A Southern comfort food chain is taking over a 4,900-square-foot space at Tysons Corner Center, giving McLean diners a new sit-down option along Chain Bridge Road.

Milk & Honey, owned by Reston-based Thompson Hospitality, plans to open its 21st location at 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Suite G21U, in November, according to Thompson Hospitality Chief Operating Officer Alex Berentzen. The company filed building plans with Fairfax County in June under permit REC26-00000-01CTM. As of Thursday, county staff had not yet officially accepted the plans for review.

The restaurant will replace Dhoom, an Indian fusion spot that opened in February 2024. Dhoom's owners did not respond to inquiries about a closing date, but Berentzen told the Washington Business Journal that Thompson Hospitality expects to take control of the space by August.

That's a quick turnover. Dhoom and its fast-casual counter, Naan & Beyond, will have operated less than two and a half years in the high-traffic mall.

What's coming

Milk & Honey will seat up to 281 occupants, including staff, with a full bar, a takeout counter called Milk & Honey Express and an outdoor patio Berentzen described as a "southern veranda." The menu centers on chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and signature mimosa towers.

Chef Sammy Davis and business partner Monique Rose founded Milk & Honey in 2015. Thompson Hospitality, which describes itself as one of the country's largest minority-owned food service companies, acquired the brand in 2020 after the chain struggled during the pandemic.

Expanding across Northern Virginia

The Tysons location will be Milk & Honey's 21st overall and its latest in Northern Virginia, following openings in Springfield in October 2025 and South Riding. Other area locations include Fairfax City, Dulles and Old Town Alexandria.

This will be the chain's first mall-based restaurant in the immediate McLean market. Thompson Hospitality is headquartered about five miles away in Reston. Construction plans for the buildout were prepared by Wallace Creative, according to the Fairfax County filing.