"Downtown" McLean closures

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 38, moving to Mclean soon with my young family. I think the charm of downtown Mclean is the old and new (Chopt and Cava have ample parking). I wish they would just get a Whole Foods...

"Charm" of downtown McLean. LOLOLOL

There is a Whole Foods nearby. You can shortcut through Pimmit Hills to get there. Think of the excitement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know why a number of restaurants have shut down in McLean recently - Joe's Burgers, Evo Bistro, even Sweetgreen? These were all fairly popular spots as far as I know and nothing seems to be taking their spots.

There wasn’t much parking for Joe’s and Sweetgreen was competing with Sweet Leaf, Cava and Santini’s. I’d be surprised if there isn’t something new in the Evo Bistro space soon.

Sweetleaf sucks, though. Their food is overpriced and mediocre at best. Sigh. I'm so annoyed that they closed. Joe's wasn't that great either, and parking was hard.


When will they ever DO ANYTHING with the old McDonald's?

I like the salads and sandwiches at Sweetleaf, as well as the fact that it's local.

Sweetgreen is local too (started in Georgetown) and is so so much better.

The Sweetgreen site says "We're on the hunt for a new location in your neighborhood." Is that boilerplate?

Oh good. It'd be nice to have two decent casual options there. Cava being the other good option. Both are local and delicious.

[Anonymous]

Shutdown balduci and bring in whole foods

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shutdown balduci and bring in whole foods

The combination of Balducci's and the Gourmet Giant is fine. There's not enough space in that location for a Whole Foods. There are already WFs in Vienna and Falls Church if you really want to go there.

[Anonymous]

We're new to 22101 and are enjoying trying the different restaurant/grocery options. We have two young children. There are some "charming-like" qualities to downtown McLean, but mostly its a bit of an unorganized mess (with lots of parking issues - like Joe's burger). We lived in Clarendon and Falls Church City previously, which have their own issues, but overall the efforts made by developers there to build more thoughtfully deigned and often walk'able areas there are making an improvement IMO. Unfortunately it seems to take an enormous amount of effort and time to rally the community, government officials etc around these efforts so I'm not holding my breath for much change in McLean in the next 10 years. In the meantime we will keep checking out all the little alleys and nooks for what downtown McLean has to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutdown balduci and bring in whole foods

The combination of Balducci's and the Gourmet Giant is fine. There's not enough space in that location for a Whole Foods. There are already WFs in Vienna and Falls Church if you really want to go there.

Gourmet Giant? McLean tried that for years, and it was constantly empty (it was located where ABC is now situated). That, and Balducci's used to be a Fresh Fields (similar to Whole Foods), no? I don't know, if you ever consider plastic surgery, a quick trip to Balducci's will talk you out of it fast, so there's that. And don't worry, the drivers at Balducci's are equally as incompetent as the drivers at Whole Foods, so there are enough parallels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're new to 22101 and are enjoying trying the different restaurant/grocery options. We have two young children. There are some "charming-like" qualities to downtown McLean, but mostly its a bit of an unorganized mess (with lots of parking issues - like Joe's burger). We lived in Clarendon and Falls Church City previously, which have their own issues, but overall the efforts made by developers there to build more thoughtfully deigned and often walk'able areas there are making an improvement IMO. Unfortunately it seems to take an enormous amount of effort and time to rally the community, government officials etc around these efforts so I'm not holding my breath for much change in McLean in the next 10 years. In the meantime we will keep checking out all the little alleys and nooks for what downtown McLean has to offer.

The only people who have time to attend any hearings/meetings are the old people, who resist change - but we can't talk about that (in 3,2,1.....)

It is fairly obvious that any walkability and usefulness "downtown" are long overdue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know why a number of restaurants have shut down in McLean recently - Joe's Burgers, Evo Bistro, even Sweetgreen? These were all fairly popular spots as far as I know and nothing seems to be taking their spots.

There wasn’t much parking for Joe’s and Sweetgreen was competing with Sweet Leaf, Cava and Santini’s. I’d be surprised if there isn’t something new in the Evo Bistro space soon.

Sweetleaf sucks, though. Their food is overpriced and mediocre at best. Sigh. I'm so annoyed that they closed. Joe's wasn't that great either, and parking was hard.


When will they ever DO ANYTHING with the old McDonald's?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know why a number of restaurants have shut down in McLean recently - Joe's Burgers, Evo Bistro, even Sweetgreen? These were all fairly popular spots as far as I know and nothing seems to be taking their spots.

There wasn’t much parking for Joe’s and Sweetgreen was competing with Sweet Leaf, Cava and Santini’s. I’d be surprised if there isn’t something new in the Evo Bistro space soon.

Sweetleaf sucks, though. Their food is overpriced and mediocre at best. Sigh. I'm so annoyed that they closed. Joe's wasn't that great either, and parking was hard.


When will they ever DO ANYTHING with the old McDonald's?

I like the salads and sandwiches at Sweetleaf, as well as the fact that it's local.

Sweetgreen is local too (started in Georgetown) and is so so much better.

The Sweetgreen site says "We're on the hunt for a new location in your neighborhood." Is that boilerplate?

YUP.

[Anonymous]

That McDonald’s is always hopping. I for one would rather eat there than most other McLean restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutdown balduci and bring in whole foods

The combination of Balducci's and the Gourmet Giant is fine. There's not enough space in that location for a Whole Foods. There are already WFs in Vienna and Falls Church if you really want to go there.

Gourmet Giant has been closed for many years!

[Anonymous]

Wegman’s is coming to the Capital One property

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shutdown balduci and bring in whole foods

The combination of Balducci's and the Gourmet Giant is fine. There's not enough space in that location for a Whole Foods. There are already WFs in Vienna and Falls Church if you really want to go there.

Gourmet Giant? McLean tried that for years, and it was constantly empty (it was located where ABC is now situated). That, and Balducci's used to be a Fresh Fields (similar to Whole Foods), no? I don't know, if you ever consider plastic surgery, a quick trip to Balducci's will talk you out of it fast, so there's that. And don't worry, the drivers at Balducci's are equally as incompetent as the drivers at Whole Foods, so there are enough parallels.

I'm just talking about the large Giant on Chain Bridge.

You sound a little unhinged, so I'd focus on the mental health issues first before considering plastic surgery.

[Anonymous]

Quite aware there is a WF in Falls Church, but still think one closer to downtown would be a much better option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 38, moving to Mclean soon with my young family. I think the charm of downtown Mclean is the old and new (Chopt and Cava have ample parking). I wish they would just get a Whole Foods...

"Charm" of downtown McLean. LOLOLOL

There is a Whole Foods nearby. You can shortcut through Pimmit Hills to get there. Think of the excitement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 38, moving to Mclean soon with my young family. I think the charm of downtown Mclean is the old and new (Chopt and Cava have ample parking). I wish they would just get a Whole Foods...

"Charm" of downtown McLean. LOLOLOL

There is a Whole Foods nearby. You can shortcut through Pimmit Hills to get there. Think of the excitement.

Worst whole foods and not that close.