Old Town’s Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe and Wine Bar (109 S. Alfred Street) is taking a dig at neighbor JD Vance after the Trump running mate’s “childless cat ladies” comment.
A 2021 interview in which Vance called Democrats being “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too” resurfaced. Vance also advocated for parents to cast additional votes based on their number of children.
It’s official: Tatte Bakery & Cafe is coming to 515 King Street in the heart of Old Town — pending the approval of a special use permit.
The plans to open in Old Town were first reported by the Washington Business Journal back in October, but applicant Tatte Holdings LLC just filed the permit to make it official.
The Electra America Hospitality Group (EAHG) has filed an application to open a new cafe with outdoor seating at Hotel AKA — an Old Town North Holiday Inn replacement at 625 First Street with a dark exterior.
The amendment to allow a cafe is bundled in with an official change of ownership special use permit headed through the city review process.
Mae’s Market & Cafe is open for business at the sprawling Atrium Building in Old Town.
The coffee shop/all-day food market opened last week in space formally occupied by Society Fare. The Atrium Building was built in 1978 and is undergoing an upgrade with other new tenants, including ALX Community.
Virginia mask mandate tweaked by governor — “The amended executive order follows CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask outdoors when alone or in small gatherings. Masks remain required in shared indoors settings as well as outdoors at large crowded events such as concerts, sporting events or graduation ceremonies.” [Patch]
Federal grand jury charges Arlington lawyer with paying underage victims for sex — “Matthew Erausquin, 46, was arrested in November after a 1.5-year-long investigation. He was charged in Alexandria federal court with sex trafficking minors, producing child pornography, and charges related to transporting or forcing victims to cross state lines for sex.” [ARLnow]
Sometimes buying an existing business is easier than starting from scratch.
The latest Alexandria listings on BizBuySell show a number of businesses for sale. Many are restaurants, which have been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
Goodwin House Conducting Virtual Job Fair for Servers at 1 p.m. — “When you join our team, you’ll also be working at one of the Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area according to The Washington Post. Our pay is highly competitive, we offer outstanding benefits and we provide opportunities for growth and excellent perks such as access to our swimming pools and fitness facilities.” [Indeed]
Old Town Sign to Stay on Theater — “Patagonia will “fix up” the sign so it looks a little bit better and to prevent further water damage to the marquee. Patagonia will put up its own sign underneath the marquee.” [Alexandria Living]
TV Show for Monte Durham’s New Salon? — “There is a possibility that Durham’s salon will be the premise of a new show. ‘I am very proud to say that I have been tapped on the shoulder by a production company out of L.A. that has signed a contract to do a sizzle reel on the hair salon, hopefully to take that to a network and sell it so we’ll have a show on that,’ Durham announced at a Visit Alexandria meeting last month.” [Alexandria Times]
Alexandria BBQ Restaurant on Local TV — “Tommy McFly visit[ed] Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster in Old Town Alexandria to see what it takes to cook award-winning barbecue.” [NBC 4]
Cameron Cafe never really closed, but the little cafe that mostly serves the Cameron Run community is celebrating a ribbon-cutting for its new wine and beer bar.
The Facebook event for the celebration noted that the cafe owner and staff will be at the cafe (4911 Brenman Park Drive) from 5-8 p.m. this afternoon (Monday) to show off the new beer and wine menu. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will also be served.
Absentee Voting Starts Today — “Absentee voting for Virginia’s March 3 Democratic Party Presidential Primary Election begins on Thursday, January 16. Many Alexandria voters are eligible to vote absentee.” [City of Alexandria]
Opening Nears for New Waterfront Coffee Shop — “According to Misha’s General Manager Graham McCulloch, the coffee roaster hopes to open their new waterfront location in April, weather and construction permitting. Misha’s new waterfront coffee shop, the company’s second location, will be at 6 Prince St., the former home of Olde Town Gemstones.” [Alexandria Living]
The new cat cafe that has the town talking is going up to the Planning Commission for approval early next month.
The Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe is slated to open at 109 S. Alfred Street and offer both a place to drink and play with adoptable cats.
