An in-store pub and café at Alexandria’s Whole Foods Market is closing permanently this month.
The Duke St. Ice House’s last day of operations at 1700 Duke Street is this Monday, April 6, according to signs posted outside the café. The forthcoming closure has prompted some disappointment from local customers, some of whom have created an online forum and plan to write a letter to the supermarket’s management.
“Many frequent customers are disappointed to lose this popular community spot … We plan on writing a final letter to management (think petition) about the Old Town location losing the coffee and pub,” a message posted to the forum reads.
Whole Foods Market and its owner, Amazon, did not respond to requests for comment on the closure. Employees at the café Wednesday declined to comment.
It’s unclear why the supermarket is closing its pub and café, but at least one customer suggested it may be due to renovation plans.
“When we asked the Whole Foods bartender about it, he told us the plans to turn it into a return center [for Amazon],” Amy Decker told ALXnow.
Whole Foods has operated at 1700 Duke Street for two decades. The Duke St. Ice House first opened in 2018 as the supermarket expanded its restaurant offerings. The supermarket currently offers delivery, pickup and return services for Amazon.
The café closure comes as Amazon earlier this year announced nationwide closures of its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, with plans to convert some locations into Whole Foods Markets. The Amazon Fresh store at the Potomac Yard Shopping Center closed after just a year and a half in operation.
