The unassuming one-story white building at 120 Maple Avenue East in Vienna has served as the backdrop for generations of Northern Virginians’ memories. The Vienna Inn is one of Northern Virginia’s best-known restaurants, known as much for its chili dogs as for its welcoming vibes. The Inn recently celebrated its 66th birthday, and The Fairfax Girl was able to chat with the current owner, David ‘Marty’ Volk, about the Inn’s history and its enduring appeal. Read on for more about the Vienna Inn, a Northern Virginia landmark.
The Vienna Inn’s History
The Inn was built in 1925 and was originally an ice cream and sandwich shop. It then became a luncheonette and drug store, and in the 1950’s changed again into Freddy’s Cafe, which was the precursor to the Vienna Inn. In 1960, Mike + Mollie Abraham took over and renamed it the Vienna Inn.
Marty credits Mike + Mollie for making the Inn what it is today. He recalled their bold personalities that would shock people, yet always keep them coming back, with all of the long lines at the Inn that Marty remembers from 25 years ago being proof. “When I got here 25 years ago, there was a line out the door for lunch five days a week because of [Mollie],” Marty described. “They loved her brash personality, and that’s what [the Inn] was kind of known for, too.”
Marty said the new twists the Abraham family added made the place a bit more of a draw, including not only their personalities but the free hot dogs they offered to kids, too. Mollie + Mike expanded the menu and got involved in the community, sponsoring many Vienna Youth sports teams, baseball and soccer in particular. “They were very generous with the community and sports teams in particular voters, youth league sports, and high school sports,” Marty said.
After moving to Vienna with his family in 1963, Marty began visiting the Inn with his football team around 1968 or 1969. In describing his earliest memories of the Inn, he remembered the free hot dogs that Mike would give to the team. “I think as early as 7th grade, it made an impression on me,” Marty said. “I had a little time capsule to make, and in the time capsule, I wrote that I wanted to have my own neighborhood bar one day, like the Vienna Inn.” Looking back, he even finds it funny that the thought had come to him so early.
The New Generation
Marty’s 7th-grade wish came true, and in an unexpected way. He had been working at Clyde’s in Tyson’s for many years, and things started to align as he realized he wanted a change. “I heard The Inn was for sale through my brother, and I came down here, spoke to the family, and convinced him to sell it to me,” Marty said. He purchased the Inn in 2000…