Downtown Leesburg's New Storefronts This Fall Belong to Familiar Names

In late September, a line of volunteers passed books hand to hand from 11 West Market Street to the storefront next door at 9 West Market. That is how Birch Tree Books & Plants moved into its larger space. The team had set a goal of reopening by October, and it was welcoming customers before the month ended.

A move of one door may seem minor, but it fits a pattern seen all over downtown this season. Count the openings and planned openings on King, Market and Loudoun Streets between July and October 2026. Most are businesses that already had roots in Leesburg or Loudoun and are now taking a bigger room, a storefront of their own, or the whole building. The historic core is changing hands mostly among people who were already here.

One Door Down on West Market

Before Birch Tree moved in, 9 West Market Street was home to District Hemp Botanicals. The new store has more room for shelves and tables of books, plus a larger houseplant area at the back. Staff told The Burn that a formal grand opening celebration is still to come.

West Market has been filling in on both sides of the bookstore. In June, Piazza di Gogo's opened at 7 West Market Street. It shares space with Buford's Biscuits and serves dinner Thursday through Sunday. One space, two operators, two parts of the day: this is the same kind of local growth, just at a smaller scale. At the end of July, Hare & Hen, a children's boutique and toy shop, opened a few doors west at 26 West Market Street.

One West Market question is still open. No new tenant has been announced for Birch Tree's old space at 11 West Market.

A Dessert Shop That Finally Has Its Own Keys

The Chocolate Palette has taken a longer road to its own storefront. It started in Purcellville in 2019. More recently it shared space with SimplyBe Coffee on Church Street SE in Leesburg. On September 17, it opened its own storefront at 212A Loudoun Street SE, a few doors from Mom's Apple Pie.

The menu centers on hand-crafted European sipping chocolates and æbleskivers, the round Danish pancakes, along with other desserts. Owner and dessert chef Cheryl June told The Burn what the move makes possible:

"This location gives me the ability to create my full menu, while I continue to experiment and add new items. We look forward to offering unique desserts not offered by other retailers."

Hours are worth saving, because the shop isn't open every day. It runs Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. A Thursday-to-Saturday schedule that runs until 9 p.m. puts it right in downtown's evening hours.

Kilwins on King Street, Run by Owners Already Building More

The one national name in this fall's group opened four days before The Chocolate Palette. Kilwins opened at 17 South King Street at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 13. The space used to be a Rouge beauty and spa business.

The ownership follows the same pattern as the rest of the block. The store belongs to Nancy Carter and Frank Batchelder, a wife-and-husband team who were already building more locations when the King Street shop opened. A second Kilwins is under construction at Brambleton Town Center, with the build-out expected to finish by December and no opening date set yet. They are also planning a third location in the Stonebridge area of Prince William County. Downtown Leesburg is the first stop on a small regional expansion run by the same two owners.

One practical note for weekend walks: Kilwins on South King and The Chocolate Palette on Loudoun Street SE are a short walk apart. Downtown gained two dedicated dessert counters in the same week of September.

The Saloon Building Goes to the Family Behind Tuskies

The biggest change on King Street hasn't opened yet, and it is a purchase rather than a lease. In June, Kathleen, Evan and Meaghan Malone announced they had closed on 5 and 7 North King Street. The buildings were the longtime home of Downtown Saloon and, before that, Payne's Biker Bar.

Leesburg knows the family well. Kevin Malone, who died in 2023, was an owner of Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville, South Street Under in Leesburg, and the Fireworks Pizza restaurants. Kathleen is his wife, Evan his son, and Meaghan his daughter-in-law. According to the family, a traditional Irish pub in the heart of Leesburg was a dream Evan shared with his father, and the new place is meant to honor Kevin's legacy.

Downtown Saloon was set to operate through July 4 before renovation began. The plan is a traditional pub serving Guinness, Irish whiskey and Irish-inspired pub fare. The project now has a name, Malone's Irish Pub, but its page still reads "Coming Fall 2026" and lists no opening day. It belongs on the "coming" side of the ledger until the doors actually open.

The Corner Still Waiting on a Sushi Chef

The one storefront on this list that changed hands between unrelated tenants is at 101 South King Street. Ebisu Sushi & Thai first posted temporary-closure signs, and by early September it had closed for good. It opened in January 2025, in the space that was Delirium Cafe for many years.

That gap may be short. On September 30, The Burn reported that Shibuya Sushi & Bar plans to take the corner, across from Shutters on King and kitty-corner from Señor Ramon Taqueria. Shibuya is hiring a head sushi chef and applying for a liquor license, and no opening date has been announced.

The Ledger, Address by Address

Read down the right-hand column and the pattern is clear. Of the eight addresses, four involve an operator expanding, relocating or buying in Leesburg. One more, Kilwins, is run by owners who are already opening their next Loudoun store.

Dates That Bring These Blocks Together Before Year's End

The new storefronts will get their first real crowds from the town's fall and holiday calendar, which runs right past them:

• Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 p.m. The 70th Annual Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade heads down King Street toward Fairfax Street.
• Fridays, November 6 and December 4. First Friday takes place on the first Friday of every month except January.
• Saturday, December 5, 6 p.m. The Holiday Tree Lighting is on Town Green at 25 West Market Street, on the same street as Birch Tree and Hare & Hen.
• Saturday, December 12, 6 p.m. The Christmas and Holiday Parade starts at Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, and runs down King Street through historic downtown. The rain date is Sunday, December 13, at 6 p.m.

The Town notes that all event dates are subject to change, so check the Town of Leesburg events page closer to each date. Birch Tree's grand opening, Shibuya's first night and the Malones' opening day haven't been scheduled yet. If any of them lands before December 12, the parade route will pass right by it.

At 15 West Homes, our office is in Leesburg and we follow every storefront on King and Market. If you own a home near downtown and want to know what this fall's changes on these blocks could mean for its value, request your free home valuation and we'll walk you through it.