Richest County, Naughty Girls: Ashburn Business In 2017

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — From being crowned as a national champion of sorts to having an establishment featured on national television, 2017 offered plenty of notable happenings in the Loudoun County business community. Chief among them were being named the richest county in the country by Forbes and Woofie's pet services featured on a CNBC series. But there were many more.

Nordstrom, for example, closed its doors at Dulles Town Center, deciding to focus on its other stores in the Greater DC area. There were dishes and eateries on best-of lists and on and on. Here are some of Loudoun County's business highlights for 2017, as reported by Patch:

Forbes' Richest U.S. County: Loudoun

It certainly sounds sexy when Forbes Magazine calls Loudoun County the richest county in the nation, as it did in an online piece published this week. But for folks who live here, it's not exactly breaking news — more like a given. The county's own economic development team released data from the U.S. Census Bureau this past September that put Loudoun No. 1 in household median income for the 10th consecutive year.

Woofie's Pet Service To Be Featured On New CNBC Series

A noted Northern Virginia pet-pampering company, Woofie's, will be featured this season on an episode of CNBC's new series "The Job Interview." In Woofie's case, the owners — Leslie Barron and Amy Reed (photo above) — will have their establishment's hiring managers interview prospective dog groomers.

Nordstrom Closing At Dulles Town Center

A touch of high-end elegance is leaving Dulles Town Center effective Sept. 8. Nordstrom announced Friday it will close the full-line store at 21090 Dulles Town Circle. That leaves just one other Nordstrom in Northern Virginia: the store at Tysons Corner Center.

'Naughty Girls Donut Shop' Opens Saturday In Sterling

A new doughnut shop will have its grand opening Saturday. Say hello to "Naughty Girls Donut Shop," at 23520 Overland Drive. The ceremony begins at 9 a.m., followed by a ribbon cutting at 9:30. The eatery makes scratch-made donuts every day.

Roots 657 Cheeseburger In Leesburg Earns Accolade

A nod, if you will, to the signature Roots 657 cheeseburger, which was recognized recently by Northern Virginia Magazine's Outdoor Fun Guide. The restaurant at 42301 Spinks Ferry Road was one of five cited in the magazine's feature story, "Burger Season — A look at what's new in the patty world." The article focuses on master chef Rich Rosendale and his obsession with the best kind of bun.

Roof Giveaway To Family In Need Becomes Holiday Tradition

Life is good these days for Steve Gotschi, a decorated Northern Virginia businessman who's the owner and founder of DryHome Roofing & Siding, Inc. He has four kids and the admiration of his community for various philanthropic endeavors. In the mid-80s, though, life wasn't so good for Gotschi, 51. "I was homeless," he told Patch matter-of-factly.

Leesburg Restaurant On Best DC-Area Dishes List

Most folks in Loudoun County probably have either heard of or been to MELT Gourmet Cheeseburgers, 525 East Market Street in Leesburg. Not only does it routinely pop up on various "best hamburger" lists both in the region and the state, it also has developed something of a cult following since opening in April 2012.
Now, though, it finds itself on the Washington Post's "40 Most Essential DC Restaurant Dishes of 2017." Its cheeseburger is cited alongside such dishes as "butterscoth cremeux," and "gnocchi bokki."

Lottery Winner Nets $4 Million In Ashburn

Srinivas Kalla is a data analyst who lives in Sterling. As such, he probably knows both data and odds. As for the latter, when he recently bought a Virginia Lottery "Hot Millions Multiplier" scratch-off ticket, he surely knew his odds of winning the top prize were long. How long? Try 1 in 1,305,600.

New Crab Shack Preparing To Open In Leesburg

A new crab shack is coming this spring to the downtown area, and its owners promise to provide an experience that reminds diners of similar eateries in Maryland, where crabs are king. It'll be called Captain Catoctin's Crab House & Garden, according to its Facebook page, and will be at 14 Loudoun Street.

SideBar Restaurant Coming To Downtown Leesburg

A new restaurant featuring early morning breakfast items, midday sandwiches and late-night cocktails coming is coming to downtown Leesburg. Say hello to Sidebar, 24 South Street, which hopes to open its doors in late November. Owned and operated by Olivia Schnibbe and her husband, Nils, the restaurant also plans to make takeout service a priority.

Image via Loudoun County