D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival drew 1.6 million visitors, topping pre-pandemic numbers.
The Jefferson Memorial is visible as visitors to the Tidal Basin walk along an area as cherry trees enter peak bloom this week in Washington. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsvais)(AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The Jefferson Memorial is visible as visitors to the Tidal Basin walk along an area as cherry trees enter peak bloom this week in Washington. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsvais)(AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival drew 1.6 million visitors, topping pre-pandemic numbers.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival drew 1.6 million visitors this year, topping the pre-pandemic 1.5 million visitors in 2019, and those visitors stayed longer and spent more, according to the numbers released jointly by the festival and the D.C. Mayor’s office.
Estimated visitor spending in D.C. (not counting surrounding areas) was $202 million, with the average length of stay at 3.9 days.
Of those who attended various festival events, 56% were visitors and 44% were D.C.-area residents. Among visitors, 17% were international tourists. Among those out-of-town cherry blossom visitors, 58% stayed in the District, and of those, 77% stayed in D.C. hotels.
This year’s Cherry Blossom Festival was held from March 20 to April 14.
Next year’s festival is scheduled to run from March 20 through April 13. It will be the 25th festival since it changed from an all-volunteer run event to one organized and staffed by the nonprofit National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc.
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Friendship Hospital for Animals, whose original location opened in 1936, is opening a second location in Friendship Heights in D.C.
Friendship Hospital for Animals, whose original location opened in 1936, is opening a second location in Friendship Heights in D.C.
CLICK TO ENLARGE: A rendering of Friendship Hospital for Animals’ new location. The 30,000-square-foot location is much larger and will open in November. (Courtesy Friendship Hospital for Animals)
The new location, expected to open this fall at 5025 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is just a half-mile from its main location at 4105 Brandywine St. NW. The main location will continue to provide primary care, rehab and other pet care services.
The new, 30,000-square-foot location is much larger and will open in November. The facility, open 24 hours a day, will provide emergency services, dermatology, cardiology and expanded specialty care services, including radiation oncology, nephrology and urology.
For surgeries, there’s also an operating room equipped with advanced technology for minimally invasive procedures.
Friendship Hospital for Animals is a member of EVG Specialty Network, which has partnerships with other veterinary clinics in Florida, New York, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Friendship Hospital for Animals is one of the largest in the mid-Atlantic, with more than 80 veterinarians. In 2020, it merged with Encore Vet Group. EVG Specialty Network is headed by CEO Kieran Mara, who has been with Friendship Hospital for Animals for 25 years.
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The average rent in the D.C. region in July is just 5% higher than it was before the pandemic. Nationally, the 4-year change is 21%, according to Apartment List.
D.C.-area apartment rents have fluctuated since the pandemic’s start, plunging in 2020 and then slowly recovering. While the long-term rent growth is well behind the growth seen nationally, in the last year, rents in D.C. region have accelerated.
The average rent in the D.C. region in July is just 5% higher than it was before the pandemic. Nationally, the 4-year change is 21%, according to Apartment List. Compared to a year ago, average D.C. metropolitan area rents are up 3.5%, while the national average is down 1%.
Rents in the D.C. metro are growing the fastest in the further-out suburbs, where rents are traditionally more affordable. But the gap is closing.
“Leesburg has the fastest growth in the metro, up 9% year over year. In Manassas, it’s up 8%, and in Fairfax County rent is up about 7% year-over-year. So some of the suburban parts of the D.C. metro are actually seeing quite rapid rent growth right now,” said Chris Salviati, a senior housing economist at Apartment List.
Average rents in Ashburn and Centreville are both up 7.3%
Rent might be growing even more rapidly in the D.C. region, if it weren’t for all the new apartments that have been built recently.
“In D.C., there was a really big uptick in new projects pulling permits and breaking ground a couple of years ago in 2022. The number of projects breaking ground has actually mellowed out a little bit but because of that lag in construction time, all of those new projects from a couple of years ago are starting to hit the market now,” Salviati said.
The median rent in the D.C. region is currently $2,174 for a one-bedroom apartment, and at $2,232 for a two-bedroom apartment.
The D.C. area ranks No. 7 for highest rents among metro areas. The apartment vacancy rate metrowide is 6.8%, little change from a year ago.
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McLean, Virginia-based government consulting giant Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the largest employers in the D.C. region, continues to grow its ranks of consulting professionals, with the addition of 800 new employees in the second quarter.
