A 16-year-old male was beaten up and robbed by a gang of five teenagers in the Bradlee Shopping Center on (Thursday) April 28, according to Alexandria Police.
The victim was jumped and robbed of cash by a gang of five male juveniles. The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. as the victim walked on the sidewalk between 3672 and 3676 King Street in the shopping center, according to police.
“Money was taken from the victim, but due to a witness intervening the money was recovered at the scene,” Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said.
The incident follows the September 21, 2021, shooting of a juvenile at a nearby McDonald’s, which is a short distance from Alexandria City High School. A juvenile was arrested at the restaurant a month later after a fight where a man was injured.
No arrests have been made, and the relationship between the victim and suspects is uncertain, police said.
Anyone with information on the robbery is urged to call the Alexandria Police Department at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
Two Alexandria restaurant groups have been nominated as the top performers in their industry as part of the 40th annual Rammy Awards.
The Bun Papa pop-up, which is located in the Beeliner Diner at the Bradlee Shopping Center, is nominated for outstanding pop-up concept. This is their second nomination in a row since being nominated as the region’s best pop-up spot.
It’s also the second year in a row that the Neighborhood Restaurant Group has been nominated, although this year the nomination goes to NRG’s Michael Babin for restaurateur of the year. The company, which owns 19 local eateries, was awarded a Rammy last year for the most impressive pandemic pivot to provisions or market.
Public voting for the eventual winners begins this month, and the awards will be presented in a gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on July 24.
Bun Papa owner Markos Panas is asking that his customers rally for his pop-up with their votes.
“It’s an honor already to be nominated as a business, and we want to bring this thing forward with the support of all Alexandria and take home the win for everybody,” Panas said.
Noelie Rickey and Markos Panas have been busier than bees lately, and on Thursday (Feb. 24) their Beeliner Diner officially opened in the Bradlee Shopping Center.
The new family restaurant at 3648 King Street is the former longtime home to Atlantis Pizzeria & Restaurant, which closed early last year. Rickey, Panas and partner Dagmawi Abedje also own the Bread & Water Company bakery in the Belle View Shopping Center. They opened a Bun Papa pop-up at the King Street location in November, and the space has been expanded to include the BeeStreet Virtual Food Hall, which is a collection of pop-up concepts ALX Pizza, Boom Chicky (fried chicken) and Bun Papa.
Rickey was raised in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, where there was the original Beeliner Diner.
“It was one of those places where you could go where they were very accepting and tolerant of everybody,” Rickey said. “I just grew up loving the place because it was pure diner food. They closed years and years ago, and I just always loved the name and I loved the vibe of the place, which was so welcoming.”
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant holds 130 seats, including 38 at the milkshake bar.
Panas said that the multiple concepts for the restaurant were the result of the pandemic, as they were forced to shut down a location at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and stop selling wholesale baked goods to local businesses. Their Bun Papa concept also expanded with a location in Capital One Arena.
“Things are moving along incredibly, and we had to scale back a lot,” Panas said. “We’re no longer doing wholesale, we’re no longer doing any farmer’s markets, and those were huge components of our business.”
Panas and Rickey opened Bread & Water Company in 2013 in the Belle View Shopping Center, and had a serious shakeup after a six-alarm fire destroyed neighboring businesses in October 2019.
“The fire and the pandemic completely changed how we were going to do business moving forward,” Rickey said. “And now we have a full house. Everybody looks really happy, and I’m thinking maybe we’re just ready for this sort of thing at this point. Obviously the staff are wearing masks, but I think this is what people are ready for. People are ready to be together again.”
Courtesy photos
Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon is planning a grand opening celebration on Monday, Feb. 28, with a week of deals lined up for different menu items.
The restaurant opened last month in the Bradlee Shopping Center (3690 King Street), which is referred to somewhat bafflingly in a press release as “the heart of Old Town Alexandria.”
