South Block, Crimson Coward expanding to Springfield

Los Angeles-based Crimson Coward opened its first Virginia location in Woodbridge in January, and opens a second Northern Virginia location in Stafford in the Embrey Mill Town Center later this year.(Courtesy Crimson Coward)

Two fast-growing restaurant concepts continue their expansion in Northern Virginia, with smoothie chain South Block and Nashville hot chicken chain Crimson Coward opening at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center in Springfield.

Both will open, side-by-side, at the Federal Realty Investment Trust’s Walgreens-anchored mall at 8424 Old Keene Mill Road in early 2025.

For Arlington-based South Block, it is part of a much larger expansion that will take it outside of the D.C. area. Private equity firm Savory Fund, which invests in locally-based food concepts, invested in South Block earlier this year, fueling its expansion on the East Coast to as many as 50 locations within the next five years.

South Block currently has 15 locations in the D.C. area. Springfield is founder Amir Mostafavi’s hometown.

Los Angeles-based Crimson Coward opened its first Virginia location in Woodbridge in January, and opens a second Northern Virginia location in Stafford in the Embrey Mill Town Center later this year.

Crimson Coward has said it expects to open up to 25 locations in Northern Virginia, and at least four in Maryland, the first of which opens in Baltimore early next year. Crimson Coward plans to grow to 200 locations across the U.S. in the next three years.

At Old Keene Mill Shopping Center, they will join Mezeh Mediterranean Grill and Duck Donuts. McAlister’s Deli, with more than 500 locations nationwide, is scheduled to open there soon, as will Kanji Sushi.

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Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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