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Little Birdie in Del Ray wants to use alley for more outdoor seating

As it prepares to open later this month, Little Birdie in Del Ray wants to add more outside seating.

Restaurant owners Matt Sloan and Eric Brannon are asking the city for permission to install 16 additional outdoor seats in an unused alley, adding to the 10 seats already approved. In March, the city approved the change in ownership at the venue. The space at 1504B Mount Vernon Avenue was formerly occupied by Benny DiForza’s Pizza, which opened in February 2024 and closed last October.

Little Birdie will hold its ribbon cutting with the Del Ray Business Association on Tuesday, June 23, just before the restaurant opens at 11 a.m.

Brannon and Sloan also own Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar (1501 Mount Vernon Avenue), which they opened in 2022 in the former home of Charlie’s On The Avenue. The restaurant is a finalist for a regional RAMMY Award. Sloan is a former managing partner of Alexandria Restaurant Partners, which owns The Majestic, Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Ada’s on the River and numerous other Alexandria restaurants.

Sloan and Brannon signed their lease at the end of 2025 from property owner and attorney Michael Hadeed.

The last day for public comments on the special use permit request for additional outdoor seating is June 24.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.