McLean, Virginia-based government consulting giant Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the largest employers in the D.C. region, continues to grow its ranks of consulting professionals, with the addition of 800 new employees in the second quarter.
In the past year, Booz Allen has grown its head count by 2,500, or about 8%. Booz Allen has more than 35,000 employees globally, and 15,000 of them in the D.C. region.
Booz Allen, which ended its fiscal fourth quarter with its best fiscal year since its initial public offering 14 years ago, had $2.94 billion in its fiscal 2025 first quarter. That’s up 10.8% from a year earlier. Net income was $165.2 million, up 2.4%. It ended the quarter with $36.2 billion backlog in work on the books — a 15.7% increase.
The company forecasts full fiscal year 2025 revenue growth of 8% to 11%.
Last month, Booz Allen acquired PAR Government Systems Corporation to expand its defense consulting work. Its venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures LLC, was founded in 2022 with $100 million to invest in start-up companies. To date, it has made 10 investments, most recently backing Colorado-based satellite operations company Quindar.
Booz Allen is the largest government IT contractor and one of the five largest publicly traded companies in the D.C. region.
Booz Allen Hamilton traces its roots to Edwin Booz, who founded the company in 1914 as one of the first companies focused on management consultant contracting.
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D.C.-based Z-Burger, which plans to double the number of its locations, finds itself in good company with its No. 4 ranking by USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for best regional fast food restaurants.
A double-stacked Z-Burger with all the classic toppings. (Courtesy Z-Burger)
A double-stacked Z-Burger with all the classic toppings. (Courtesy Z-Burger)
D.C.-based Z-Burger, which plans to double the number of its locations, finds itself in good company with its No. 4 ranking by USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for best regional fast food restaurants.
Z-Burger outranked regional burger chain stalwarts, including In-N-Out Burger (No. 8) and Whataburger (No.9). It is the first year Z-Burger has made the USA Today list.
USA Today readers like Z-Burger’s hearty sandwiches, like its bacon cheeseburger and spicy chicken sandwich, and its hand-spun milkshakes with 75 different flavor choices.
“We go to great lengths to make amazing hamburgers, using a special blend of sirloin, chuck, rib eye and brisket, which can’t be beat, and obviously the public agrees,” said Z-Burger founder Peter Tabibian.
The first Z-Burger opened in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown in 2008. It now has 12 locations in D.C., the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Another location opens soon in Towson, Maryland.
Tabibian has plans for as many as 25 new locations, including new restaurants opening soon in Centreville, Manassas, Reston Town Center, and Northeast D.C.’s Trinidad neighborhood.
Topping the Readers’ Choice list for best regional fast food restaurants are Skyline Chili in Ohio, North Carolina’s Biscuitville, and Seattle’s Dick’s Drive-In.
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The American Express Centurion Lounge at Reagan National Airport opened Wednesday for American Express cardholders, a little more than a year after its originally-scheduled date, as one of two new non-airline private lounges landing at DCA this year.
The food served at the new Centurion Lounge will include some of chef Michael Solomonov’s famous dishes.
(Courtesy American Express)
Courtesy American Express
The interior of American Express’s new Centurion Lounge at Reagan National Airport.
(Courtesy American Express)
Courtesy American Express
The bar serving D.C. area-inspired cocktails and curated wine list.
(Courtesy American Express)
Courtesy American Express
The American Express Centurion Lounge at Reagan National Airport opened Wednesday for American Express cardholders, a little more than a year after its originally-scheduled date, as one of two new non-airline private lounges landing at DCA this year.
The Centurion Lounge, located on the upper level at Reagan National, is the 15th airport lounge for American Express. Another Centurion Lounge is scheduled to open at Newark International Airport in 2026.
The 11,500-square-foot lounge at Reagan National has a complimentary premium food and drink menu from three Centurion Lounge chefs, including award winner Michael Solomonov, whose restaurant at City Center in Philadelphia, Zahav, won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2019.
The lounge has restrooms and shower suites, plus floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the runways and airfield. American Express commissioned local artists for the art displayed in the lounge.
Use of the Centurion Lounge is exclusive for American Express Platinum Card members, Centurion Members and passengers who have a Delta SkyMiles Reserve card. Cardmembers can bring guests for an additional fee.
