Getting hungry? A number of new restaurants are slated to open this year in Alexandria, according to the city’s tourism bureau.
Visit Alexandria highlighted many of these new businesses in their annual “What’s New in Alexandria” update, which was held Thursday morning (Dec. 27).
After 10 years in Old Town, Nando’s Peri-Peri is letting its lease expire and will close in mid-March.
Nando’s Peri-Peri opened at 702 King Street in 2010. With its leaser expiring, staff told ALXnow that it’s challenging to do business in the old building that is 186 years old.
There’s a new coffee shop on King Street. Turkish Coffee Lady officially opened its doors at 1001 King Street in Old Town, joining a handful of neighboring coffee-inspired hangouts.
The space at the corner of Patrick Street (also Route 1) and King Streets is the former location of Blüprint Chocolatiers, and the second floor was notoriously once home to white nationalist Richard Spencer.
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.
Inova discourages ER visits for mild, asymptomatic COVID testing — “With demand for COVID-19 testing high, Inova Health System says emergency room visits should be reserved for emergency and critical needs.” [Patch]
New restaurants coming to Shirlington — “Chinese-Korean eatery opens first Virginia location; beer hall to take over Capital City Brewing spot.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
A new Ethiopian restaurant is coming to Van Dorn Plaza sometime next year.
Asmare Kebede is planning to open Roha Ethiopian Restaurant at 291 S Van Dorn Street, formerly The Little Gym.
ACHS basketball coach resigns — “Alexandria City varsity boys’ basketball coach Darryl Prue said he resigned from his position Thursday morning following an in-game incident Tuesday night in which he went into the crowd to confront heckling fans at Wakefield High in Arlington.” [Washington Post]
French bakery ‘Fresh Baguette’ crossing the river into Old Town Alexandria — “Fresh Baguette bakery will be opening its fourth location — and first in Alexandria — at 1101 King St. in early 2022. The French bakery has stores in Bethesda, Rockville and Georgetown.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Metro to keep reduced service through Dec. 31 — “Metro will continue offering reduced rail service through the end of the year, WMATA announced Monday.” [NBC4]
Bun Papa opens third location in Bradlee Shopping Center — “The newest Bun Papa location operates out of the future BeeLiner Diner which will open in Bradlee Shopping Center early next year.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Chewish Deli expanding to King Street — “In paperwork filed with the City, Chewish Deli owner Gregg Linzey is requesting a permit to open up a store at 1640 King Street, which was most recently the site of a Dunkin Donuts.” [Zebra]
Profile of home with some famous former residents — “The Nordquists, who have both held prominent jobs in the federal government, purchased the home in 2004, but they aren’t the first dignitaries to reside there.” [Alexandria Times]
It was election week in Alexandria, so congratulations and/or condolences.
Alexandria Democrats managed to hold onto all of the City Council seats. Mayor Justin Wilson won reelection and Elizabeth Bennett-Parker was elected to the 45th District House of Delegates seat. But any local Democrat euphoria was dampened by statewide losses that Wilson warned could reverse recent local wins on some issues.
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.
