Crumbl Cookies is coming to Alexandria’s Bradlee Shopping Center.
There have been reports of the cookie store coming to the Bradlee Shopping Center for years, but construction is finally underway.
Construction started at the end of March at 3618 King Street to convert the 1,900-square foot space into a cookie shop. The shopping center now lists the store as one of its tenants.
Crumbl Cookies founded in 2017 in Utah, and the franchise now has more than 900 locations. In 2022, the company reportedly sold more than $1 billion in cookies. That’s a lot of dough.
Crumbl Cookies is known for their weekly rotating menu of cookies.
The nearest Crumbl Cookies to Alexandria is in the Kingstowne area of Fairfax County (5810 Kingstowne Towne Center).
There’s a new Honduran restaurant in town.
Como En Casa (Just Like Home) opened last month at 4112 Mount Vernon Avenue in the former home of Ferman’s Bar & Grill. It’s the first restaurant for owner Jury Vaquedano, who brightened the interior by painting the walls, and adding large televisions, as well as a fresh menu and staff.
One thing that is sticking around is the rotisserie oven for cooking roasted chicken.
“We have great pupusas, chicken fajitas and tacos,” Vaquedano said. “Lunch is getting busier every day because people are finding out how good the food is.”
Vaquedano is in the process of getting a license to serve wine and beer, and wants to host Olympic watch parties this summer, as well as for other big sporting events.
The entrees at the restaurant cost between $15 and $30.
Vaquedano has owned a roofing company, JVC Home Improvement, for the last eight years. In 2018 she opened a food truck, El Sazon Catracho, but closed it in 2020. Since then, she’s worked with her sister’s Honduran restaurant in Springfield, Hondu Pollo (6959 Hechinger Drive).
Como En Casa serves breakfast all day and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Sky Zone, an indoor playspace featuring trampolines, climbing walls, zip lines and more announced plans to expand into Alexandria, but the specific location is still to be determined.
Alexandria is one of three new locations planned for the region, along with one in Arlington and another in Frederick, Maryland.
A representative from a PR firm told ALXnow that the company is “still narrowing down the location specifics” but that all three locations are set to open by next year.
Sky Zone, which has locations around the country, has individual 90 minute, 120 minute and all-day passes, membership options, or party/group hosting.
If Sky Zone is still looking for a location, we have it on good authority some space just opened up in Potomac Yard.
Photo via Sky Zone/Facebook
Alloy Personal Training held a grand opening for a new studio this weekend at 1070 N. Fayette Street in the Braddock neighborhood.
The new studio — with the somewhat geographically loose title Alloy Personal Training Old Town — celebrated its ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 23. Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce joined Alexandria resident and studio owner Russ Merbeth at the opening.
“We cater to people of all fitness levels,” said Alloy Personal Training studio owner Merbeth. “Our personal training system is uniquely focused on clients who want to be in the best shape of their lives — not just the younger set that many gyms target. We know that people do better with personal coaching, encouragement, support, and accountability. Our clients want to look good, feel great, and live life to the fullest.”
The studio is offering a “First Session is on Us” special.
There are 240 Alloy Personal Training locations nationwide, but the new studio is the first in Alexandria.
As the old saying goes: when one spa closes, another one opens.
While Windsor of Old Town is closing this month after 43 years in Alexandria, a new business called Spa180 Prestige has opened at 2813 Duke Street. The spa also has a large parking area on-site.
The spa owners told ALXnow the business opened last month but are running “grand opening” specials this month on massages and more.
The spa is offering grand opening specials throughout March, including:
- Swedish Massage with Hot Stone: $79 for one hour, $99 for 90 minutes
- Intro Glow Facial: exfoliating, hydrating and lifting facial massage: $89 for one hour
- Eyelash extension: $90
- Microblading/Ombre: $550
The spa also offers waxing, group spa-day bookings, body scrubs and more.
Image via Spa180 Prestige/Instagram
Nothing punctuates your feelings like throwing an ax, and now there’s a new place to do it while drinking a beer in Alexandria’s West End.
Bad Axe Throwing opened at 617 S. Pickett Street in October, offering walk-in and appointments for customers to hone their axe and knife-throwing skills. After signing a waiver, it costs between $30 and $40 per-person to hurl the sharp objects at the wooden targets.
Staff joke that the experience is cheaper than getting therapy, but just as rejuvenating. The business also serves alcohol and some food.
