

The salon is the latest addition to a list of stores and businesses coming to mall, including CycleBar and Rodd & Gunn New Zealand. Lady M Cake Boutique is looking to relocate from the third floor to a new spot in the mall.

Little Birdies Boutique, a kids’ clothing store, is now in Tysons Galleria.

The store celebrated its new location with a grand opening on Saturday (Feb. 29). The store is next to Saks Fifth Avenue on the mall’s third level.

This is the second location for the clothing store, which first opened in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2014, according to the store’s website.

The store sells kids’ clothing from newborns to size 10. Shoppers can find spring clothing, games, accessories and gear.

“Little Birdies Boutique takes a southern approach to children’s wear offering nostalgic traditional clothing mixed in with fun playful styles,” according to the website.

Hei Hei Tiger is now serving up Cantonese cuisine in Tysons Galleria’s Urbanspace.

The new eatery is from the team behind Tiger Fork in D.C. and opened yesterday (Tuesday) in the mall, according to a press release.

“Hei Hei Tiger (pronounced ‘hey hey tiger’) means ‘Happy Happy Tiger’ in Chinese,” according to the press release. “The double happiness characters are significant in Chinese culture, symbolizing a union and joy.”

The restaurant is serving up Chinese barbecue, Hong Kong-style noodle bowls, soft serve and will soon offer boba milk tea, the press release said. The octagon-shaped bar offers “Traditional Chinese Medicine” cocktails, teas, tonics, sake, beer, wine and more.

More from the press release:

The culinary program is led by co-owner Will Fung, who has been part of Tiger Fork’s operating team since day one, in collaboration with the group’s corporate chef/co-owner Nathan Beauchamp and co-owner Greg Algie.

A Hong Kong native, Fung has more than 20 years of industry experience, both back-of-house as a former sushi chef at Sushiko and founder of the Dirty South Deli food truck, and front-of-house as former general manager at Ted’s Bulletin and Matchbox. Most recently, Fung spent his entire 2018 in Kyoto, cooking and training in 3-Michelin star Kaiseki restaurants Kikunoi and Takesh igero under the guidance of chef Yoshihiro Murata.

Inspired by the styles of Hong Kong dining, Fung draws on his childhood and familial cooking heritage, plus the techniques learned from his Japanese training, such as the fine art of dashi and intricate broths and sauces, and modernizing the recipes for today at Hei Hei Tiger…

A private dining room will follow, eventually serving dim sum brunches and hosting private events.

“Before we opened Tiger Fork, we always had this idea to open a hybrid service, casual-style concept offering Chinese BBQ and Hong Kong noodle soups,” Algie said in the press release. “After seeing the success and positive response to Tiger Fork, and with Will at the helm, we’re excited to make our first expansion outside of D.C.”

The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sundays.

Rodd & Gunn New Zealand plans to open a store in Tysons Galleria.

Started in New Zealand, the clothing company sells jackets, shirts, jeans, shorts and more for men.

The store is “coming soon” to the mall, according to Tysons Galleria’s website. The closest store is in Bethesda, according to the company’s website.

Rodd & Gunn New Zealand is one of several newcomers slated to open in Tysons Galleria, including CycleBar and Little Birdies Boutique.

A kids’ clothing store in Georgetown plans to open its new spot in Tysons in a few weeks.

Little Birdies Boutique’s second location will be in Tysons in a spot next to Saks Fifth Avenue on the third floor of Tysons Galleria. The store said on Facebook on Sunday (Jan. 26) that the Tysons store is aiming to open March 1.

The store, which sells kids’ clothing from newborns to size 10, first opened in Georgetown in 2014, according to the store’s website.

Tysons Reporter first spotted signs for the new Tysons spot a few weeks ago.

Photo via Little Birdies Boutique/Instagram

A kids’ clothing store in D.C. is expanding to Tysons.

Signs say that Little Birdies Boutique is coming to a spot next to Saks Fifth Avenue on the third floor of Tysons Galleria.

The store first opened in Georgetown in 2014, according to the store’s website. Little Birdies Boutique announced the expansion to Tysons on Instagram last week.

The store “takes a southern approach to childrenswear offering nostalgic traditional clothing mixed in with fun playful styles,” the website says.

Shoppers can expect the new Tysons location to open sometime in March, according to the store’s Instagram.

Tysons Galleria and Tysons Corner Center will be staying open a little later than usual to accommodate shoppers enjoying holiday deals or finding last-minute gifts.

Tysons Galleria announced yesterday (Thursday) the new hours, allowing shoppers to come in earlier in the morning or stay later in the evening.

Here are the new times:

• Friday (Dec. 13): open until 9 p.m.
• Saturday (Dec. 14): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Sunday (Dec. 15): 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Monday-Saturday (Dec. 16-21): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Sunday (Dec. 23): 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Monday (Dec. 23): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Christmas Eve: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Thursday (Dec. 26): 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday (Dec. 27-28): 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Sunday (Dec. 29): noon-6 p.m.
• Monday (Dec. 30): 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• New Year’s Day: noon-6 p.m.

“More gifting to do? We hear you! We’ve extended our hours so you can get in every bit of last-minute shopping you need,” the mall posted on Facebook.

Over at Tysons Corner Center, the holiday hours are:

• Friday (Dec. 13): open until 10 p.m.
• Saturday-Thursday (Dec. 14-19): 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Friday-Monday (Dec. 20-23): 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
• Christmas Eve: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Thursday (Dec. 26): 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Friday (Dec. 27): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Saturday (Dec. 28): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Sunday (Dec. 29): 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Monday (Dec. 30): 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
• New Year’s Eve: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• New Year’s Day: 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Both malls will be closed on Christmas (Dec. 25).

A company that specializes in artificial intelligence, software engineering and weapons platforms recently announced that its new home is in The Boro in Tysons.

Alion Science and Technology lists its new address as 8350 Broad Street, Suite 1400 on its website.

“Alion’s new corporate headquarters reflects the cutting edge innovation and technology solutions that we are providing to our defense and intelligence customers every day,” Alion’s CEO Steve Schorer, said in a press release.

The company previously said it was located at 1750 Tysons Blvd — a building next to Tysons Galleria.

“We look forward to welcoming our customers and our employees to our new corporate location,” Schorer said.