Capital One will soon open a hybrid lounge-dining space at Reagan National called Capital One Landing. It is designed for travelers who want to spend less time at the airport before their flight departs, offering perks like a grab-and-go menu. The 5,500-square-foot lounge will be past security where National Hall meets the entrance to Concourse D, within a short walk of all four concourses.
Capital One has not disclosed what the entry policies for the DCA Landing lounge. However, its Capital One Lounge at Dulles International Airport, which opened last fall, is open to cardmembers and anyone who pays an entry fee.
An opening date for the Capital One Landing at Reagan National hasn’t been announced, though it is expected to open later this year. The build-out of the space is currently underway.
The Centurion Lounge and Capital One Landing, along with the USO Lounge, are the only non-airline clubs at DCA. Other members-only lounges are three American Airlines Admirals Clubs, Delta Sky Club and United Club.
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The newest D.C.-area Amazon Fresh store will open at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 25 in a former Shoppers Food Warehouse space.
The fruits and vegetables section inside an Amazon Fresh grocery store. (Courtesy Amazon)
The fruits and vegetables section inside an Amazon Fresh grocery store. (Courtesy Amazon)
The newest D.C.-area Amazon Fresh store will open at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 25 in a former Shoppers Food Warehouse space.
It will be the seventh Amazon Fresh store open in the D.C. area, though it closed smaller Fresh stores in D.C.’s Logan Circle and Crystal City in Arlington earlier this year. Other existing Amazon Fresh stores are in Fairfax, Franconia, Lorton and Manassas in Northern Virginia, and two locations in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
The 50,000-square-foot Potomac Yard Amazon Fresh, at 3801 Richmond Highway, will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
Amazon Fresh has 42 locations in eight states, the majority of them in California and the Chicago area. Amazon also owns Whole Foods, which has close to 500 stores in the U.S. and more than a dozen in the D.C. area.
Amazon has slowed the rollout of new Amazon Fresh stores as it works to find the right mix of products, services and technology. Stores include a mix of Dash Carts, with touchscreens that help shoppers navigate stores, Alexa kiosks and its Amazon One palm-reading technology for payments.
Amazon Fresh stores are as much online grocery order-fulfillment centers as they are grocery stores with shoppers likely to see multiple order fillers and delivery drivers sharing the aisle with them.
“We remain committed to grocery, and will selectively open new Amazon Fresh stores as we see positive customer feedback on the new format, as well as continue to open new Whole Foods Market stores,” Amazon said in a statement.
The Potomac Yard Amazon Fresh is near the $1 billion Virginia Tech innovation campus currently under construction. It joins other retailers at Potomac Yard, including T.J. Maxx, Total Wine, Target, Staples, PetSmart, Old Navy, J. Crew Factory, Men’s Wearhouse, Home Goods, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble, as well as several restaurants.
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Kroger has proposed a sale of six Harris Teeter locations in the D.C. area as part of its $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons.
Kroger and Albertsons have released a final list of the hundreds of grocery stores they plan to divest as part of their $24.6 billion merger, despite the legal challenges and union opposition they face.
The stores proposed for sale include six Harris Teeter locations in the D.C. area — in Germantown and Olney in Maryland; Alexandria, Arlington and Purcellville in Virginia; and in D.C.’s Navy Yard. Kroger owns Harris Teeter and Albertsons owns Safeway, but no Safeway stores in the D.C. region were on the divestiture list, which includes almost 580 stores in 19 states.
Should the merger be approved, C&S Wholesale Grocers, the parent company of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain, has agreed to acquire the divested stores.
All three stores have said no stores would be closed as a result of the merger, no jobs would be cut and all collective bargaining agreements would be honored.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which opposes the merger, issued a statement.
“Today’s announcement changes nothing. The merger is not a done deal, far from it,” the statement said. “We remain focused on stopping the proposed megamerger for the same reasons we have stated since it was announced 20 months ago.”
UFCW locals contend the merger would harm workers, shoppers, suppliers and communities.
Combined, Kroger and Albertsons operate more than 5,000 stores, under their namesakes and others including Ralphs, Acme and Jewel-Osco. Albertsons also owns Balducci’s Food Lovers Market.
In addition to Piggly Wiggly, C&S Wholesale operates the Grand Union supermarket chain, wholesale operations and owns private-label store brands.
A Federal Trade Commission complaint aimed at blocking the deal alleges it would harm consumers by eliminating competition of prices and quality, and give the companies increased leverage of employee wages and benefits. The merger has also been challenged by courts in Oregon and Colorado.
