After being closed since January, Abyssinia Market and Coffee House will reopen on Saturday (May 13) in Old Town, owner Lily Damtew recently announced on Facebook.
“I’m very happy to announce that we’ll be reopening the coffee shop this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.” she wrote on Facebook. “All beer and wines are on sale everything must go. Thank you for all the love and support you showed us, we hope to see you on Saturday!”
This could be the start of something big.
In February, Alamgir Mia opened AJ Tobacco & Mini Mart at 1037 W. Glebe Road in the former Look Sharp Cleaners. It’s the first business for the Bangladeshi-born owner, who signed a 10-year lease and hopes to open more convenience stores in the future.
After seven years in retirement in Italy, Franco Abbruzzetti is back at Trattoria da Franco in Old Town.
Last fall, the 85-year-old bought back his restaurant at 305 S. Washington Street from Michael Strutton, who bought it in 2017 and renamed it Michael’s Little Italy. Abbruzzetti and his wife moved to Rome, adopted a young boy, Bruno, who is now five years old, and got bored being away from his business.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
After eight months, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reopened it’s yellow line on Sunday. The line has been out of service since September to allow work on the Potomac River tunnel and bridge.
The brothers behind the new Dos Hermanos Tex Mex restaurant in Del Ray want to open by this summer.
On April 1, Wilmer and Elmer Cruz Villatoro signed a 10-year lease for the 4,000-square-foot space at 1603 Commonwealth Avenue. The interior renovations are nearly finished, with bright red and yellow walls adorned by colorful sombreros and prints of Mexican paintings.
ACT for Alexandria did it again.
Wednesday’s Spring2ACTion fundraiser — the largest single day of giving in Alexandria — broke the record set two years ago by collecting $2.9 million for 182 local nonprofits. The 13th annual event received more than 7,700 individual donations and ACT for Alexandria exceeded its goal of $2.5 million.
If the weather is nice this weekend, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get frozen custard at Goodie’s Frozen Custard & Treats in Old Town.
This month, owner Brandon Byrd reopened on weekends with sunny, warm weather — soft openings for his soft serve custard, so to speak.
The Board Hound at 133 South Peyton Street in Old Town is hoping to live up to its name as a place to board dogs.
The facility offers training services and training services for canines, but according to an application, it’s hoping to expand to offer overnight dog care.
Crooked Beat Records will move from Old Town North to its new Del Ray home the week after Record Store Day on April 22 (Saturday), owner Bill Daly tells ALXnow.
The store’s last day at at 802 N. Fairfax Street will be on Saturday, April 29, after which it will be open on weekends. The new store at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray will likely open in June.
There’s a new salon in Old Town.
Amber + Slate soft opened — a quieter trial run compared to the more bombastic “grand opening” — in January at 123 N. Washington Street in the former Circe Salon and Spa.
It’s a beautiful spring morning in Alexandria!
Today’s weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 72 degrees during the day, and cloudy with a low of 56 degrees tonight.
