The Block and B-Thrifty are closing
The Block, a popular food hall in Annandale that has served the community since 2016, will close by the end of August.
The owner of the Eastgate Shopping Center on John Marr Drive, Brian Kim, has informed tenants on the northern side of the property that they have to vacate the space by Aug. 31.
In addition to The Block, Kimen Ramen & Izakaya, Chicken Pelicana, and B-Thrifty are all closing.
Kim is demolishing that section of the shopping strip to make way for a multifamily housing building. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the project in October 2023.
Related story: Eastgate project gets a green light
Christopher Travieso, the owner of B-Thrifty, hopes to find another large enough space in Annandale, but that’s challenging as commercial space here is $50 per square foot. Brian Kim has been helping find a new location.
“We’re very sad. We love Annandale,” Travieso said.
Most of his employees have been at the store since it opened in 2020. “They are great employees,” he said, and no one will lose their job. He offered them positions at the other B-Thrifty stores – in Woodbridge and Camp Spring, Md. – and will provide shuttle service to their new jobs.
Travieso is opening another B-Thrifty store in Manassas and is launching an online store on Sept. 15.
He is planning a big sale at the Annandale store starting in mid-August to clear out inventory before it closes.
Employees at Kimen Ramen & Izakaya and Chicken Pelicana weren’t sure what the owners of those restaurants are going to do.
Among vendors at The Block, Sarah Rash, owner of Bold Dumpling, wants to stay in Annandale but hasn’t found a building yet. “I don’t want to lose my customers, and most of my staff live here,” she said. Bold Dumpling opened seven years ago.
Other vendors at The Block are relocating out of the area. Balô Kitchen plans to reopen in Crystal City in October or November. Pokeworks is moving to Fairfax, and SnoCream is relocating to the Fair Oaks area.
Businesses on the other side of B-Thrifty will remain open.
Related story: A food hall opens at the Eden Center
This majorly suuuuuuckkks!!! 😔
I am devastated!!!!!
This is a horrible idea. Fire the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. What were they thinking?
So … multifamily housing is a “horrible idea”? Or is it that a property owner giving notice to a tenant is a “horrible idea”? And how does one “fire” the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors? I’ll be sorry to see The Block leave as well, but your take on this needs some work.
Multifamily housing in this location is a horrible idea. Firing means vote them out?! The owner of the strip mall needed their approval to proceed with the redevelopment.
I applaud it. More housing, a mixed use, modern development. Exciting! Awesome!
I agree with Javier! Let’s goooo!
We feel the same way! Hopefully this is just the beginning of our own Mosaic District. Next up: let’s take down Giant and Night Dreams! It would also be amazing to revitalize the burned-down buildings and vacant lots across the street from Giant—there’s so much potential. A great start!
If we wanted to live in a loud, busy, cookie cutter shopping apartment center we would’ve moved to Mosaic.
We dont need a mosaic. Were 5 miles from mosaic. Rent is already off the wall and if it raises another dollar nobody will be happy.
That said, it is ridiculous that we have a giant down the street from a giant. Almost on the same street too.
why do korean people always suffer? and why do chinese people do japanese restaurants? koreans that run japanese restaurants learn it from japan in their national student period. so its close to authentic. yet in america, chinese take japanese business and make money weirdly. chinese people don’t even know how to make japanese foods. koreans do hard labor jobs in america and now hard labor jobs of koreans disappear 🫠
Just say you hate Chinese people.
This is such a bad idea! BThrifty is such an amazing place to shop especially to those with multiple children. I hope you are aware of the many customers you are hurting with this plan. You should make sure that they have a new location BEFORE YOU CLOSE THEIR DOIRS!!
Is this still going to be mixed use? What are the plans to replace the food hub we are losing? I recall originally there were negotiations to keep or reincorporate the Block into the finished building.
Correct! They’re still planning to keep the block but place it on the lower level of the new building. A win-win!
