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Glory Days Grill will not reopen in Merrifield after an August 2025 kitchen fire, ending the sports bar’s 24-year run at Providence Place as the shopping center searches for a new tenant.
The restaurant announced the permanent closure in an email to customers following months of uncertainty. Fairfax County had declared the location at 3059 Nutley Street unsafe to occupy after the Aug. 22 fire.
Glory Days Grill said it made the decision after careful consideration, describing the restaurant as a longtime gathering place and workplace that held deep ties to the community. The chain thanked its customers and encouraged them to visit its Centreville and Barcroft Plaza locations.
Customer Vanessa Curtiss responded by launching a petition asking the company to reverse the decision. She said the closure eliminates both a familiar community gathering space and jobs for restaurant employees.
Curtiss described the restaurant as a place where generations celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, regular customers were known by name, and newcomers felt welcome.
The chain began with its flagship restaurant in Burke in 1996 and now operates across four states. Bob Basham, the Florida franchise owner who co-founded Outback Steakhouse, purchased all Glory Days Grill locations in 2023 and operates the business with Glory Days co-founder Richard Danker.
The Merrifield decision follows the closure of the chain’s Alexandria restaurant in 2025 and leaves 14 Virginia locations. Its remaining Fairfax County restaurants are in Burke, Centreville, Reston, Herndon, Barcroft Plaza and Lorton.
Federal Realty, which manages Providence Place—formerly known as the Pan Am Shopping Center—said it is restoring and upgrading the damaged restaurant space while marketing it for lease. The company plans to bring in a tenant that complements the center’s existing businesses.
Two other tenants are already headed to Providence Place. Afghan restaurant Smoki Kabobs, which serves kabobs, salads and desserts, is scheduled to open in fall 2026. Pet Supplies Plus is expected to open in winter 2026 in a 6,458-square-foot space formerly occupied by Bank of America.