McAlister’s Deli opening on Monday in Mount Vernon Plaza

McAlister’s Deli will open in the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center Monday morning, and the first 50 people in line will receive $50 gift cards for use at the fast-casual restaurant.

A ribbon-cutting for McAlister’s will be held at 10:15 a.m. Monday and the doors will open at 10:30 a.m. In addition to the gift cards for the first customers, the location said in a press release that it will be giving away items like McAlister’s bags, umbrellas and tumblers throughout the day.

This will be McAlister’s third location in Northern Virginia, and first in the Alexandria/Richmond Highway area. The chain, which was founded in 1989 and now has 400 locations in 30 states, is known for its sandwiches, salads, “spuds” and sweet tea.

The Richmond Highway location is owned by McKaye Darling, a Route 1 area resident.

“We are thrilled to bring McAlister’s handcrafted sandwiches, family-friendly atmosphere, and genuine hospitality to our community,” Darling said in the press release. “Alexandria is our home, and McAlister’s is a great neighborhood gathering place where we all can enjoy quality time and delicious food.”

McAlister’s Deli is located at 7704A Richmond Highway (see map) in a space previously home to Sports Zone. The location’s regular hours will be from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Orders can be placed ahead of time using the McAlister’s app or on their website.