Brian Kim sucks. Thanks for ruining some great restaurants in Annandale
Noooooo. I wish the developer had made plans to keep these restaurants/businesses as first floor retail…. They will all be missed.
They are keeping it! The block will be placed at the lower level of the new building!
This was the original plan but has not been confirmed as the current plan accordingly to latest news.
John Marr Drive is already horrible to drive on, what’s it going to be like when they build multi family buildings. BOS need to be replaced!
I use John Marr everyday by car. It isn’t terrible to drive on.
If anything, it’s pretty hostile for pedestrians crossing the post office to the K Market area.
Saw people this AM get off the bus and play leap frog to get to the other side.
It will be improved by this. More housing and mixed use modern development is sorely needed in outdated Annandale. This is progress
Exactly!
The horrible traffic on John Marr Drive and LRT is going to be improved by the addition of a multi-story apartment building in this area? Please enlighten us all how this is going to be the case.
This is so, so sad. We should not have to lose vibrant retail to gain housing.
I agree with most of the comments above. Great way to further destroy any attractiveness to downtown Annandale. And Brian Kim does suck!
Approved by the Board of Supervisors. Give them a call!
“This office exists to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office if I can ever be of assistance. You may email us at [email protected] or call 703-256-7717.”
Multi family housing…okay, well hopefully it’ll get handled well and be a place for people to find a home and build a life in the community.
Otherwise it’ll get turned into a hot spot for drugs, domestic violence calls and aggressive panhandling that requires private security and fixed posts by the local PD. Hope you don’t mind the smell of weed and the roar of ATVs.
Bro, what? Lol
Is the next building with third-story will be demolished too?
Eliminating these popular businesses that draw in the broader community is concerning. Will new apartment residents be able to sustain the retail remaining in that strip – Tous Les Jours, Taco Ssam, Tiger Sugar, and Glam Karaoke? This area will go all apartments shortly.
I live a neighborhood over and there is a lot of housing suddenly available and sitting on the market due to the reduction of federal work force – not sure who will move into all these apartments. With tariffs and construction material cost rising this seems oddly timed. I hope they’re able to complete construction in a timely manner amd get people to move in….
Glad some much needed housing is being built in the area, but sorry to see some of my favorite restaurants closing. Kimen has the best Katsudon and Bold Dumpling’s dumplings are amazing! Hopefully they’re able to find a new space not too far away.
That multi family building going to look classy next to a shabby former K-Mart. I still wish Wegman’s had seen fit to build there.
This was a perfect location for a town center which should have been the result. Instead it will cause headaches for drivers and turnover of apartments which Annandale has enough of already. It is disappointing that the lack of vision ends up ruining a spot that already has a following and driving away businesses that we need and want.
A sad loss to our neighborhood.
Where am I going to get Curry Laska- my go to when I’m sick.
I love you Balo Kitchen!
We’ll miss the Block and Kimen so much!
Blame the BoS … they focused on art competition and making our lake a swamp. Now we get more trashy apartments built directly adjacent to trashy parking lot.
They’re building luxury apartments lol does anybody actually read the linked articles or the proposed plans? Lol
Truly unbelievable. Another lame and ugly 5 over 1 instead of shopping, good food and thrifting. I for one will boycott anything put into the space Brian Kim THREW people out for with ZERO notice! Pure evil.
I’m bummed to hear this news. I grew up in Annandale. I love The Block.
Maybe the run down Giant can make a deal with B Thrifty for that space.
Why not allow them to rebuild underneath the multifamily housing, make it be a multiuse more urban space?
So, it appears the plan is for redevelopment of the entire property. The remaining tenants in that retail strip will likely be shuttered, too.
https://www.bldup.com/posts/280-units-planned-for-eastgate-shopping-center-redevelopment
Noooo!!!!! That’s so sad!!! Kim obviously doesn’t care about Annandale.
WTOP news report about the forced closing of The Block with shout out to Annandale Today.
https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2025/07/its-the-end-of-the-party-at-the-block-in-annandale/