The Halal Guys, a New York-based halal food company have opened a new location near Manassas.

“We are thrilled to be opening our third location in Bull Run Plaza,” said Khurram Burney, local franchise owner for The Halal Guys stated in a press release. “We’re excited to bring more delicious halal food to the neighborhood.”

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Fredericksburg is in the midst of its annual restaurant week and it could be a step in getting back to normal following the coronavirus shutdown.

Starting today, participating restaurants are offering a menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drink specials that are sold at price points in the “20 of 2020” range, between $4.20 and $40.20.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

The owner of one Occoquan’ s most successful restaurant groups is expanding by taking two concepts and placing them under one roof.

A combination “Third Base Pizza and Frozen Custard” and “The Grind N Crepe”, which serves coffee and crepes, will open in September on Kevin Walker Drive in Montclair, next to Georgios. The new restaurant will fill take-out orders only, a service that has increased in popularity during the pandemic.

“It’s what we’ve been getting so good at,” said owner Kathy Anderson.

The concepts are both tried and tested, as the original Third Base opened on Commerce Street in Occoquan in 2017. Grind N’ Crepe later, opened across the street. The popular Bar J restaurant in Occoquan rounds out the eatery concepts owned by Anderson.

The new combination take-out restaurant in Montclair will allow Anderson to serve customers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she said. Once it opens, Grind N Crepe will begin serving customers at 7 a.m., and Third Base at 11 a.m. Coffee will be available until 5 o’clock, and pizza and custard until 10 p.m.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Anderson’s restaurants have been packing more of its food to go and placing lids on every cup. In fact, the pandemic has been a boom for Third Base’s paper goods suppliers, as the restaurant has been using a month’s worth boxes, straws, lids, and other materials, in a week.

It didn’t pass the cost of the increased amount of paper goods onto its customers.

“That’s just the cost of doing business,” said Bruce Hicks, who manages the restaurants.

A total of 10 poeple will be hired to work at the new Montclair location. Applications are already coming in, said Anderson.

The new restaurant comes as a time when take-out food is becoming more popular. Online food delivery sales have more than doubled in the previous year, boosting sales for Uber Eats and Grubhub.

Are you in the mood to celebrate the end of the week with some tequila? Come down to Sedona Taphouse today!

Sedona Taphouse posted on its Twitter about trying the Prickly Pear Margarita to celebrate National Tequila Day in style. The taphouse recommends trying its handcrafted guacamole on the side for a perfect pairing.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

For all the brunch lovers out there, Ornery Beer Company has announced its hours so you can stop by and satisfy your brunch cravings.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Ornery Beer Company will be serving brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Customers can choose a variety of brunch plate options like biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, smoked salmon benedict, and more with a side of arugula salad.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

A colorful beer has been added to the menu at Old Bust Head Brew and it is available on draft and to-go for customers to come and try.

Old Bust Head Brew calls it: Summer Cherry Wit. It is a tart brew that is made with sweet and sour cherry puree, according to Old Bust Head Brew’s Twitter post.

The brewery stated that they add an orange peel and coriander to give it a spice while the wheat in the brew along with Pilsen malts helps keep the brew smooth and crushable.

?New Beer Alert! ?

Summer Cherry Wit is a tart fruited wit brewed w/ heaps of sweet & sour cherry puree. Orange peel & coriander add subtle spice while wheat & Pilsen malts help keep Summer Cherry smooth and crushable.

Summer Cherry Wit is available on draft & to-go Sat 7/18! pic.twitter.com/gcjQI6U0G2

— Old Bust Head Brew (@oldbustheadbrew) July 17, 2020

Old Bust Head Brewery is located at 7134 Farm Station Road in Vint Hill.

Potomac Local is on a mission to help bring restaurants back on their feet after the hard-hitting effects of the pandemic. If you are a business owner and would like us to consider posting about your establishment, please tweet us @PotomacLocal on Twitter.

Outdoor dining is gaining popularity in Manassas.

Philadelphia Tavern, at 9413 Main Street in downtown, is expanding its outdoor seating area on the sidewalk in front of its restaurant.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Stafford residents will have one less option to get their sweets fix.

Duck Donuts, located at 1475 Stafford Marketplace in North Stafford, will close its doors on Sunday.

This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or Create a FREE Account. Thank you.

Joshua Himan’s new restaurant near Potomac Mills mall promises to be a mix of sizzling, savory goodness with a touch of U.S. history.

The retired Marine and wounded warrior, who turned finance analyst, teamed with his business partner Ed Keels to a new restaurant for his family and friends to dine.

