Skip to main content

Copperwood Tavern to Loudoun, Mighty Pint changes and other new restaurant news

By WTOP Staff

Restaurateur Reese Gardner is at it again, this time with a lease to open a second location of his Shirlington restaurant Copperwood Tavern in Loudoun County.

Gardner has signed a lease for a 6,500-square-foot restaurant space in One Loudoun, the mixed-use development in Ashburn that’s already home to a Fresh Market, indie movie venue Alamo Drafthouse and handful of other restaurants.

Copperwood Tavern in Loudoun is aiming to open about a year from now, in September 2015. The restaurant’s design and menu will be similar to the Shirlington location, highlighting Virginia heritage and products.

“It’s a little closer to some of the farmers we already have relationships with,” Gardner said this week. “I think the people in Loudoun will really appreciate our scratch kitchen and farm-to-table menu.”

The One Loudoun spot will make for a busy year for Gardner, who has two new restaurants under construction and also owns Irish Whiskey Public House and the Mighty Pint in Dupont.

Gardner’s spot on the Georgetown waterfront, Orange Anchor, is aiming to open in October, and Union Social will open at 100 Florida Ave. NE in NoMa later this year or early in 2015.

Mighty Pint: New builds aren’t all the nightclub-promoter-turned-restaurateur has up his sleeve, however. Gardner also dished on plans to retool Dupont Circle bar The Mighty Pint into something a little more grown up.

He plans to turn Mighty Pint into a restaurant called Second State, an homage to his home state of Pennsylvania. The menu and vibe will be similar to Copperwood Tavern, but pull from more Pennsylvania traditions than Virginia.

The style of restaurant he’s pursuing is one he refers to as “conceptual casual dining” — think upscale casual but with a theme — following the model of Copperwood Tavern, which has taken off in Shirlington since opening in October.

“As I mature as a restaurant owner, I thought that as a college bar, the Mighty Pint doesn’t really fit into the future of what I have for my company,” Gardner said.

Penn Commons: In other new restaurant news, the latest from Passion Food Hospitality group opens Monday, bringing Penn Commons to the Penn Quarter/Chinatown neighborhood of Northwest D.C.

The restaurant at the corner of 6th and H streets NW is similar to District Commons, which opened two years ago in Foggy Bottom featuring American cuisine, local beers and craft cocktails. The spot has a sizable bar and lounge area, with 40 percent of the space inside devoted to bar seating, as we reported in June.

ShopHouse: The next D.C. area location for Chipotle’s Southeast Asian concept, ShopHouse, will be in Union Station. The restaurant’s website was updated to include a Union Station location as “coming soon” last week. The Union Station spot will join locations in Dupont Circle, Chinatown and Georgetown in D.C.; others in Rockville and Bethesda are also listed as “coming soon.”

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote