It’s too bad Mae West didn’t live to visit Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken—especially now that it’s opening a second location in Falls Church this summer. Because who can get enough of maple-bacon and crème-brulee doughnuts, or a fried-chicken doughnut sandwich?
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” the actress once said. And: “I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.”
A quick check of Astro’s menu reveals—nope—not a carrot in sight. But with more space in the 1,200 square-foot shop coming to Idylwood Plaza off Route 7, Jeff Halpern tells us that he and co-owner Elliot Spaisman will be able to offer more sandwich and breakfast options, including sandwiches made with traditional bread in lieu of doughnuts.
“That’ll be the biggest thing on the food side, is growing those parts of the menu,” he says.
Design-wise, the owners have asked architects Peter Hapstak and Olvia Demetriou to fashion the new space with more oomph than what you see in Astro’s pared-down D.C. location. “Having a bigger space gives us the ability to get a bolder look, a fresher look,” Halpern says.
Astro’s D.C. storefront
He says he and Spaisman chose Falls Church as their next outpost because the location garnered the best reaction to Astro’s roaming food truck. “We did a lot of research with our food truck, and we always had a good following in Tysons Corner and Ballston,” Halpern says. “We were able to test the waters, so to speak, and develop a base of consumers—a base of fans.”
Idylwood Plaza is located between the Route 7 junctions with I-66 and 495. “It has a broader mix of people who work in Tysons and people who are commuting into D.C.,” he explains.
So rest assured, if you’re feeling a bit too healthy on your way out of the neighboring Whole Foods, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken will be calling your name.