“We’re all about getting people out of the house, the office, and having fun together,” said Skylar Mills, Bad Axe’s operations manager. “We’ve got team games, mini tournaments, and even a reoccurring league to get those competitive juices flowing. More chill and laid back? Our trained staff will always show you the ropes, make sure everyone’s throwing safely, and will gladly serve you some drinks and food on-site.”
Manager Alissa Henkel and her staff teach customers one and two-handed throwing techniques.
“It’s all about finding your throw, your technique,” she said. “Once you get it’s a lot of fun, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is awesome.'”
The Canadian-based company has more than 40 locations, with 21 locations in the U.S. The nearest to Alexandria is the Fairfax location, which opened in 2019.
Alexandria’s location has seven lanes and 14 wooden targets.
Bad Axe Throwing is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., on Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It is closed Monday.
Marino’s Pizza and Subs at 3100 Richmond Highway* could soon become a Middle Eastern restaurant with a carry-out focus.
Owner Talat Omar filed a special use permit with the City of Alexandria to turn the now-closed pizza place into Omar’s Pitas & Platters.
“We are transitioning to a carry-out Middle Eastern restaurant with revised cuisine/kitchen equipment and different hours,” Omar said in the application. “We will be serving pitas and rice platters with a variety of toppings.”
The permit said the new business will operate from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
*That might be Lynhaven rather than Potomac Yard, but that’s not as alliterative.
Image via Google Maps
Got dinner plans for Super Bowl Sunday? Benny Diforza’s 28-inch pies will be available in Del Ray starting this week.
The restaurant has been in the works since last summer in the former home of Sicilian Pizza at 1504B Mount Vernon Avenue. Manager Hayden Ko says the restaurant is waiting for one more permit approval from the city before the pizza oven gets fired up. She also said that the restaurant will open this week.
“I’m really excited to start working,” Ko said. “I have 15 employees and last week and we had a staff dinner with their families, and it was great to meet everyone and get the vibes up.”
The restaurant is well known for selling 28-inch pies that go for $5 to $6.50 per slice.
Benny’s first opened its Blacksburg location in 2011, and now has dozens of locations throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wyoming. Each location has a different last name, with Del Ray’s Diforza literally translating to “of strength.”
According to the Benny’s website: “Order a whole pie and feed 2 families. We limit our toppings and we don’t count pennies so everything stays simple.”
A new firm specializing in representing and exhibiting Cuban artists opened in Old Town this weekend.
NCO Creative is an art consulting firm that opened this Saturday at 119 South Fairfax Street — a block south of City Hall.
A release said the firm specializes in contemporary and Cuban art. According to the release:
They provide services such as art acquisitions, artist representation, exhibition coordination, and cultural experience curation. Founder Natalie O’Connor has exclusive access to established and emerging artists from around the world through her work with the World Bank Art Program, private galleries, and international friends.
The company’s Facebook page noted that the venue can also be used to stage parties
Who doesn’t want a little bit of Willy Wonka in Alexandria?
This spring, Madame Coco’s Emporium And Everything Chocolate will open at 103 S. St. Asaph Street in the Old Town space that was the previous home to the Mint Condition consignment shop (now at 122 S. Royal Street). The creative force behind the project says that once it opens it will be a salon-styled chocolate shop for hanging out and getting Tarot card readings.
Meshelle Armstrong of the Eat Good Food Group is still designing the concept, which was first reported by Alexandria Living Magazine. She’s renting the space from building owner Megan Podolsky and partnering with Daniel and Stacey Wharam, the owners of Zuki Moon in Del Ray, Grape + Bean Rosemont and Fontaine Caffe & Creperie.
Armstrong also created the concept for Zuki Moon, which opened last October. Like the Zuki character, Madame Coco will have an entirely fictional backstory to set the tone for the hangout. She says she wants to open the shop sometime in March, and is still looking for partners.
“I’m sourcing chocolate from all over the world,” Armstrong told ALXnow. “I believe I can this can turn this into something really special. I really would like to find a small group of people who would be interested in partnering.”
Armstrong said that the Madame Coco character is one of her alter egos and that the shop will carry ice cream, an assortment of chocolates, candles, as well as serve non-alcoholic drinks.
“She’s loves fantasy, she loves whimsy, she loves chocolate and she loves socializing,” Armstrong said. “That’s basically who she is, and the shop is going to be like an old fashioned Parisian-styled salon where you can sit and eat chocolate and drink coffee and come up with ideas.”
