Faced with a drastic disruption in foot traffic, Alexandria-based Comfort One Shoes had to pivot. The pandemic forced the company to focus its energy on online sales, bringing in more casual merchandise and closing the Union Station location in D.C.
Company President Garrett Breton says the efforts made 2021 sales higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
There will soon be a second Chewish Deli bagel shop in Old Town, as the company officially announced it is working to open at the former Dunkin’ Donuts space at 1640 King Street.
Chewish Deli opened its first brick and mortar at 807 Pendleton Street in the Braddock area in October 2020. It began seven months before that as a food truck selling bagels, hot pastrami and Reuben sandwiches.
(Updated at 1:45 p.m. on Jan. 5) The new owner of 628 King Street is shopping the property around, and wants it to remain two retail spaces.
Douglas Development now owns three of the four buildings at the intersection of King and Washington Streets. The D.C.-based commercial real estate firm owns the adjacent properties at 700 (Lululemon) and 701 King Street (the now-closed Le Pain Quotidien), as well as 610 King Street (Anthropologie), 614 King Street (H&M) and 615 King Street (the former Walgreens) and 700 King Street.
With the City of Alexandria closing off the 100 block of King Street for good, it’s looking to make some permanent additions to the street to signal that it’s closed to car traffic.
The city is applying to the Board of Architectural Review at the Wednesday, Jan. 5, meeting for approval of traffic-blocking bollards that will close off the ends of the 100 block of King Street. The city will be using the same type of bollards already in place along the Waterfront.
With all due respect to Mount Vernon Avenue, King Street is probably Alexandria’s most iconic roadway — but it wasn’t intended to be.
Today, King Street is synonymous with Old Town and runs out to the northwest corner of the city, where it becomes Leesburg Pike. According to Historic Alexandria, the office that oversees the city’s museums and historic sites, back in 1749 city planners had intended for Cameron Street to be the main avenue in Alexandria.
After decades at the corner of King and Washington Streets in Old Town, national retailers Banana Republic and Gap Outlet are closing their doors forever on January 24, 2021.
All merchandise is currently marked between 20% and 40% at Banana Republic (628 King Street), and up to 70% off at Gap Outlet (622 King Street).
The four-story, three part development at 1300 King Street could be finished by this time next year, according to a partner in the joint venture.
The former homes to Pines of Florence and Aftertime Comics at 1300 and 1304 King Street (at the corner of S. Payne Street) are now shells of their former selves. The buildings were erected in the early 19th century and are in the process of being restored by developers The Holladay Corporation and The Foundry Companies.
A Tysons coffee shop specializing in Turkish blends is planning to move into a former chocolatier space in Old Town.
Turkish Coffee Lady is a cultural and coffee/tea kiosk in Tysons Corner Center that is applying to open a store at 1001 King Street, Zebra first reported. Owner Gizem Salcigil White has filed a special use permit (SUP) for a change of ownership for the building that once housed Blüprint Chocolatiers and, more notoriously, white nationalist Richard Spencer.
Bethesda-based Fresh Baguette is planning to open shop at 1101 King Street in Old Town by January or February 2022.
The bakery, which was founded in 2013 and has two bakeries in Maryland and one in Georgetown, recently a request for an alteration at the Alexandria location, which sits at the corner of King Street and Henry Street (southbound Route 1) in Old Town. The move is part of an expansion plan that will see a number of the bakeries popping up around the region.
After more than four decades at 113 King Street, Silver Parrot Jewelry is closing by the end of the year — or as soon as the shop sells out of its heavily discounted merchandise.
Store manager Megan Vail told ALXnow that the decision was made when the landlord doubled the rent. She says store owner Peter Dunn hasn’t been able to find a new location for years, and instead the business is looking to liquidate its existing stock.
A Fairfax County man was arrested and released multiple traffic offenses in Old Town on Oct. 10, including driving while intoxicated, driving under a revoked/suspended license and two counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
The 59-year-old suspect allegedly hit three vehicles and drove off while attempting to park in front of The Light Horse Restaurant at 715 King Street, according to a search warrant affidavit.
