The Washington area has endured a record wave of restaurant closures, but its next major food story is about a long-awaited arrival. Eataly has officially confirmed that it will open its first location in the region.
The Italian marketplace and restaurant destination will open at Tysons Corner Center in 2027, ending more than a decade of rumors about a possible Washington-area location. Eataly will take over the two-level space formerly occupied by American Girl.
More than a conventional food hall
The Tysons location is expected to combine sit-down restaurants, quick-service counters, cafés and a large Italian marketplace. Eataly’s stores typically sell fresh pasta, cheese, cured meats, wine, baked goods and imported groceries while also offering customers several places to eat inside the same complex.
The former American Girl store gives Eataly a prominent, multilevel footprint with its own exterior entrance. That setup should allow it to operate as a destination in its own right instead of depending entirely on shoppers already walking through the mall.
Eataly began in Turin, Italy, in 2007 and has since expanded to nearly 70 locations across 16 countries. About 20 of those are in the United States, but the company had repeatedly passed over the Washington region despite years of interest from local diners.
Tysons is remaking its restaurant lineup
The announcement arrives as Tysons Corner Center moves forward with a reported $100 million redevelopment. Eataly will add another major dining anchor to a property already serving customers from Northern Virginia, Washington, Maryland and travelers using the nearby Silver Line.
The location also places Eataly near one of the region’s largest concentrations of offices, apartments and hotels. That mix gives the company several potential audiences: destination diners, commuters, tourists and residents looking for specialty groceries.
An exact opening date and final square footage have not been announced. For now, the safest timetable is simply 2027; any narrower season or month would be speculation until Eataly or Tysons Corner Center supplies more detail.
Still, the biggest uncertainty is over. After years of rumors, permits and wishful thinking, the Washington area is finally getting an Eataly—and one of Tysons’ most recognizable vacant spaces is becoming a two-story Italian food destination.
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