Restaurant For Mac & Cheese Lovers Will Open First Virginia Location

TYSONS, VA — A restaurant dedicated to all things macaroni and cheese is coming to Northern Virginia. I Heart Mac & Cheese, a fast casual concept, tentatively plans to open in Tysons in October 2022.

The Tysons location will be the first in Virginia and owned by franchisee Md Billal Hossain. A spokesperson could not share the location's address yet, as the lease is still being finalized.

"I Heart Mac & Cheese is a complete new concept in my community, I think that we all crave comfort food from our childhood which is something our menu offers," said Hossain in a statement. "I got the chance to try I Heart Mac & Cheese for myself and it was tasty. This led me to wanting to be part of the I Heart Mac & Cheese team."

The restaurant offers a menu of build-your-own macaroni and cheese bowls with a base of pasta, bread, quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, or tater tots. From there, customers can choose from 10 proteins, 11 vegetables and nine cheeses to build the bowl. Gluten-free, vegan and plant-based options are available. To top it off, dressings and sauces can be added. Build-your-own grilled cheeses, "tacoronis" featuring macaroni in taco shells, sides, kids meals, desserts and drinks complete the menu.

I Heart Mac & Cheese opened its first location in South Florida in 2016. Today, it has over 20 locations around the U.S. with plans to have over 75 open in 2022.

"Entering a new market is exciting every time, especially for our brand as a rapidly expanding franchise concept," said chairman and CEO Steve Giordanella. "With the reemergence of the dine-in experience post COVID-19, it’s great to see our franchisees open the first stores in their states."

For more information and updates on the Tysons opening later in 2022, visit iheartmacandcheese.com.