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Harvey’s brought seven Falls Church businesses and nonprofits together on July 17 for an outdoor showcase centered on community ties, local services and collaboration.

The Spotlight Falls Church event unfolded on the restaurant’s patio at 513 W. Broad St. despite the summer heat. Participants included Clay Cafe Studios, Acton Academy Falls Church, The Learning Quest, MetroCellars, LP Dental, Body Dynamics and Doorways.

Chef and owner Thomas Harvey said the event was a way to repay the support his restaurant received after opening near the end of 2021. Harvey’s marked its third anniversary in March.

“The community has been super-welcoming to us,” Harvey said, recalling how restaurant and business owners offered advice and assistance when Harvey’s arrived in the Little City.

That cooperation stood out during the difficult conditions surrounding the pandemic, he said. Instead of treating every nearby establishment strictly as a competitor, local owners regularly exchanged ideas about what was working and what was not.

“If you’re doing better, then we’ll all be doing better,” Harvey said of that approach.

As Falls Church adds housing and attracts more visitors, Harvey wants residents to notice businesses beyond the latest restaurant opening. He said local companies have repeatedly shown that they can adjust to change and find opportunities in the city’s growth.

Harvey, an Alexandria resident, knew little about Falls Church before searching for a restaurant location. He wanted an urban setting with a small-town atmosphere, and friends repeatedly pointed him toward the city.

After touring it with his wife, he was drawn to the walkability, local amenities and sense that residents and owners knew one another. That atmosphere fit his vision for a modern version of “Cheers”—a neighborhood gathering place where people connect.

Harvey’s describes its food as American in the broadest sense, serving dishes ranging from pupusas and fresh pasta to roasted meats. The restaurant has no televisions, a deliberate choice intended to encourage customers to talk and spend time together.

Clay Cafe’s hidden pigs and generational ties

At the Clay Cafe Studios table, manager and future owner Jessi Cash painted small ceramic pigs for a joint promotion with Harvey’s.

Each month, a pig is hidden somewhere in the community with a note for whoever discovers it. The finder can return it to Harvey’s for a specialty appetizer and receive benefits from Clay Cafe, including free studio sessions.

One pig commemorated Harvey’s third-anniversary “Three-Esta” celebration and was hidden near Brown’s Hardware after the longtime store closed.

Clay Cafe has operated since 1998, and Cash said some children who once made handprint plates there now return with children—or even grandchildren—of their own. Others have grown up and applied for jobs at the studio.

Cash joined the business in 2019 and helped keep it operating during the pandemic. With only two people working at one point, the studio shifted to take-home projects and held small art camps on students’ asynchronous school days.

One child who attended regularly in 2020 is now 14 and remains involved in art classes, Cash said.

Cash expects to buy the studio in January. She also hopes to create more employment opportunities for people on the autism spectrum, inspired partly by her oldest son, Morgan.

Morgan, who is approaching 21, had limited job prospects after graduating in 2023. Clay Cafe hired him, and he now runs the kiln room, assists customers and handles other responsibilities at the studio.

Acton Academy emphasizes independent learning

Acton Academy Falls Church co-founders Julie Jauregui and Hernan Dario Feler described a Christian school combining Montessori methods with project-based education.

Now in its fourth year on Broad Street, the academy enrolls approximately 45 students. Its three mixed-age studios serve children ages 3 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 to 13.

Students work at their own pace and complete projects known as “Quests.” One displayed assignment asked students to create a Declaration of Independence based on grievances drawn from classroom experiences.

Jauregui described the model as Montessori education adapted for the 21st century. Older students use computers, participate in experiential learning and connect with other Acton schools. She estimated the broader network includes roughly 300 schools worldwide.

The academy is in the same building as Harvey’s and contracts with the restaurant to provide student meals from a special menu. Children at the school even wrote a song for the restaurant, Jauregui said.

Doorways spreads word about around-the-clock help

Doorways representatives used the event to raise awareness of services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Although based in Arlington, the nonprofit also serves Falls Church. Director of Development Jan-Michael Sacharco said its hotline at 703-237-0881 is answered around the clock by staff members or volunteers who can help callers find resources and plan for safety.

