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Dining scene: New Montgomery Mall restaurants, Fair Winds Brewing signs lease and more

By WTOP Staff

The evolution of Westfield Montgomery Mall’s “dining terrace,” opening later this summer as part of the mall’s expansion, continues. The mall will bring three new-to-D.C. concepts to the mall, along with a previously announced Cava Mezze Grill and a Chipotle, according to a news release.

Two of the three new restaurants will be full-service. The first, Crave, is a Minnesota-based chain offering “fresh, vibrant, American” cuisine as well as a full sushi bar, according to its website. The restaurant will be located on the lower level of the new dining area near Bobby’s Burger Palace.

Another, Met Bethesda, will be the first restaurant outside of Massachusetts from the Boston-based Met Restaurant Group. The restaurant will occupy 6,000 square feet across from the mall’s new ArcLight Cinemas. The menu includes pasta, burgers and steaks as well as signature dishes such as the duo of salmon and tuna tartare. The bar also features on-tap martinis.

And another fast-casual pizza shop is throwing its hat into the D.C. market. Blaze Pizza, a California-based super-fast pizza chain, will open its first location in the region in the mall. Another spot that boasts the “Chipotle-of-pizza” model, customers choose their basics and their toppings and a fresh pizza is made for them in under three minutes. All three restaurants will be open by the end of the year.

Fair Winds Brewing: Fair Winds Brewing Co. has finally found its home after looking for the better part of a year around Northern Virginia. The brewery has signed a lease for more than 12,000 square feet at 7000 Newington Road in Lorton, according to the agents that brokered the deal. Brewery partner Casey Jones told me earlier this year he originally wanted to open in Merrifield, but no adequate space at the right price was available. Fair Winds has already been testing recipes for its four signature beers: an IPA, a pale ale, a red and a kolsch. JLL Senior Vice President John Dettleff and Vice President Tucker Farman represented the tenant in this lease transaction. The landlord, PS Business Parks, was represented by NAI KLNB Principal Marc Tasker, CCIM, SIOR, and Ryan M. Moody, Associate.

Glover Park Beer Garden: Add another beer garden to the list of places to imbibe al fresco in D.C.: Glover Park Beer Garden will pop up all summer on the patio of the Savoy Suites Hotel on Wisconsin Avenue NW this summer. The garden will offer five beers on tap, several in the bottle and a menu of salads, hot dogs, bratwurst, burgers and pretzel rolls, among other items. The garden will be open weekdays from 5-11 p.m. and weekends from noon-11 p.m.

Chez Billy Sud: Prolific bar owners and restaurateurs Eric and Ian Hilton are making their way west from their traditional haunts in the U Street and Petworth neighborhoods. They plan to open Chez Billy Sud, a sister restaurant to their Petworth spot Chez Billy, at 1039 31st. St. NW in Georgetown later this year. They will take over the 3,000 square foot Cafe La Ruche space, which will close July 1. The restaurant will serve classic French cuisine from Executive Chef Brendan L’Etoile for lunch or brunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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