While two other restaurants have tried to succeed at 7380 Atlas Walk at the Virginia Gateway in Gainesville, Justin Holohan, owner/operator of Grafton Street feels he may have a unique concept that will work.
“I wanted to come out here and offer to the residents here an upscale casual dining and bar experience that would potentially minimize their need to drive out of the area, and I wanted them to have something in their own backyard, something to be proud of,” said Holohan.
Grafton Street is an independently owned restaurant, serving traditional American fair prepared daily, using fresh ingredients. It opened on Feb. 1 in the space most recently occupied by the Bungalow Alehouse.
Holohan moved to the United States from Ireland 19 years ago and has since worked in the restaurant and catering industry in D.C. and Loudoun County, including catering at Hilton Hotels.
He decided to open his restaurant in Gainesville, since friends and colleagues described it was an up-and-coming suburb where residents wanted more fine dining experiences.
Holohan knew that many were clamoring for the kind of sophisticated dining they could find in the established neighborhoods surrounding D.C. He believes that after the Promenade at Virginia Gateway is complete and the area expands, more people will look to western Prince William County for more than just corporate food.
“Hopefully people will recognize us as a place to get a nice meal in a really nice environment that is not chain, but a little bit bigger than a mom and pop,” Holohan said.
Being an independent business owner is important to Holohan. He wants to make his business an essential part of the community and he values the freedom he has as the creative force behind the restaurant.
He is already considering events like cooking and serving guests on the patio, wine nights and oyster parties. He wants to make his restaurant the perfect place for a date night, a business meeting, a nice family dinner, or a place to take the people from out-of-town for that special evening.
“It can be different things to different people within one concept,” Holohan said.
Because the atmosphere is contemporary, Holohan believes it can serve a variety of clientele. He points out that the restaurant also provides a more soothing dining experience than one would find at a sports bar, pub or self-serve-style family restaurant. Yet, he still caters to families; Grafton Street also includes kids meals on his menu.
Holohan believes as an independent restaurant, he can control quality, while responding to the needs of his customers.
His meals are handcrafted by Chef Mark Linguist, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America before working at Trump National and the Cosmo Club in D.C.
Holohan is proud of the cuisine Linguist and he have created and strives to use ingredients from local suppliers.
“It’s almost a scratch kitchen,” Holohan said. “We have an artisan baker out of Sterling that makes our bread. We hand cut our own steaks. We use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.“
Holohan believes Grafton Street will be the place to go in Gainesville for fresh steaks, seasonal seafood and creative one-of-a-kind appetizers. Food prices range from lunches at around $10 to dinners $15-23.
Diners at Grafton Street can sit in two dining rooms or in the spacious bar that has plenty of dining tables and natural light. The restaurant also offers a private room that seats 50 for private parties and business meetings.
Holohan feels that Grafton Street is opening at the right time with the new Promenade at Virginia Gateway opening and with a real desire on the part of the American public for healthier, quality food options.
“A 'Made in America' movement has come about in the past five or six years. People are a lot more educated about food,” said Holohan.
Grafton Street also plans to meet the public's desire for craft beers and unique cocktails.
At the bar, Graton Street bartenders serve craft beers and ales brewed in D.C., Arlington and Ashburn. They also mix the kind of unique cocktails that rival those in urbane lounges.
Along with great food, drinks and atmosphere, Holohan is putting an emphasis on professional, courteous service: not service in which every guest is treated exactly the same, but service where staff respect and respond to the needs of their diners.
“I want to make sure everyone who comes in, has a good time,” Holohan said.
He said that in the short time since Grafton Street's opening, people have already told hm that they love the food, service, atmosphere, and location.
“They’ve said, ‘It’s brilliant, because I don’t have to drive an hour home.’”
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