Deals on offer that week are:
- Monday, Feb. 28: $1 drumsticks (up to five drumsticks)
- Tuesday, March 1: $1 Mac and Kimcheese or Korean street corn
- Wednesday, March 2: $1 wings or boneless wings (up to 10)
- Thursday, March 3: $1 seasoned fries
The chain started in Busan, South Korea in 2002 and now has 385 locations worldwide and 115 in the United States.
“People in Virginia love Bonchon, and that can be proven through the immense amount of support the restaurants get across the state,” owner Joanne Xie said in the release. “I know we’ll quickly become a meal-time destination to anyone who comes by King Street to enjoy the centuries-old architecture, historic attractions and incredible community of businesses.”
The Bradlee Shopping Center is, again, a bit of a hike from Old Town, but the nearby Fort Ward Park might count as a historic attraction.
Photo via Bonchon Alexandria/Facebook
Capital Bikeshare has been rolling out several new bikeshare stations including a new station near the Bradlee Shopping Center in the heart of Alexandria.
The new station is at the intersection of King Street and W Braddock Road, just a few blocks from the station at Alexandria City High School and one at Radford Street and Osage Street.
https://twitter.com/bikeshare/status/1481644350501126155
Prior to this, the two most recent stations were installed in mid-December in Arlandria and Potomac Yard.
A full map of Capital Bikeshare stations around Alexandria is available online.
A Bonchon Chicken franchise plans to open its doors in December in the Bradlee Shopping Center, ALXnow has learned.
It’s the first Korean fried chicken franchise for Maryland-based owner Stanely Grabowski, who says he wants to open more locations in the area.
“We’re looking for locations right now,” he said. “This is a really good area. I think we have a lot of traffic, a lot of visibility here. This shopping center is a really good shopping center, too.”
When it opens, the location at 3690 King Street will keep Alexandria residents from traveling to Arlington and the Alexandria part of Fairfax County to get their fix.
“When I tried the food I was blown away by it,” Grabowski said. “I’d never had chicken that tastes like this. Basically when it was time to figure out what franchise I wanted to do it was a no-brainer.”
An adult male was injured and a juvenile arrested last week after a fight at the McDonald’s at the Bradlee Shopping Center.
The incident occurred at around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5. The victim was treated for injuries at the scene.
“A juvenile suspect was taken into custody,” APD Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga told ALXnow. “Officers are still looking for several other suspects. It remains an active investigation.”
The incident follows the September 21 shooting of a juvenile at that same McDonald’s, which is a short distance from Alexandria City High School.
It was a busy fall week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.
Our top story this week was on a plan to completely close off the 100 block of King Street as a pedestrian-only zone. The plan has been in the works since 2019, and was put into action last year. ALXnow’s poll on the subject had very one-sided results, showing 91% (791 votes) in favor of a permanent change.
There was a momentous groundbreaking this week, as city leaders converged for the $454.4 million RiverRenew Tunnel Project. The project is a major overhaul to replace Old Town’s combined sewer system and prevent 120 million gallons of combined sewage from flowing into the Potomac River.
School violence has become a major issue in Alexandria, as videos of fights at schools are surfacing on the internet, there have been arrests at Alexandria City Public Schools, and protests in front of City Hall on Monday and Tuesday this week.
As for the Alexandria juvenile who was shot in the upper body at the McDonald’s in the Bradlee Shopping Center last week, police say that there have been no arrests yet.
