Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
🌤 Today’s weather: Clear throughout the day. High of 53 and low of 36.
☔ Tomorrow: Light rain until evening. High of 46 and low of 36. Sunrise at 6:29 am and sunset at 6:10 pm.
🚨 You need to know
Beloved Alexandria biscuit restaurant Stomping Ground is closing next month, Alexandria Living Magazine first reported.
Owner Nicole Jones said in an insightful letter that despite community support, in several ways the restaurant never fully recovered from the pandemic
The Del Ray staple was at a high pre-pandemic, having just opened a new location in Tysons Galleria and Jones helped launch bagel shop, Bagel Uprising, next door in Del Ray. But Jones said the restaurant has been mostly treading water since the Covid pandemic.
“You would think after all of these efforts I would be happy that Stomping Ground survived the pandemic,” Jones said. “But that’s all we did, we survived. We didn’t flourish. We didn’t grow. We got hard. We lost the magic that made our 1400 square feet a place you wanted to come every day. Everything feels a little less bright.”
Jones said the newest challenge has been struggling to keep up with the rise in ingredient costs.
“Earlier this year, as we fought our newest battle; the raw cost of our ingredients, I knew I had to do something,” Jones said. “While watching the price of flour, dairy and eggs, the soul of our recipes, skyrocket, I watched my staff become more complacent every day. Without the community, Stomping Ground is not the third space it once was and working there feels more and more like just another job.”
Jones said since the pandemic, she’s watched tips go down and hours reduced. Seeing a need for change, Jones said the restaurant will close in April, but something new is in the works.
While I’m not ready to totally give up, I am ready for a change. Our team has decided that in April 2023, we will shutter our beloved biscuit house to make way for something entirely new. We will share more details as they become available – we are so very excited about the project. It makes financial sense, it makes my team renewed at the idea of something REALLY new. We know that the next chapter will hopefully delight our customers again. In the meantime, please join me in saying goodbye to my beloved first restaurant. She has been so good to all of us.
Locals took the news of the award-winning restaurant’s impending close hard.
Waking up to the news that Stomping Ground is closing pic.twitter.com/A03K5r9QA5
— Becky Hammer (@beckyhammer) March 9, 2023
Third spaces are the secret sauce of a thriving community, as this beautiful letter on the closure of Stomping Ground makes clear. Many current friends started as people I nodded and smiled at every time I was in Stomp – can’t thank you enough Nicole.https://t.co/vczIq8yK2u
— Jesse O'Connell (@jesseocnl) March 9, 2023
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 8, 2023.
- Arlington attorney arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from Alexandria office building (3405 views)
- Grammy winners and other stars send in letters supporting The Birchmere’s new electric sign (421 views)
- Power (mostly) restored after early morning outage in Del Ray | ALXnow (369 views)
- Arlington attorney arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from Alexandria office building (303 views)
🗞 Other local coverage
- St. Patrick’s Day 2023: Pub Crawls, Events Around Alexandria
Patch (Wednesday @ 4:55 pm)
- Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Rodent Droppings Violation
Patch (Wednesday @ 12:33 pm)
- ‘King Lear’ Smashes All Shakespeare Theatre Company Sales Records
Zebra (Wednesday @ 11:48 am)
- Bad Ass Coffee Opens in Alexandria
Alexandria Living (Wednesday @ 11:08 am)
🐦 Tweets of note
Congratulations to our 2️⃣0️⃣ ACPS teachers who have been awarded new or renewed National Board Certification in 2022. @NBPTS is the most respected professional certification in education, designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers.https://t.co/busBRMTXac
— Alexandria City Public Schools (@ACPSk12) March 6, 2023
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Recent Stories
It was another busy week in Alexandria. The fallout of Wilson’s announcement that he would not run for reelection continues, with two City Council members — Vice Mayor Amy Jackson…
A small but dedicated team of volunteers spent last Saturday clearing trash from Holmes Run near the Charles Beatley Library. The City of Alexandria celebrated twelve volunteers who helped in…
With the advent of virtual learning in public schools during the Covid pandemic, it seemed like snow days would become a thing of the past. In late 2021, Alexandria said…
A 4 BD/4.5 BA brick townhome with four finished levels, multiple fireplaces and a brick patio is included in Just Listed.
About Latinas Leading Tomorrow (LLT): Latinas Leading Tomorrow is a dynamic 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young Latina women through education, mentorship, and leadership development. We are committed to fostering a community of future leaders who will make a significant impact to the community.
Job Description: We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Part-time Executive Director to lead our organization into its next phase of growth and impact. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader who can oversee day-to-day operations, drive fundraising efforts, and cultivate relationships with stakeholders. This is a 1099 position; Remote position with ability to attend DMV events; 8-10 hours a week; $35-40/per hour.
Key Responsibilities:
Get ready to Shake, Rattle and Roll with this one-of-a-kind, high-octane rockabilly concert experience! Rockabilly Rumble is the all-new, musical experience celebrating the southern rock music that exploded on the scene in the 1950s. Organized by Alexandria City High School Alum and pro-musician Sam C. Jones, this band of world-class performers will have you dancing in your Blue Suede Shoes all night long with songs made famous by Bo Ridley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and more. Relive their most popular hits, along with some forgotten gems. “Rockabilly Rumble” is a dance-worthy, foot stomping evening you’ll never forget!
This show is 21+ only.
YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PHYSICAL ID. A PICTURE OF YOUR ID IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Christmas Through The Ages
Christmas Through The Ages – Join the Washington Men’s Camerata, and Guest Director Scott Tucker for a program of Christmas and holiday music spanning the centuries through today, featuring the music of Bach, Lauridsen, Abbie Betinis, and many others.