Here is a list of proposed Harris Teeter divestitures in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.:
Maryland:
14101 Darnestown Road, Germantown
18169 Town Center Drive, Olney
10125 Ward Road, Dunkirk
28528 Marlboro Avenue, Easton
Virginia:
735 N Saint Asaph Street, Alexandria
2425 N Harrison Street, Arlington
105 Purcellville Gateway Drive, Purcellville
D.C.:
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Maryland’s take from legal sports wagering in May was the second highest ever. The $6.9 million contribution to the state last month was 50.3% more than in May of 2023.
Most of the state’s take goes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which funds early childhood, elementary and secondary education programs.
Total sports wagering in Maryland in May, both at retail sportsbooks and through sports betting apps, was $431.5 million, 35% more than a year ago. The total was down 11.3% from April.
“Maryland bettors took an expected vacation from sports betting in May,” said Steve Bittenbender, analyst at BetMaryland.com. “When sports begin to slow down and the sunshine comes out, total handle size across the country drops.”
Sports betting companies give away a lot of free wagers, and bettors do win.
In May, free promotional wages totaled $36.6 million. A total of $380.5 million in prizes were paid to players in May. More than 95% of sports wagering in Maryland is through sports betting apps, with the remainder at physical sports betting locations.
Sportsbooks and apps pay a 15% tax on winnings they collect.
To date this year, the contribution to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund is $82.7 million. Expired prizes go to Maryland’s Problem Gambling fund, a total of $3.1 million year-to-date.
McLean Bible Church, with multiple locations in the D.C. area and weekly attendance of more than 8,000, will open a new church in Ashburn, Virginia.
(Courtesy Serafin Real Estate)
(Courtesy Serafin Real Estate)
McLean Bible Church, with multiple locations in the D.C. area and weekly attendance of more than 8,000, will open a new church in Ashburn, Virginia.
The church has leased The Pavilion at Ashburn Station, a 30,000-square-foot space with spaces for both services and community and social events.
It includes a full-sized basketball court, office space, commercial kitchen and classrooms.
The space was previously used as an extension for the BeanTree Learning Center for elementary grades until 2019, according to leasing agent Serafin Real Estate. The church signed a 10-year lease for the space. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
The property is adjacent to the new Ashburn Metro, the last stop on Metro’s Silver Line. It includes parking for 185 vehicles.
Ashburn Station, at 43629 Greenway Corporate Drive, includes a Home Depot, Giant Food store, AMC Theatres and several restaurants.
McLean Bible Church was founded in the early 1960s. It has churches in Tysons, Leesburg, Arlington and Manassas in Virginia and Rockville, Maryland.
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Booz Allen has best fiscal year since going public, and it’s still hiring. McLean, Virginia-based Booz Allen Hamilton, the largest government IT contractor by revenue, ended its fiscal fourth quarter with what it called its best fiscal year since its initial public offering 14 years ago.
McLean, Virginia-based Booz Allen Hamilton, the largest government IT contractor by revenue, ended its fiscal fourth quarter with what it called its best fiscal year since its initial public offering 14 years ago.
The technology contract also continues to bring more IT professionals onto its payrolls, with continued growth of its contracting backlog.
Booz Allen had $2.8 billion in fiscal fourth quarter revenue, up 13.9% from a year earlier, and net income of $128 million. For its full 2024 fiscal year, the company had $10.66 billion in revenue, up 15.2%. Full year net income was $605.7 million, more than double fiscal 2023 profits.
Booz Allen ended the fiscal year with 34,200 employees globally. It’s client staff head count was 2,200 higher than a year earlier. That’s an increase of 7.4%, with the company adding 400 new jobs in the final quarter of the fiscal year, alone.
Booz Allen is one of the largest employers in the D.C. region, with 14,000 consultants and other employees here. It is one of the five largest publicly-traded companies in the D.C. region.
For fiscal 2025, Booz Allen predicts revenue growth of between 8% and 11%.
Booz Allen Hamilton traces its roots to Edwin Booz who founded the company in 1914, as one of the first companies focusing on management consultant contracting.
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Gaming revenue from slot machines and table games at MGM National Harbor led casinos with $68.1 million, though that was down 9.8% from a year earlier.
Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino had $14.7 million in April gaming revenue, down 10.8% from a year ago. Live! Casino & Hotel at Arundel Mills had the smallest year-over-year decline, with $60.1 million in April gaming revenue, down 1.9% from April of last year.
April results were mixed at the state’s three smaller casinos, up 6% at Hollywood Casino, down 7.6% at Ocean Downs and down 20.6% at Rocky Gap Casino.
Casinos contributed $69.8 million to Maryland, with the majority of it going to the state’s education trust fund.
April figures were down from March, when the state’s casinos had a combined $178.1 million in gaming revenue.
A pop-up holiday market at Union Station featuring local vendors has remained well past its originally planned run, and will likely renew its deal again this summer.
Vinyl market at Union Station in Washington, D.C. (David Ross/DCBB Productions)
Vinyl market at Union Station in Washington, D.C. (David Ross/DCBB Productions)
A pop-up holiday market at Union Station featuring local vendors has remained well past its originally planned run and will likely renew its deal again this summer.
Union Station Market vendors set up their shops in Union Station’s historic Main Hall every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., currently scheduled through June 8.
The market is run by DCBB Productions owner David Ross, who owns arts and cultural venue Eckington Hall in D.C.’s NoMa neighborhood. Union Station Market is the first-ever artisan market at Union Station.
Vendors sell everything from baked goods to jewelry. Among the most popular vendors are those selling old vinyl records, vintage clothing and photos and prints. Vendors pay a $100 weekly fee to set up.
“Aside from the beauty of the Main Hall, which is quite beautiful, the range of people that room attracts is extraordinary. All walks of life. Tourists, commuters, Washingtonians just stopping by,” Ross said. “As someone who has produced markets all over D.C., it’s one of the most inspiring environments.”
Union Station Market debuted last December and extended its licensing agreement with manager JLL a few months later. Ross expects to do so again in June.
Ross previously managed arts venue Dupont Underground, D.C.’s Funk Parade, numerous pop-up spaces, and has worked with the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts to bring local artists there.
Eckington Hall, at JBG Smith’s Eckington Yards development, was originally launched as a photo gallery. It now hosts weekly events, including comedy shows, concerts, and workshops.
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Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions is eliminating 300 jobs and will not fill 85 current job openings, as part of a broad restructuring that also includes closing manufacturing facilities, including one in the Maryland city.
Rockville-based Emergent BioSolutions is eliminating 300 jobs and will not fill 85 current job openings, as part of a broad restructuring that also includes closing manufacturing facilities, including one in the Maryland city.
Emergent also reported quarterly revenue of $300 million, almost double revenue in the same quarter a year ago, and a $9 million profit, compared to steep losses in the first quarter of 2023.
Emergent BioSolutions manufactures and sells over-the-counter opioid overdose antidote Narcan, and supplies government stockpiles with vaccines. The company says its latest reorganization would focus the company on its core products business, including Narcan and its anthrax vaccine.
Last quarter, it was awarded a procurement contract valued at up to $235.8 million to supply its anthrax vaccine, BioThrax, to the U.S. Department of Defense.
As part of its restructuring, Emergent is shutting down its Baltimore-Bayview drug manufacturing facility and its drug product facility in Rockville. It said it will concentrate manufacturing operations at sites in Winnipeg, Canada, and Lansing, Michigan.
“Today’s actions are about the future of Emergent,” said CEO Joe Papa. “We have put in place a multiyear plan to position Emergent for sustainable and long-term success, and that starts by stabilizing our operations, strengthening our balance sheet and managing our debt.”
Papa, former Bausch + Lombe CEO, was named Emergent chief executive in February.
The Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter sales of Emergent’s Narcan in March 2023, and it began shipping it last fall. Emergent gained rights to Narcan as part of its 2018 acquisition of Adapt Pharma.
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Ned’s Club, a members-only club that’s operated by Soho House, will be coming to the District this winter.
Rooftop views include the U.S. Treasury and the White House.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The conservatory room inside the members-only club.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The events space inside Ned’s Club.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
Members will pay thousands of dollars a year to socialize in its libraries, lounges and restaurants.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
Floors go by names, such as “The Library,” “The Drawing Room,” and “The Conservatory.”
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The newest members-only club in D.C. has a London pedigree and a curious name. And members will pay thousands of dollars a year to socialize in its libraries, lounges and restaurants.