Doorways operates safe housing for adults, children and pets, including kennel space. Its support can include help pursuing protective orders, locating housing and preparing for a safer next chapter.

The organization has also developed adaptable educational programs about consent, warning signs in relationships and resources for people experiencing abuse.

Sacharco and Community Relations and Development Specialist Ashley Stewart were meeting some participating organizations for the first time, illustrating one of the showcase’s goals: helping local groups discover potential partners.

Learning Quest looks beyond the classroom

Learning Quest Advocacy and Communications Specialist Belen Quellet said the organization wants to make learning possible throughout Falls Church, not only inside schools.

One initiative, the Teddy Bear Fix-it Clinic, brings people together to exchange practical knowledge. The organization is also talking with the Senior Center about events where older residents could share trades and other expertise with younger generations.

Learning Quest is exploring a tool-lending library or broader “Library of Things,” where residents could borrow equipment or household items they need only occasionally. The organization plans to participate in the city’s Recycling Extravaganza in October, when tool donations are expected to be collected.

Another proposed program, Nexus, could involve the Falls Church Education Foundation and the city’s Business and Education Initiative. The idea is to let learners tackle real community issues, potentially including participation in a focus group for the city’s recycling application.

Quellet said such projects could give young people practical experience before college while turning shops, cafés and other public spaces into informal learning sites.

Body Dynamics connects treatment and fitness

Body Dynamics representatives Ashley Templer and Marie Tien highlighted the practice’s team-based approach to health and wellness.

The Falls Church operation offers physical therapy, massage, counseling, nutrition services and fitness classes, including Pilates. It employs about 25 professionals and has been in the city for 13 years.

Templer said clients can enter at different points depending on their experience and injury history. Someone recovering from an injury, for example, might begin with physical therapy, add massage and later use fitness classes to prepare for tennis or another activity.

Tien said Body Dynamics initially suggested that Harvey host a showcase for local organizations. She was pleased that he expanded the idea and invited groups to meet one another.

Tien lives nearby, and her son attends Falls Church City Public Schools. Templer grew up in the city and graduated from George Mason High School in 1995. Body Dynamics recently reached its 30th anniversary, having previously operated in Arlington before moving to Falls Church.

Templer said the city’s reputation for health reflects more than its walkability and bikeability. She also credited residents who take ownership of their wellness and devote time and resources to staying active.

MetroCellars brings family wineries to local venues

MetroCellars co-owners Chris and MaryBeth Campbell have lived in Falls Church since 2012 and are celebrating 15 years in business.

The company represents small, family-owned wineries from around the world and supplies wine to local establishments including Harvey’s, Dominion, Whole Foods, the State Theatre, The Falls and Northside Social.

Chris Campbell praised Harvey for actively supporting and connecting with other local businesses. MaryBeth Campbell said the couple values Harvey’s both as a customer and as a place they personally patronize.

LP Dental focuses on consistency and anxious patients

Dentist Sarah Yang and Office Manager Ashley Nielsen introduced visitors to LP Dental, a small practice that has operated in Falls Church for about two and a half years.

Yang is the practice’s sole dentist. She said the office emphasizes long-term relationships, beginning with conversations about each patient’s previous dental experiences and goals.

That consistency can be especially useful for people who feel anxious about dental care, Yang said. Patients see the same provider instead of explaining their history repeatedly across a large clinic.

LP Dental offers neck pillows, stress balls, earplugs, blankets and music to help patients feel comfortable. Nielsen said some people arrive extremely frightened but become eager to share updates about their lives after building trust over several visits.

The practice also works with Falls Church City schools by hosting high school interns interested in careers as dentists or dental hygienists.

Yang, who grew up in Fairfax County, said Falls Church’s network of engaged small businesses made it an appealing place to open her practice.

By the end of the evening, participants had done more than promote pottery, education, wellness, wine, dental care and social services. They had also formed connections with one another—the same cooperative dynamic Harvey said persuaded him to build his restaurant in Falls Church in the first place.