Another vape shop coming to Annandale
A Tobacco Hut is expected to open at 7109 Columbia Pike. Annandale, in mid-November.
The property owner, Charles Lee, preferred leasing the building to another type of business, such as a coffee shop, but couldn’t find a tenant. Negotiations with Dunkin’ Donuts fell through.
Lee purchased the lot in July 2021. He is making some cosmetic repairs to the building and doing much of the work himself. “I like to do it,” he says. The building had been vacant for years, since; the previous tenant, LoanMax, left.
Lee also owns Annandale Catering on Tom Davis Drive and the lot where the O’my Chiq & Bar is expected to open in November.
Tobacco Hut, a franchise operation with about 50 stores in the area, will have plenty of competition. There are at least four vape shops in central Annandale: Tobacco Max at 7035 Columbia Pike, Smoke & Vapor Planet at 4425 John Marr Drive, House of Vape at 4351 John Marr Drive, and Duke Cigar & Tobacco at 7354-B Little River Turnpike.
Readers of this blog can easily see that while the city of Alexandria is proceeding with an attractive mixed-used development on the edge of the Mason District, the Mason District itself continues to be one step up from a slum. Roach and rodent-infested apartments, homeless people (many of whom are addicts or mentally ill) wandering the streets and parks and sleeping in bus shelters, jobless people (many of whom are in the US illegally), hanging out in parking lots, landlords turning single family homes into dormitories, school performance on a straight-line decline for at least the past 10 years, vape shops, niche restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses coming and going–this is the reality of the Mason District. I sometimes think the Board of Supervisors is happy to have a central slum area in Fairfax County to keep the rot confined to just that area. And as people with other options move away from the Mason District, that’s exactly what they’ll end up with.
“Niche restaurants,” by which you mean Korean or Latin restaurants right? Man, what a tragedy that Annandale dining options aren’t just Silver Diner or whatever you can find at a gas station.
It begs the question why are other businesses staying away and what are the current gaps in retail in the area.
I generally support our business folks in Annandale. For the new vape and bar and grill … The last thing we need are business that don’t offer family friendly environment.
Excellent point, J. Our Chamber of Commerce should be pitching in. We ha location, access, etc., We should be out their shopping and pushing for business. Too bad Dunkin fell through. We
I can tell you I exclusively get beans from beanetics (unless I’m getting a latte from cafe V), I shop at K market at least once a month, I’ll eat at the new cfa or local pho places at least once a week, and I have been to glam for karaoke and cue club for pool. Unfortunately I am not made of money but I do try to support the businesses mentioned and more when I can! I’d like to try the new park side spa for a massage but it is pricey
I almost forgot to mention another fun night out for me is the AVFD bingo on Monday and Thursdays
These “vape shops” are now selling Delta 8 THC. So they are basically selling weed. That’s why you are seeing them everywhere.
Mike, thank you for solving the mystery
I also thank you Mike for bringing this information to our attention.
I did some research, and from reading this FDA consumer update:
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-things-know-about-delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-delta-8-thc
And this very recent news report:
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/virginia-mother-charged-with-murder-after-4-year-old-dies-from-ingesting-delta-8-thc-gummies/
I agree that you raise a serious concern.
On the one hand, I agree with those who would like to avoid Annandale becoming best known as the go-to-location in NoVa for buying the freshest Vaping products and supplies, including edibles.
On the other hand, if an owner of commercial property in Annandale is unable to lease their property at a reasonable rate to no one running a legit business other than a Vape Shop or a Payday Loan Operation, I’m unsure what the better option is, allowing the people owner to lease the property to a less than ideal tenant, or forcing the property owner to take a loss on the property by keeping it vacant and allowing the property to deteriorate and become a blight and an eyesore.
Perhaps what would be best is if we permit Fairfax County to use eminent domain to accumulate sufficient property in the Central Annandale business district to build a large new Fairfax County Government Office Building which could be named in honor of Peggy Gross on the condition that Supervisor Gross will retire and allow another younger member of the Fairfax County Democrat political machine to take her position on the Board of Supervisors for the next two or three decades.
I’m more of an observer than a commenter but we really don’t need another smoke shop. We need more impactful businesses that these aren’t run of the mill type…
At this rate, I hope the new construction replacing the old decrepit Wendy’s on John Marr & Little river does not offer another one of these types of businesses.
It would be nice to spend our money more in our community than always going to neighboring communities like Tysons, Fairfax, Burke, Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church vs spending in Annandale. We rarely dine out in our own community and businesses like another smoke shop aren’t enticing me either…
The market is answering what there is demand for. There are already at least two pastry / coffee shops that Dunkin’ Donuts would be going head to head against. Don’t blame the chamber. This is about zoning. The county continues to push for more density in a community that was at one point and is mostly still single family homes. The apartments are not cheap, but are cheaper than other places around Mason.
Seems like an interesting situation here. Smoke & Vapor Planet is still the best smoke and vape shop in Annandale by a long shot though. I read their mission on their website and visited them and I honestly have never encountered another shop that has level of inventory, selection, service, or prices that Smoke & Vapor Planet has : smokevaporpla.net/
Correction, visit their website at: https://smokevaporpla.net/
Just what we don’t need is a building memorializing Penny Gross. A pot hole would be more appropriate. The Board missed the opportunity to buy at fire sale prices the empty buildings at Skyline for a new Taj Mahal East county building.
Smoke & Vapor Planet is the best vape shop in Annandale, VA by a mile! Read more about Smoke & Vapor Planet here: https://smokevaporpla.net/