The popular Falls Church restaurant, the Original Pancake House, is moving outside the City, relocating to the West Falls Church Shopping Center in Fairfax County later this summer. Despite the move outside the 2.2-square mile City limits, owner Jeff Bulman made it clear, “We’re still committed to the City of Falls Church.”
“We’re still in the area,” Bulman told the News-Press, with the new location of the restaurant just one-and-a-half miles from their current home in Falls Church’s Broaddale Shopping Center.
Citing rent and parking, Bulman says “it was strictly a business decision.” With a new Chipotle restaurant set to open this summer, the limited parking in the Broaddale Center should only get worse, he said. “We already have parking trouble on the weekend, I can’t imagine what will happen when Chipotle opens.”
Currently undergoing major renovation, the soon-to-be new home of the Falls Church institution will be in the Safeway-anchored shopping center on Lee Highway. “We’ll have tons of parking and good visibility,” says Bulman. While the new space will be a little smaller, he says they’ll still have the same number of seats, including a private dining room.
A major supporter of the City businesses and events, the Pancake House is known for their year-round hosting of fundraisers supporting such groups as the Falls Church Education Foundation, Homestretch and the Mary Riley Styles Library. In addition, the restaurant hosts its famous annual pancake dinner for the homeless Christmas morning and the monthly Falls Church Chamber of Commerce directors’ breakfast meetings. Bulman assures the News-Press that won’t change, and plans to continue all their community supporting activities.
Set to get permits from Fairfax County tomorrow, the new location should be open by the last week of August, Bulman says. Squashing the rumor that they’ve already closed up shop in the City, he says they will remain open at 370 W. Broad Street right up until the move with only one or two weeks of downtime. Bulman also said they will not be losing any employees.
The Original Pancake House’s new home will be 7395 Lee Highway, Suite M, a space previously occupied by Maguire’s Appliances, in between Rite Aid and Safeway. In addition to the Falls Church location, there are two other Original Pancake House locations in Bethesda and Rockville owned by Bulman.
