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Julie and Kaveh Safa are preparing to open The Cellar on Seneca, a wine-focused restaurant taking over the former BRX American Bistro space in Great Falls.
The restaurant is planned for 1025 Seneca Road in the Seneca Square shopping center near Georgetown Pike. The owners anticipated a soft opening in late July and a grand opening in August, but had not announced exact dates.
The Safas acquired the property after an unexpected introduction to its previous owner. In May 2023, they attended Colvin Run Elementary School’s 20th-anniversary celebration as their son prepared to enter kindergarten there. They won a BRX gift card through the event’s online silent auction.
During the meal paid for with that prize, BRX’s owner approached the couple about buying the restaurant, according to the Safas’ account. They closed on the property approximately three months later.
“We just thought it would be so much fun to serve our neighbors,” Julie Safa said.
Julie Safa said the former BRX space has since been completely remodeled. Its decorations include historical and contemporary photographs and artwork. The owners said they want the finished restaurant to feel relaxed, approachable and connected to the community.
Kaveh Safa described the goal as “less stuffy than a tasting room, more like an extension of the neighborhood’s living room.”
Chef Christopher Carey is slated to lead the kitchen and develop a seasonal menu centered on locally sourced ingredients. Plans call for most dishes and components to be prepared in-house. Carey said that approach can also help the kitchen limit risks associated with food allergies and sensitivities.
“My thoughtful, holistic, and from-scratch style focuses on ingredient integrity,” Carey said.
The sourcing plan draws partly on relationships the Safas developed through Farmsy, a customizable farm-box delivery service they started with local farmer Casey Feezle during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Farmsy no longer delivers boxes to customers’ doorsteps, but the couple plans to use its network of agricultural contacts for The Cellar on Seneca.
Wine is expected to be another central part of the restaurant. The Safas have planned a collection of more than 200 bottles, with selections chosen either to complement the food or introduce customers to smaller producers.
“Every bottle earns its place, whether it’s paired with something on the menu or just a small producer we think people should know about,” Kaveh Safa said.
The couple also plans to offer monthly wine dinners, private dining and catering. A members-only Cellar Club is expected to include personal wine lockers, assistance selecting bottles for those lockers, discounts, exclusive tastings and events, and priority access to dinners.
The Great Falls project adds to a restaurant and food-service portfolio the Safas have built over more than a decade. They launched Courthaus Social in Arlington in April 2015, followed by Farmsy in 2020 and Yum Yum Hibachi in Ashburn in June 2023.
Many elements of The Cellar on Seneca—including its opening schedule, wine inventory, club benefits and special-event offerings—were still plans when the project was announced and may change. With the anticipated late-July soft-opening window now past, prospective customers should confirm the restaurant’s operating status before visiting.