Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Monday, Aug. 11, the 223rd day of 2025. There are 142 days left in the year.
🌤️ Today’s weather: Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around six mph in the afternoon. Patchy fog tonight after 3 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 6 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
🚨 You need to know
A new daytime eatery opened its doors Monday morning in Old Town Alexandria, bringing Midwest-style breakfast and brunch fare to King Street.
HomeGrown: A Daytime Eatery began serving customers at 6:30 a.m. at 1600 King St., in the space formerly occupied by BRABO Brasserie in the Archer Hotel. The restaurant marks the first Virginia location for the growing chain, which operates more than a dozen locations across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, and Nebraska.
The restaurant is operated by Thrive Restaurant Group, the Wichita, Kansas-based company that operates more than 200 restaurants in 18 states, including franchised Applebee’s locations, Bakesale, Carlos O’Kelly’s, and Qdoba. HomeGrown was founded in 2017 by Jon and Lauren Rolph in Wichita.
BRABO Brasserie, which had operated in the space for several years, closed on Nov. 22, 2024. HomeGrown’s opening was first announced the same month as BRABO’s closure.
The restaurant specializes in breakfast, brunch, and lunch items, featuring locally sourced ingredients, as listed on its menu. Signature dishes include coffee cake with buttermilk caramel sauce, homemade “Pop’d Hearts” pastries, and seasonal items such as lemon ricotta pancakes and limoncello French toast. The eatery also serves coffee from local roaster Swing’s Coffee Roasters and offers alcoholic beverages, including mimosas and Bloody Marys.
“Good Morning, Alexandria! Our new breakfast, brunch & lunch eatery is NOW OPEN in Old Town,” the restaurant posted on Instagram Monday morning. HomeGrown operates daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Here’s what else you need to know
🚒 Alexandria firefighters responded to a serious motor vehicle accident on the Capital Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge early Sunday morning, rescuing a driver who became trapped underneath a tractor-trailer.
🐶 Alexandria dog owners can treat their furry companions to a refreshing end-of-summer swim this Saturday (Aug. 16) as the city launches its annual Dog Swim series at Memorial Pool.
🍻 Port City Brewing Company will host its second annual Port to Port Beer Festival on Saturday.
🏫 It’s hard to believe, but the first day of school for Alexandria City Public Schools is now just one week away. Here’s the 2025-26 Traditional Academic Calendar for Families.
📈 Sunday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Aug. 10, 2025.
- Notes: Alexandria Sidewalk Sale kicks off action-packed summer weekend
- Notes: Alexandria opens city pools to dogs for annual summer swim sessions
- Missing 76-year-old Alexandria woman found safe after hours-long search
- Local Acting Opportunities: Three film projects currently casting in Alexandria
- Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is on the defensive in Virginia’s race for governor
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s happening today in Alexandria, as per our newsletter and event calendar.
Things To Do
- 10:15 a.m.: Senior Bingo at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: Inova Blood Drive at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company
- 6:30 p.m.: Alexandria BPAC Social to celebrate Mill Road bike lanes at 2429 Mandeville Ln.
- 7 p.m.: Friends of the Duncan Library – Monthly Board Meeting at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
- 7 p.m.: Let’s Talk Books – “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” by Bill Bryson virtual with Alexandria Public Library
Live Music & Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Just For Fun at 9 p.m.
- Augie’s Mussel House: Live music at 5 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s: Traditional Irish Music Session at 7 p.m.
- Del Ray Pizzeria: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Jim West at 6 p.m.
- Mason Social: Rook Richards at 5 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Colby Sard at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
City of Alexandria Events & Public Meetings
- 3:30 p.m.: VIRTUAL: Child Youth Fam. Coll. Comm Exec. Mtg..
- 6:30 p.m.: DCHS Meeting with Boards and Commissions Chair
- 7 p.m.: Alexandria-Caen Sister Cities Committee
Organizing an event? Submit your event to ALXnow’s Event Calendar.