The Ned opens this winter in the upper floors of The Walker Building, previously home to D.C. institutions including Riggs Bank and the American Security and Trust Company, on 724 15th Street in Northwest. It will occupy the top three floors and a roof deck of the 12-story Walker Building, an Art Deco building constructed in the 1930s.
The original Ned’s opened in 2017 in London’s former Midland Bank headquarters, and gets its name from the building’s 1920s designer Sir Edwin Ned Lutyens. There are also Ned’s Clubs in New York City and Doha, Qatar.
Soho House, which operates the clubs, has not announced membership prices for the D.C. club, though its New York club, at 1170 Broadway near the Empire State Building and Herald Square, charges $5,000 a year for a membership. For the D.C. club, Soho House simply said membership applications open May 20, and prospective members can “register their interest” online.
Ned’s DC is leaning into “the glamour of the roaring twenties,” and D.C.’s Art Deco era, and renderings of the opulent-looking spaces back that claim up.
Rooftop views include the U.S. Treasury and the White House.
Floors go by names, such as “The Library,” “The Drawing Room,” and “The Conservatory.”
Ned’s DC will host events including CEO-led workshops, whiskey tastings, panel discussions, and live music and entertainment.
D.C. members also get access to The Ned London, The Ned NoMad New York and The Ned Doha.
The Financial Times reported the Ned’s development in D.C. is a partnership between Soho House and Michael Milken, the “junk bond king,” who served prison time in the 1980s after pleading guilty to securities fraud, who collaborated with billionaire Ron Burkle, majority shareholder of Soho House. Milken was pardoned by then-President Donald Trump in 2020.
Tysons, Virginia-based satellite operator Intelsat has agreed to be acquired by Luxembourg-based satellite company SES SA for $3.1 billon.
Tysons, Virginia-based satellite operator Intelsat has agreed to be acquired by Luxembourg-based satellite company SES SA for $3.1 billon.
Boards of both companies have approved the merger. It is expected to get all required regulatory approvals by the second half of 2025. The merged company will be headquartered in Luxembourg, but will retain a presence at its offices in Tysons.
Intelsat emerged from bankruptcy in 2022. It held merger negotiations with SES last year, which did not lead to an agreement.
“Over the past two years, the Intelsat team has executed a remarkable strategic reset. We have reversed a 10-year negative trend to return to growth, established a new and game-changing technology roadmap, and focused on productivity and execution to deliver competitive capabilities,” said Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras.
SES and Intelsat combined will operate more than 100 geostationary earth and 26 medium earth orbit satellites, with more than a dozen others scheduled to launch into space by 2026.
Its satellites serve a wide range of customers, including government agencies, media outlets, pay-TV, sat-phone customers, maritime and aviation.
Intelsat was founded in 1964. Among its historical achievements was broadcasting NASA’s first moon walk.
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Virginia’s Tysons Corner Center is staging its second-annual Taste of Tysons event on May 4, with more than 40 restaurants dishing up samples.
Tysons Corner Center is staging its first Taste of Tysons event with restaurants dishing up samples. (Courtesy Tysons Corner Center)
Tysons Corner Center is staging its first Taste of Tysons event with restaurants dishing up samples. (Courtesy Tysons Corner Center)
Virginia’s Tysons Corner Center is staging its second-annual Taste of Tysons event on May 4, with more than 40 restaurants dishing up samples.
Restaurant operators will set up their tents from noon to 4 p.m. at The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center next Saturday. Admission is free, but you’ll have to be fast to sample as many restaurants as you can because tastings are only being offered until 2 p.m.
The rest of the afternoon includes live demonstrations from chefs at Seasons 52 and Shake Shack, plus live music on the plaza stage from 3-4 p.m. by Party Foul.
While admission is free, and gives you two hours to sample food, $30 buys VIP tickets for access to a lounge with additional food and beverage pairings, including Nordstrom Cafe, Earl’s, Seasons 52 and Barrel & Bushel. Proceeds from VIP ticket sales will be donated to Food for Others, a nonprofit that distributes food to families in need.
Tysons Plaza, an elevated events space, connects the Tysons Metro stop to the Hyatt Regency and Tysons Corner Center.
The nine-year-old plaza holds concerts, movies, art classes, dance lessons and yoga classes all year round.
Chicago-based Foxtrot Market, which grew from one outpost to more than a half-dozen locations in the D.C. area in less than three years, has abruptly closed all of its D.C.-area stores, as well as its stores in Chicago and Dallas.
