Annandale restaurants are closing
Chicken Pelicana and Kimen Ramen & Izakaya, the two restaurants at the end of the EastGate Shopping Center on John Marr Drive in Annandale, are closing for good on Sunday, Aug. 24. Neither one has plans to reopen in another location.
The vendors at The Block are closing on Aug. 31, and B-Thrifty is closing Sept. 1, according to employees.
The shopping center owner, Brian Kim, is tearing down those storefronts to construct an apartment building with 280 units and over 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for the project in 2023.
Among the vendors at The Block, SnoCream is moving to the Fair Lakes area, and Balo is moving to Crystal City. Pokeworks and Bold Dumpling are not relocating.
Related story: The Block and B-Thrifty are closing
B-Thrifty, which has locations in Woodbridge and Camp Spring, Md., is opening an online store next month.
Kim’s long-term plans call for redeveloping the entire retail strip. The site was formerly occupied by Kmart, which closed in 2018.
The redevelopment plans are not a surprise to the new tenants, as they were given short-term leases.
It truly is sad to see The Block go. It injected vitality and trendiness in an area that has otherwise been frozen in drab 1970s decline. However, Annandale needs this type of modern, mixed use development, which has eluded it is until now. It’s great to hear that not only will this development have a retail component, but the rest of the old KMart shopping center will likewise be replaced with new development! Progress has finally come to Annandale.
I would just be careful when buying online at B-thrifty. They tend to overprice items even when they are broken or ripped. They are really pricey in general. It helps they have discounts from time to time.
More overpriced housing and what type of retail will they have two or three more Korean barbecue places oh joy my old hometown of Annandale is just turning into an armpit thank God I moved away from there as a Annandale high school graduate back in the late 70s I’ve watched and they go down the toilet Over the decades. It’s really sad and too bad the poor the supervisors and developers are the only ones that benefit from this kind of crap they’re doing now.
Great. Another overpriced, poorly managed gaudy mixed use building. When the recession and inflation from tariffs ravage the economy and our citizens, who will be able to afford to live or shop there? Rent at some of these places start at $3600 for a 2 bedroom. Does the area justify that price? What about parking? These builds also have limited parking for residents – there’s NEVER enough spaces on site – residents often park offsite – forget about retail parking and traffic. Don’t believe me? Check reviews for the mixed use buildings in Hoffman/Carlyle, Merrifield, and right down the street at Contempo Nova off Van Dorn. (I might also be speaking from experience) They’re not as “luxurious” or glamorous as they seem…
With B-Thrifty going on line I don’t think I will be buying anything. I would rather buy in store so I can exam the products and items.
Please find a location to bring the store back to shop in.
I’m going to miss The Block. While I would welcome a more eclectic mix of restaurants, when we moved out here is 1961 there were about 3 (Tom Weston, Three Chefs, and Tops) – so a lot of improvement since then.
I will miss these places but will withhold judgement until the new building is up and running.