Located in the former location of the “The Knife,” B. Franklins, named after Ben Franklin, sits as a historically- themed restaurant with picks of vegetables and meats that are both cooked by head chef and general manager, Will Hardy. An experienced chef, Hardy enjoys making simple dishes like mac and cheese, steaks, burgers, and other American classic dishes and making it with his own flare.

Hardy plans to cook on open wood fire grills, a place where his seasoned steaks will sizzle and his vegetables to roast.

“We want to take American classics and make them with the best flavor to take our restaurant to the next level. Historically introduced foods like mac and cheese from the French for an example,” Himan said.

While the food is being prepared, guests may sit at a U-shaped bar and have a drink of authentic wine from a place Thomas Jefferson sipped his wine, Jefferson Vineyards in Monticello. Or maybe guests will choose a mug of Ben Franklin’s brew, made from a custom recipe currently in development.

“Ben Franklin beer was derived through many hours of research into his history. We are currently having Brew Republics Bierwork LLC develop Ben Franklin’s original recipes just for our restaurant.” Himan said.

On the walls, guests will see an artistic representation of the U.S Constitution blended into the dark wooden walls, along with the many quotes from the inspirational men from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and others who founded our nation.

“We’re going to have gas fireplaces, some areas with lantern lighting but of course some modern lighting as well. Some private seating or open for a capacity of 300 customers. You’ll also be able to see the chef hard at work behind glass doors, preparing and even explaining his methods,” Himan said.

If guests get a late hunger, they can taste new menu items ideas before even being introduced to the usual day crowd. With over fifty employees, Himan promises attentive waiters that will bring your food and drinks.

New business and dealing with the coronavirus

Potomac Local News first interviewed Himan about his new restaurant in March, just as the coronavirus pandemic began, which stopped Himan’s business plans in their tracks.

Himan, however, took to the challenge and went to curbside and delivery services like other businesses. Now that Phase 1 has been started by Governor Northam for Northern Virginia, B. Franklins is set to have an outdoor dining experience for customers.

“As of right now, we are open for curbside pickup, delivery, and we will be opening phase 1 patio in our parking lot…We can fit maybe five to six tables where people can come in and sit down and they’re covered. But we could probably be able to fit more because we have a very very large parking lot…of course our goal is to make sure we are confirming with the county.”

Himan reassures that his restaurant has plenty of hand sanitizers and he enforces all of his employees to wear personal protection like masks and gloves when working. If customer table compacity is maxed out, Himan states he will offer to give them a call when space is available, offer service to customers when they dine in their car or give food to take home.

Diners can order online through the restaurant’s website. However, not the entire menu is offered because certain items are not easily made for delivery or takeout options.

“We didn’t want anything that didn’t travel well. So if somebody orders delivery from us, we want to make sure that if that’s the first time they’re trying B. Franklins, the food is going to be good 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, after pickup from us,” Himan explains.

According to Himan, chef Will hardy was creating new menu ideas in the meantime. Himan states that one of the new items is a chicken sandwich with a special sauce that is “flavorful hot” and even make their own hand cut potato chips.

“Everything is handmade… We actually cooked a real live chicken, rotisserie it, broke it into pieces, and put that in your sub…There’s a lot of authenticity in every single dish which adds so much more robust flavor than the other generic stuff you can get,” Himan states.

Chef Will Hardy explains where the sources come from by explaining they have partnerships with local farms like Polyface Farms located outside of Virginia and Lancaster farm-fresh co-operative for the majority of their food sources. They also receive some sources here at Potomac Mills when they can.

“As we grow, so will our partnerships with local farms, the more direct the better…We will commit to doing the things others lie about, not to be trendy, but because its the right thing to do,” states Hardy.

According to Himan, B. Franklins will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. for curbside pickup and delivery as of right now. Himan is also looking for new hires for cook positions, drivers, hosts/hostess.

Himan states he will train every new hire to make sure when phase 2 is in effect, every employee will know the protocol and rules in his restaurant.

A history of service before self

Himan has a history of putting the wellbeing of others before his own. In 2006, he put his dreams of business aside and joined the Marine Corps. While in Afghanistan, he was struck by a roadside bomb that left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.

Himan went through physical therapy and pursued his dreams of business in getting a Masters Degree in finance. With the knowledge Himan received, he decided to join with Keels, who has over 40 years of experience in business, to make his dreams of running his own business a reality.

B. Franklins is expected to open in the next month or so. When it does, the restaurant will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Himan told Potomac Local News that he plans to include accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to showcase new restaurant items and specials.