Important stories
- AlexRenew breaks ground for massive Old Town RiverRenew project
- BREAKING: A bunch of student fights were recorded at George Washington Middle School and put on Instagram
- Last year’s Alexandria City High School class had the highest graduation rate and the lowest student dropout rate ever
- Union says low staffing within Alexandria Fire Department threatens to shut down a fire station
- Upcoming Alexandria City Council and School Board election forums announced
- School Board Chair Meagan Alderton says ACPS leadership will be challenged by high Board turnover
- First apartment building in massive Carlyle Crossing redevelopment starts pre-leasing
- DASH and city leaders celebrate launch of bus system overhaul
- Alexandria starts distributing COVID-19 booster shots
- City Manager lays out plan to push back on evictions in Alexandria
Top stories
- City looks to permanently ‘pedestrianize’ a block of King Street
- UPDATE: Alexandria man charged with homicide after stabbing at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Landmark area
- Total Wine is taking shape in Potomac Yard
- ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria
- Man buys luxury car with fake driver’s license at Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria
- Protestors rally to return police to Alexandria schools, but officials say behind-the-scenes talks have stalled
- Man arrested for posting lewd photos of Alexandria stepsister on Twitter
- Firecracker shuts down Alexandria City High School football game
- Adoptable Chihuahua Dory only weighs 3.5 pounds
- Mayor Wilson: Potomac Yard construction delay ‘could have nothing to do with Metro station’
- Police: Juvenile shot at shopping center near Alexandria City High School
Have a safe weekend!
(Updated 5:15 p.m.) Police are currently investigating a shooting that occurred around 3:45 p.m. today (Tuesday) just a few blocks from Alexandria City High School.
According to an alert put out by the Alexandria Police Department, the incident started with a fight involving juveniles at the Bradlee Shopping Center (3600 King Street).
“Officers discovered a juvenile with a gunshot wound to the upper body,” police said. “Victim taken to hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.”
Witnesses said the shooting started at the McDonalds in the shopping center and went into the Duck Donuts after being shot.
The incident comes after police have been dispatched three times for violent incidents involving juveniles at Alexandria City High School campuses in the area.
NOTIFICATION: Police are in the 3600 blk of King St after getting a call for service around 3:45pm for a fight involving juveniles. Officers discovered a juvenile with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Victim taken to hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) September 21, 2021
SHOOTING W/JUVENILE: 3600 Bl. of King St. Alexandria, V.A. Alexandria PD on scene investigating a shooting with an unknown age juvenile with a single gunshot wound to the arm. That individual was located in the Dunkin Donuts. He has been transported to a local hospital.
— DC REALTIME NEWS (@RealTimeNews10) September 21, 2021
James Cullum contributed to this story. Photo via Google Maps
What an interesting week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.
World champion sprinter Noah Lyles brought home his bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. In a frank, TED Talk-like speech at Alexandria City High School, Lyles talked about the importance of mental health as he struggled to perform at the games.
“A lot of people will look at the Olympics this year like something was different with the athletes,” said Lyles. “Well, it was a lot of difference because we had so much weight that we had to hold onto — about two years. I was no different.”
On the COVID-19 front, while the transmission level remains high in Alexandria, this week the city tied with Arlington for the lowest seven-day positivity rate in Virginia. Large outdoor public events are still happening, too, and on Monday, a vast majority of local elected officials and candidates converged for the Alexandria Democratic Committee’s annual Labor Day Picnic, which included an appearance by gubernatorial candidate, former Governor Terry McAuliffe.
Important stories
- Alexandria Police say string of 7-Eleven robberies are connected
- West End trail project derailed by stalled development
- Mural Mania: Check out these three new murals in Old Town
- Mudhouse Coffee buys building in Old Town
Top stories
- Man arrested for spending spree after finding wallet in Bradlee Shopping Center parking lot
- COVID-19 Update: Alexandria ties with Arlington for lowest seven-day positivity rate in Virginia
- BREAKING: Pedestrian critically injured in Old Town car crash
- Mark Center development plans head to Planning Commission this week
- Alexandria Police union calls out years of executive mismanagement
- JUST IN: Suspects arrested after allegedly firing shots at Alexandria Police
- BREAKING: Video shows brawl at Alexandria City High School cafeteria just two days after school starts
- Mayor outlines upcoming plastic bag tax plans
- Village Brauhaus aims for rooftop expansion
- No injuries or arrests after shots fired in Old Town Sunday night
- Most expensive homes sold in Alexandria in August
Have a safe weekend!
