It’s been a rough year all around and local businesses faced a difficult recovery from the pandemic, but there were also some islands of good news as well.
ALXnow asked the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) and The Chamber ALX what they saw as the highs and lows for local business this year.
For AEDP, these were some of the highlights from this year:
- Patagonia opening in the Old Town Theater
- Chewish Deli / Mas Seafood — a fishmonger partnering with a food truck for a small brick and mortar location, opening where Pendleton Carryout used to be
- ALX Community opening a second location on the waterfront
- American Physical Therapy Association soft opening a new headquarters at Potomac Yard, with a full ribbon cutting planned in January.
- West Alex, a gateway to Alexandria at the King/Beauregard Streets intersection, and Silver Diner opening in the West End
- “Watching 530 First Street, Edens’ mixed use project that broke ground three years ago (March 2017), come to life as tenants like Sisters Thai, Wooboi Chicken, and Row House joined Oak Steakhouse in Old Town North.”
Joe Haggerty, President and CEO of The Chamber ALX, agreed that APTA’s new headquarters was a highlight, as well as West Alex opening. Haggerty also singled out:
- Carpenter Shelter opening a new facility to serve families and homeless individuals
- Alexandria Restaurant Partners announcing Ada’s on the River, planned to open sometime next year
- Home Grown Restaurants expand take out in Del Ray and Carlyle. Also, delivered food to workers at voting sites.
Both Haggerty and AEDP acknowledged that there were tragic closures of some local businesses. Haggerty said the one that came to mind was La Tasca, which filed for bankruptcy in May. Haggerty also said the decline of revenue for restaurants, retail and hotel is also a new major challenge.
AEDP said some of the other sad farewells this year for Alexandria were:
- The Christmas Attic
- Pendleton Carryout
- Bluprint Chocolatiers
- Potomac Yard retailers: Shoppers, Pier One, Thomasville, NY&Co., DressBarn, which AEDP said are making way for next phase of retail in the City’s Innovation District.
Staff photo by James Cullum
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Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
Press Release:
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The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