Chicago-based Foxtrot Market has closed all of its D.C. stores. (Courtesy Foxtrot Market)
Chicago-based Foxtrot Market has closed all of its D.C. stores. (Courtesy Foxtrot Market)
Chicago-based Foxtrot Market, which grew from one outpost to more than a half-dozen locations in the D.C. area in less than three years, abruptly closed all of its D.C.-area stores Tuesday, as well as its stores in Chicago and Dallas.
“After much consideration and evaluation, we regret to announce that Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market will be closing. We explored many avenues to continue the business but found no viable option, despite good faith and exhaustive efforts,” Outfox Hospitality said in a statement.
Foxtrot Market merged with Chicago-based Dom’s Kitchen & Market last year.
It did not elaborate on the reasons behind shutting down. The company did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
In 2022, Foxtrot raised $100 million in new funding from new and existing investors to help fund its aggressive expansion plans. At the time, it planned to enter new markets, including Boston.
Foxtrot stormed into the D.C. market in 2021 with its combination gourmet markets and coffee shops, which carried curated local products and made deliveries in surrounding neighborhoods.
It opened its eighth D.C.-area store just five months ago in Logan Circle, with other store locations in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Navy Yard, Farragut Square, Mount Vernon, Old Town Alexandria, Rosslyn and Bethesda.
The immediate closures include 33 Foxtrot locations across D.C., Chicago and Dallas, and two Dom’s stores in Chicago.
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The NoMa Farmers Market, one of the newest in the D.C. area, will relocate to Third Street, Northeast, between M and N Streets — and it’s expanding.
The NoMa Farmers Market will relocate to Third Street, Northeast, between M and N Streets.(Courtesy NoMa BID)
The NoMa Farmers Market will relocate to Third Street, Northeast, between M and N Streets.(Courtesy NoMa BID)
The NoMa Farmers Market, one of the newest in the D.C. area, will relocate to Third Street, Northeast, between M and N Streets — and it’s expanding.
The NoMa market will be open 4-8 p.m. every Thursday from May through October. The first day of this season is May 2.
The NoMa market was launched in 2022 by the NoMa Business Improvement District. It was held weekly its first two years at Alethia Tanner Park.
“As the market grew in popularity, we needed to expand to accommodate more vendors who wanted to join this weekly community event,” the NoMa BID said in a statement.
The new location is about three blocks from the Union Market Farmers Market on 5th Street, Northeast. The Union Market farmers market, among two dozen operated by FreshFarm is also new. The year-round market launched last September, and is open on Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
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Starbucks workers at the Old Keene Mill location in Springfield, Virginia, and the Shipley’s Grant location in Ellicott City, Maryland, have voted unanimously to join Starbucks Workers United, among almost a dozen other Starbucks locations in the D.C. metro that have now unionized or filed to.
Starbucks workers at the Old Keene Mill location in Springfield, Virginia, and the Shipley’s Grant location in Ellicott City, Maryland, have voted to join Starbucks Workers United, among almost a dozen other Starbucks locations in the D.C. metro that have now unionized or filed to.
Workers at another Starbucks location in Springfield, at Huntsman Square, rejected union efforts two years ago.
The Shipley’s Grant store is the second Starbucks in Ellicott City to vote to unionize.
Workers United said there have been more than 20 union wins at Starbucks stores in the past month, with more than 420 stores having successfully unionized since 2021. That is still a small fraction of the more than 17,000 U.S. Starbucks stores.
Voting in favor of unionizing does not automatically mean union protections. Starbucks, thus far, has not reached labor agreements with Workers United.
In February, Starbucks and Workers United agreed to begin talks about company-wide labor agreements, a thawing in relations between the two sides. Starbucks has said it is restarting the talks with a goal of ratifying agreements sometime in 2024.
“We respect the rights of our partners to organize and bargain collectively, and we are eager to reach ratified agreements in 2024 for represented stores.” Starbucks said in an emailed statement.
Initial face-to-face talks between Starbucks and Workers United officials are scheduled for next week.
One hurdle will be the more than 100 pending charges against Starbucks filed with the National Labor Relations Board over treatment of employees at stores that have voted to unionize, including unfair labor practice complaints and labor law violations.
Other local Starbucks that have voted to unionize or filed to vote include stores in Falls Church, Leesburg, Sterling, Arlington and Ashburn in Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
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