McLean-area shoppers who lost their Whole Foods anchor at Idylwood Plaza in February 2025 will get a new grocery option on Wednesday, Aug. 12, when German discount chain Lidl opens a 23,485-square-foot store at 7511 Leesburg Pike.
The opening comes ahead of schedule. When Federal Realty Investment Trust announced the lease in May 2025, the shopping center's owner projected a late 2026 opening. Lidl confirmed the Aug. 12 date in a press release on Monday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 7:40 a.m., with complimentary croissants, coffee, and exclusive deals for early arrivals.
Regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Smaller footprint, lower prices
Whole Foods occupied nearly 29,600 square feet at Idylwood Plaza for more than 25 years before relocating to the Broad & Washington development in Falls Church City. The space has since been subdivided into four storefronts, with Lidl taking the largest.
Lidl's format is built around private-label products, imported European goods, fresh local produce and an in-store bakery. The chain also stocks rotating non-grocery items like kitchenware and fitness gear through weekly specials.
The Idylwood location will be Lidl's 12th store in Fairfax County. The chain already operates two nearby locations: a store at 1330 Chain Bridge Road in McLean that opened in June 2022 and another at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons that opened in September 2023.
More tenants on the way
Lidl won't be alone in the former Whole Foods footprint. Three other tenants are expected in the coming months: juice shop South Block, Potbelly, and Qdoba Mexican Eats, according to FFXnow. No opening dates for those businesses have been announced.
When the lease was first reported in May 2025, Deirdre Johnson, Federal Realty's senior vice president of asset management, called Lidl "a value priced grocery option that will resonate with the Falls Church community to make their shopping dollar go further."
Shoppers looking for the grand opening can head to 7511 Leesburg Pike on Aug. 12 at 7:40 a.m. for the ribbon-cutting; doors open to the public at 8 a.m.
