McAlister’s Deli coming to Mount Vernon Plaza

McAlister’s Deli will take over the space where Sports Zone was located.

McAlister’s Deli, a fast-casual restaurant known for its sandwiches, “spuds” and sweet tea, has signed a lease to open a new location in the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center.

A spokeswoman for McAlister’s said no tentative opening date has been set yet since construction on the space has yet to start. However the franchise is aiming to open before the end of the year, she said.

McAlister’s will be located at 7704A Richmond Highway, a spot previously occupied by Sports Zone.

The new Route 1 location will be only the third McAlister’s in Northern Virginia; the other locations are in Fairfax City and Herndon.

McAlister’s was founded by a retired dentist in Oxford, Mississippi in 1989. It now has more than 400 locations in 28 states. Its parent company, Focus Brands, also owns Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky’s.