Chesterbrook Barber Shop cut hair inside Chesterbrook Shopping Center from 1967 until this year. Surfside Taco Stand opened there on Oct. 22. The barber shop is still on Old Dominion Drive, but it is now a short walk from where it was, at 6262-F, in the separate strip that also holds Tennis Topia and Fonts Books & Gifts.
Both moves come from the same change. The physical makeover at Chesterbrook wrapped up last fall. What keeps changing the center now is its leasing, and the newest leases are for restaurants. Each new dining room has needed space, and some of that space used to hold something that served the neighborhood in a different way.
The renovation ended. The turnover kept going.
Federal Realty Investment Trust bought Chesterbrook in 2021. It finished an $8.5 million renovation in fall 2025, and FFXnow reported that the project covered new building façades, lighting, outdoor spaces, a repaved parking lot, pollinator gardens and landscaping beds. The tenant changes started before that work was done and kept going after it:
| When | What changed at or beside Chesterbrook |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | Framebridge opens |
| March 2025 | Sorn Thai opens |
| June 2025 | Small Door Veterinary opens |
| July 2025 | Sassanova opens its first Virginia store |
| September 2025 | McLean Art Gallery opens as a temporary pop-up |
| Fall 2025 | $8.5 million renovation completed |
| Late 2025 | Sweetgreen opens |
| June 2026 | Chesterbrook Barber Shop reopens next door at 6262-F Old Dominion Drive |
| October 2026 | Surfside Taco Stand opens at 6218 Old Dominion Drive |
| January 2027 | McLean Art Gallery scheduled to close |
| Fall 2027 | Glenwood's targeted opening |
Most of the 2025 openings were shops and services. The 2026 changes run toward dining, and they take bigger spaces as they go. Surfside fills about 1,700 square feet. Glenwood's lease covers about 7,000.
Surfside is the counter-service end of the shift
Surfside sits in a freestanding building at 6218 Old Dominion Drive that it shares with Sweetgreen. It is the first Virginia location for the brand, which began in 2008 with a storefront in D.C. and belongs to Georgetown Events Hospitality Group, the company behind Millie's Spring Valley and Jetties.
The McLean outpost is a taco stand. It does not offer full service like the Tenleytown flagship. The menu covers tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas and rice and salad bowls. There are nacho and fajita boxes that feed up to 10 people, kids' meals, regular and spicy margaritas, and soft-serve, flan or tres leches for dessert. It opens at 10:30 a.m. every day and closes at:
- 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
- 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday
- 8:30 p.m. Sunday
On Friday and Saturday nights, that 2 a.m. close keeps a Chesterbrook kitchen serving well past midnight. In FFXnow's coverage of the opening, Federal Realty's Mike Ennes called Surfside "another significant step in the evolution" of the center.
The barber shop was the first long-time tenant to move out
Chesterbrook Barber Shop was one of the center's original tenants. As FFXnow reported in June, the shop relocated after the center came under new ownership. Owner Peggy Ngo took over the business about 15 years ago from the late Ernie Tyrell.
FFXnow also reported how the move came together. More than 200 people signed a letter about the shop's place in the community. Customers who work in commercial law, real estate and construction helped Ngo look for a new space, and they helped her launch a new website. The shop reopened at 6262-F Old Dominion Drive on Sunday, June 14. "I thought I would be sad, but I like it more," Ngo told FFXnow about the new storefront.
The new hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The 6262 strip already held Fonts Books & Gifts and Tennis Topia. With the barber shop added, that small building now holds three independent businesses a short walk from the center's new restaurants.
Glenwood's needs 7,000 square feet, and the art gallery is in them
Glenwood's announced on Oct. 14 that it will open its first Northern Virginia restaurant at the southern end of Chesterbrook, near Small Door Veterinary. The Maryland restaurant was called Stanford Grill and Stanford Kitchen until it rebranded in 2024. It comes from Blueridge Restaurant Group, which also runs Copper Canyon Grill. FFXnow reported these plans for the McLean location:
- About 170 seats and 90 full- and part-time jobs
- Sushi along with steaks, burgers and other American dishes
- Nightly live entertainment, an outdoor patio and valet parking
- A private dining room with a floor-to-ceiling, temperature-controlled wine display
- Construction starting in early 2027, with an opening targeted for fall 2027
To make room for that space, the McLean Art Society's pop-up McLean Art Gallery at 6224B Old Dominion Drive is scheduled to close sometime in January 2027, FFXnow reported on Nov. 3. The gallery opened in September 2025 with Federal Realty's support, and it was always planned as a temporary use.
The society told FFXnow it is "searching for a new location" and hopes to announce one by the end of the year. Its members' work also hangs from September through May at the Spring Hill and Oakmont Rec Centers.
That leaves the gallery with a short window. "City Life," an exhibition of artwork inspired by city streets, architecture and cityscapes, runs through Nov. 29 next to a rotating collection of work by society members. Admission is free, and the gallery is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Where the Chesterbrook area's December happens now
A year ago, the center's gathering spot was a pop-up gallery inside the shopping center. This season, much of the community programming nearby is at Fonts, in the strip next door. Here are the dates from now until the gallery closes:
- Tuesdays, Nov. 17 through Dec. 15: Virginia artist Raj KC leads watercolor classes at the McLean Art Gallery.
- Friday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m.: The McLean Art Society hosts a free sketchbook journaling demonstration by watercolor artist Marni Maree at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue. The society's art show at the center is up through that day.
- Sunday, Nov. 29: Last day of "City Life" at the gallery.
- Wednesday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m.: Ken Avis talks about the history of music in Northern Virginia at Fonts Books & Gifts. The event is free.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.: McLean Winterfest brings a parade and holiday block party with Santa, music, arts and food. It takes place at Langley Shopping Center, not at Chesterbrook.
- Monday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.: Francine Berman discusses her book with professor Anne L. Washington at Fonts.
- Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.: Authors C.C. Dador and Tif Marcelo host a holiday-romance evening at Fonts.
Once the gallery closes in January, Glenwood's construction can begin. Until then, Chesterbrook has a taco counter open until 2 a.m. on weekends, and the barber shop that served the center for nearly 60 years is open a short walk away at 6262-F Old Dominion Drive.
Shepherd Homes Group keeps track of changes like these along Old Dominion Drive because they shape how McLean neighbors spend their weeks and where they run their errands. If you have questions about how Chesterbrook's next few years could affect your corner of McLean, the team at Shepherd Homes Group is glad to talk it through. Contact Us.
