Business Brief: Wonder opening in Potomac Yard; Del Ray 7-Eleven sells $1M lottery ticket; and more
Burke & Herbert acquiring Pa. bank; Mudhouse Coffee nearing opening; Van Leeuwen, Life Alive coming to King Street
A $7 billion food hall startup is opening in Potomac Yard next week, and a Del Ray convenience store sold a million-dollar winning lottery ticket.
Here’s the latest in Alexandria business news.
Wonder food hall opening Potomac Yard location
Wonder, the $7 billion food hall startup, will open its Potomac Yard location at 3615 Richmond Highway on Friday, Jan. 9, the company announced.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 2 p.m., with the first 100 guests to arrive at 5 p.m. receiving an exclusive gift.
The location will be Wonder’s fourth in Virginia, joining Rosslyn, Franconia and Reston. The company operates more than 90 locations across 10 states and Washington, D.C., with more than 30 additional openings planned by spring 2026.
Wonder was founded in 2018 by Marc Lore, who previously sold Jet.com to Walmart for $3.3 billion and Diapers.com to Amazon for $550 million. The company also owns Grubhub and Blue Apron.
The concept allows customers to order from more than two dozen restaurant brands in a single transaction for dine-in, takeout or delivery. The Potomac Yard menu will feature Bobby Flay Steak, José Andrés’ Jota and Marcus Samuelsson’s Streetbird, along with Di Fara Pizza, Maydan and SriPraPhai.
Del Ray 7-Eleven sells $1 million winning lottery ticket
The 7-Eleven at 2108 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray sold one of five $1 million winning tickets in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, lottery officials announced Thursday.
The winning ticket number is No. 556789. The winner has not yet come forward.
The four other million-dollar tickets were sold at locations in Burke, Bealeton, Madison and Hopewell.
Burke & Herbert to acquire Pennsylvania bank for $354 million
Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp., the Alexandria-based parent company of Virginia’s oldest bank, announced it will acquire LINKBANCORP Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $354.2 million, Alexandria Living Magazine reported.
The deal expands Burke & Herbert into Pennsylvania and creates a combined company with approximately $11 billion in total assets and $9.1 billion in deposits across more than 100 locations in six states.
“This strategic acquisition marks another transformative milestone in Burke & Herbert’s long history,” said David P. Boyle, chair and CEO of Burke & Herbert.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Mudhouse Coffee nearing King Street opening
Mudhouse Coffee Roasters is getting closer to opening at 1119 King St., several years after purchasing the early 1800s building for $2.2 million in 2021, Alexandria Living Magazine reported.
The Charlottesville-based roastery tapped West Workshop, an architecture and interior design studio with offices in Raleigh and Washington, D.C., to design the space. The three-story building’s renovation incorporates Victorian-inspired wallpapers, oak paneling and marble countertops, with five seating areas including an outdoor garden.
The store will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with seating for 20 customers inside, according to a city special use permit application. The owners also plan to offer open mic nights, poetry readings and coffee tastings.
Mudhouse has three locations in Charlottesville and additional stores in Crozet, Richmond and Charleston, South Carolina. No opening date has been announced for Alexandria.
Van Leeuwen, Life Alive coming to King Street
Two new businesses are under construction at 400 King St. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Life Alive Organic Cafe are both expected to open this spring, according to Made in ALX.
Van Leeuwen, the Brooklyn-based ice cream chain known for its French-style ice cream, has more than 50 locations nationwide. Life Alive, a Boston-based organic cafe, specializes in plant-based bowls, smoothies and wellness drinks.
Finn & Fire taking over former Kismet space
Finn & Fire, a new locally owned restaurant, is under construction in the former Kismet space at the Hoffman Town Center. The restaurant is owned by the same person behind Crab Cab on Route 1 and is aiming for a March opening, according to Made in ALX. Kismet closed last spring.
Ulta Beauty ‘opening soon’ in Potomac Yard
“Opening soon” signs have been posted at Ulta Beauty’s upcoming location at 3501 Richmond Highway in the Potomac Yard Center. The beauty retailer is expected to open this spring.
The Garden taking winter break
The Garden, the Del Ray beer garden at 5380 Eisenhower Ave., is closed for a winter break and will reopen when the weather warms up, the business announced on social media. A St. Patrick’s Day party is planned for March 21.
Businesses on the market
An established bubble tea franchise in Alexandria is listed for sale on BizBuySell for $90,000.
Great roundup of whatʼs happening in the area. The Ulta timing is interesting because theyʼve been pretty selective about new locations post-pandemic, especially in mixed-use developments. Most chains are pulling back but beauty retail seems to be doubling down on physical presense right now. Iʼve noticed this shift where cosmetics companies realized digital can't replace the try-before-buy experience the way it can for other categories. Spring timing also makes sense since Q2 is when mall traffic typically picks up and lease rates stabilize after winter.