From national chains to new local dining concepts, Vienna’s restaurant scene is growing, but with what cost? While many new restaurants have been popping up around the Vienna area over the past few years, staple establishments that have hosted thousands of families, friends, and teams are nearing the end of their time on Maple Avenue. Due to constantly rising real estate prices and fewer people dining out, the cost of opening and running a restaurant in Vienna is a task very few can handle. With famous breakfast chains moving in, and locally loved restaurants moving out, how will Vienna react? 

With new, well known breakfast joints such as Call Your Mother Bagels, a unique Jewish bagel shop with exotic bagel combos, and Duck Donuts, a funky donut cafe originating from Duck, North Carolina, Vienna’s options for morning meals are growing exponentially. Call Your Mother is a popular spot for friends and groups to hang out at and already has many popular locations that attract the Vienna crowd in D.C. and in Georgetown. It will be located next door to the already popular Chipotle and Crumbl where the Cold Stone used to be on Maple Avenue. Call Your Mother is known for its unique menu that features distinctive topping combinations and bagel sandwiches that set it apart from other bagel shops. However, in the already traffic filled shopping center where it will sit, concerns about parking and crowding have already been expressed. 

“I believe that Call Your Mother will make a very busy shopping center even busier because it’s known all over the country for its amazing bagels,” Abby Garrod, a bagel enthusiast and student at Madison, (’25) said. While many in the Vienna community are excited for this new establishment, they hope that the traffic won’t cause a bigger problem.

Joining it just across the street, a Duck Donuts is aiming to open in late 2024. Matt Yeingst, an Army Veteran who has served his country for over 20 years, has big plans to serve his community in a different way now, through donuts. He was drawn to Vienna upon arrival, as he found it reminded him of his cozy hometown in Pennsylvania. Yeingst saw it as a perfect place to open a donut shop where people can connect over comforting foods. The shop opening has raised excitement within the Madison community as well.

“I can’t wait for Duck Donuts to open, it’s delicious,” Sophia Khan (’26) said, expressing her excitement for the addition to Vienna’s donut options. The Duck Donuts will sit next to Smoothie King in a shopping center that is only recently growing, so concerns for traffic have not yet arisen. 

Mod pizza has been a staple within the Vienna community for years and has become a go to pizza place for many. It provides easy, fast service that has made it a great place to hang out for everyone. But recent economic troubles have left the Mod enterprise with no choice but to close locations all over the country. Rumors from the company are that the Vienna location could be next as reported by CNN. Mod sits in a shopping center that stays busy during all hours of the day, so it’s a shock that no matter how busy it’s neighbor Taco Bamba stays, Mod sits empty. With not enough customers to produce enough business, Mod like many others are struggling to afford the high price of their prime location. In efforts to save the restaurant, Mod has announced a new owner in hopes to turn business around. As of July 3rd, Mod closed 44 of its 540 locations, and has filed for bankruptcy after feeling the intense impact of inflation. Hopefully their Vienna location won’t be next. 

Unfortunately for another local to Virginia bakery, Midnight Treats, their closing isn’t just a rumor. Located in a quiet corner of the Glyndon Plaza, Midnight Treats was unable to thrive in the expensive Vienna community and a lack of business eventually led them to their doors permanently closing. 

“I’m not upset about midnight treats closing, because I don’t think it had a huge impact on Vienna, and it wasn’t that popular to begin with,” Garrod said. 

The cookie shop with its unique flavors will sadly be leaving the area, leaving competitors like Crumbl to dominate the local cookie scene. 

Vienna’s evolving restaurant scene will continue to change and challenge the new establishments such as Call Your Mother and Duck Donuts. As a community, Vienna will mourn the loss of our old, go-to spots, but be excited for whatever else is to come. As new places open and old favorites close, Vienna’s restaurant scene will keep changing to match what the town’s residents want. It will be a mix of old traditions and fresh ideas in the years ahead.