My favorite restaurant is closing.  Foxfire Grill in the Pinecrest Shopping Center has been a popular fixture in Mason District since 2003, but owner Terri Fox announced this weekend that the lease could not be renewed, and she made the difficult decision to close her restaurant on October 31, 2023.  Foxfire Grill remained open during the pandemic, switching to carry out and, when Fairfax County established emergency regulations to accommodate outdoor dining, patrons could eat outside, with tall propane heaters for cold weather comfort.  The restaurant also was the subject of a reality show makeover a few years ago, which added stationary swing seating and a new color palette to the décor. 

The restaurant business is a tough one, and the announcement of Foxfire’s pending closure recalls many changes that have occurred in our commercial areas during past decades.  The pandemic made our local economy more challenging, especially as neighborhood gathering places had to curtail their services to protect health, but openings and closings of retail establishments have been pretty consistent across time.  Redevelopment and revitalization have changed much of the built environment, but some locations still look very similar to their original configurations.  The Culmore Shopping Center, built in 1951 according to county tax records, has changed its appearance very little in the past 70 years.  Some new facades and signage are in place, but the basic structures are the same.  

The Seven Corners Shopping Center has changed its look and utilized pad sites in the parking lot to accommodate new restaurants, but those, too, have changed hands over time. Longtime residents will recall when Seven Corners was an indoor mall, with major department stores and escalators that traversed between floors.  It was small enough to make shopping enjoyable without having to walk far, but when the larger malls like Fair Oaks and Springfield opened, with acres of shops and food courts, Seven Corners pivoted to address market changes. 

Giant Food grocery and Home Depot probably were never imagined by the original store designers, but I’ve been told that the Seven Corners Home Depot is one of the highest performing stores in the region.  The Inn of the Eight Immortals (remember them?) replaced Woodward & Lothrop furniture store, followed by a series of ethnic restaurants known for large banquet facilities at reasonable cost.  Willston I and II are thriving centers across Route 50, reflecting reinvestment in the community, as well as the changing needs of shoppers.  One thing that has not changed is the suburban model of personal vehicles accessing extensive parking lots; the nearest Metrorail station is too far away for convenient use by most residents.  

Skyline truly dominates the skyline in Bailey’s Crossroads.  I imagine that there were howls when the general aviation airport and the drive-in movie theatre closed in the 1960s as Charles E. Smith built Skyline to Metro densities for residential, retail, and office use, only to see the Metro board vote to remove the rail station that was planned there.  Skyline today is the site of several building repurposing projects, as vacant office buildings are prime targets for redevelopment into live/work spaces. 

The human condition always changes; you can fight it, or you can manage it.  A lot of patrons hope Terri can find a new location for the restaurant and bar.  In the meantime, thank you to Terri Fox and so many local small business owners who serve our community day in and day out.  They depend on us as customers and clients, and we depend on them for both daily and occasional service and assistance.  We should not forget that it takes all of us to create and maintain the community we want and value. 

Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.