Del Ray restaurant Junction Bakery & Bistro (1508 Mount Vernon Avenue) announced the grand opening of its new bar and patio.
The new expansion includes a 750-foot patio addition at the northern end of the restaurant.
local business
After a construction delay, Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza is still planning to open in Old Town North before the end of this year, the company tells ALXnow.
Construction started and then stopped at the building at 700 Slaters Lane, and will resume again in the next few weeks, according to Natasha Neely, a vice president for marketing for the company. Neely did not comment on the delay.
Regional gelato chain Pitango Gelato opened earlier this week at 115 S. Union Street in Old Town, a block away from the waterfront.
The location held a grand opening on Tuesday, June 25. The new location is next to Union Street Public House and less than a block away from Ben & Jerry’s.
A new rooftop bar called Good Fortune opened last week at Old Town’s brand new Hotel Heron (699 Prince Street) and it’s planning to capitalize on its scenic view with a 4th of July event.
The bar is hosting a party called “Red, White and Views” celebrating the new scenic view of the Potomac River and D.C.
The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) just debuted a new rewards program that encourages shoppers to buy at Alexandria brick-and-mortar restaurants and shops.
The new program, called ALX Open Rewards, is a downloadable app that lets customers get $5 rewards for every $100 they spend at local restaurants and businesses. The app is sponsored by AEDP and hosted on the Bludot Open Rewards app, downloadable on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
A new GoFundMe is hoping to help keep the band playing on at Del Ray School of Music as owner Steve Attix battles cancer.
The GoFundMe, launched by his wife Mary Ellen Attix, aims to keep the school going as Steve goes through chemotherapy to battle T3 muscle-invasive bladder cancer. After chemotherapy, Steve will need surgery to remove his bladder, and Mary said the treatment will be difficult.
Tired of working at home? ALX Community is opening their fourth co-working location in Old Town in August.
The new two-story 17,000 square-foot office has waterfront views and will open at 101 N. Union Street on August 1, just a block away from their location at 201 N. Union Street.
Old Town gift and apparel shop The Happy Place is getting a little bigger.
Stella Koukides, one of the owners of The Happy Place, said the store at 105 S. Union Street has opened up into neighboring 107 S. Union Street, formerly The Gentlemen’s Quarters, which closed in March.
Koukides said the new expanded area of the shop is currently open and features a new curated collection with a focus on vacation-wear.
“Our expanded haven curates a collection that captures the carefree essence of vacation ready,” Koukides wrote. “From beach cover ups to leisure wear you will be in vacation mode. Get ready to brighten up your day with our curated selection of fun and vibrant jewelry, apparel, gifts, and self-care products!”
The shop offers a wide variety of goods, from sweet treats and self-care items to clothing and party goods.
Just in time for Pride Month, a new LGBTQ+ bar opened in Del Ray on Tuesday night.
The Pride on the Avenue pop-up is the only bar catering to Alexandria’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning community.
It’s been a busier month than usual for Smoking Kow BBQ.
After being listed as #79 in Yelp’s Top 100 barbecue joints in the country, the restaurant and its catering operation have seen a giant boost in sales, owner Diane Lee told ALXnow.
The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved new outreach guidelines for the potential creation of a Business Improvement District (BIDs) in Old Town on Tuesday night.
Without buy-in from 60% of impacted property owners, previous efforts to get BIDs started in Old Town failed. Consequently, City Council on Tuesday night approved the amended rules stipulating that property owners will now be sent petitions via certified mail, and that their non-response within 30 days will be counted just as if they vote in opposition.