The newest dining concept to arrive in Tysons is actually several restaurants in one. Called The Kitchen Collective, it offers fast-casual takeout from multiple eateries, all under the direction of a chef whose culinary resume includes a Michelin star.
Right now, four restaurants—Franki’s, Pizza Serata, Soul Rebel and Yasmine—share a 4,500-square-foot kitchen in the building that also houses upscale jeweler Tiffany & Co. Restaurateur Reza Farahani co-owns The Kitchen Collective with chef Chris Morgan, who oversees all the concepts in the self-described “virtual” food hall.
If those two names sound familiar, that may be because they opened the upscale Persian restaurant Joon in the same complex earlier this summer. Morgan was previously co-executive chef at Michelin-starred Maydan and its sister restaurant Compass Rose in the District. He also co-owns the Caribbean eatery Bammy’s in Navy Yard, and Union Market locations of Pizza Serata and Yasmine.
Yasmine is a Lebanese kebab shop serving beef shawarma, falafel, hummus and salads. At Pizza Serata, hungry diners will find pan pizzas such as The Unicorn (tomato, mozzarella, lemon ricotta, roasted mushrooms, pickled cherry peppers, onions and honey), as well as sandwiches including the Boss (porchetta, broccoli rabe, provolone, pickled cherry peppers and garlic aioli) and starters like garlic chicken wings.
Soul Rebel, a health-conscious café concept that Morgan first debuted in Palm Beach County, Florida, in 2015, serves superfood smoothies, acai bowls, wraps, salads, cold-pressed juices and specialty coffee drinks.
Franki’s, named after Morgan’s sweets-loving 2-year-old daughter, is a cookie and brownie concept turning out treats such as the Cookie Monster (brown butter chocolate chip, marshmallow and Heath Bar crunch), Blueberries & Cream (blueberry cream cheese and white chocolate), and the Double Fudge Brownie.
Inspired by the increase in takeout and food delivery orders since the pandemic—the food delivery market in the United States more than doubled during Covid—Farahani began toying with the idea of a takeout concept that could combine brands and share resources.
“The other part was, how do you make these brands attractive if you are forgoing the dining-in experience?” he says. “We decided to go with a model where we partner with well-known chefs, and brands are all basically designed ground up with the notion of delivery in mind.”
There is technique involved in dishes designed for carryout. For instance, the crust for Pizza Serata’s pan pizzas is intentionally thicker so that it is still crispy when people get it home. To deliver on that promise, the team worked with Anthony Falco, a chef-turned-international-pizza-consultant. “He helped us come up with the dough that is amazing,” Farahani says. “You can reheat it and it’s even better sometimes.”
Two more restaurants are now on deck to join the collective, also known as TKC Food Hall. The next, which will likely open in October, is El Oso, a taco concept.
“It’s really a wait-and-see approach right now,” Farahani says. “We’re evolving some of the menu. We just want to make sure everything’s tightened up,” before adding more options.
Ultimately, he expects the variety of food choices to be the biggest draw. “We’re surrounded by offices and homes, so if it’s a group of office employees that want to order out, instead of having all of them compromise and say, ‘OK, we’re all going to get pizza,’ each one of them can get a different thing and be happy,” he says. “Same with a family. If one of the kids wants a chicken sandwich, the mom wants a salad, the dad wants pizza, you’re able to do that. You’re getting that from multiple brands, and it’s being delivered to you or you’re picking it up from one location.”
Guests can place to-go orders at the pickup window at 8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite L160, Tysons, or order online for delivery or curbside pickup.