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Del Ray Café Celebrating 10th Anniversary by Giving Back in a Big Way

Margaret and Lauren Janowsky, Heather Peeler, Tricia Ritchie, Lauren Fisher and Cele Garrett. Photo: Lucelle O’Flaherty
Margaret and Laurent Janowsky, Heather Peeler, Tricia Ritchie, Lauren Fisher and Cele Garrett.
Photo: Lucelle O’Flaherty

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Ten years ago, Margaret and Laurent Janowsky renovated a 1925 bungalow and opened Del Ray Café at 205 East Howell Avenue, in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. To celebrate that milestone, they are giving back in a big way, by donating 5% of all May sales to ACT for Alexandria, the community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of people in Alexandria.

The restaurant made the announcement on April 27 during Spring2Action, ACT for Alexandria’s largest single giving day. At that same time, Wendy Brown of the Surviving Survivors Fund and The Jen Walker Team—McEnearney Associates, Inc. REALTORS jumped in and offered to match the donations.

Del Ray Cafe at 205 East Howell has seating inside and on their side porch. They also have a “little library” out front. (Zebra Press File Photo)

Del Ray Café’s flavors are French-inspired, and diners are served local, natural and organic products daily for brunch and dinner. The couple’s mission to “Buy Local” in every aspect of its business extends to its annual giving. As a result, the community voted Del Ray Café the 2017Heart of Del Ray, an honor awarded annually by the Del Ray Business Association.

“When we decided to again make a charitable donation for our 10th anniversary, we couldn’t think of a better choice than ACT,” said Laurent. Margaret added, “Witnessing first-hand the enormous outpouring of generosity by our neighbors during today’s Spring2ACTion continues to reflect how far spread our community’s interests and concerns are. We decided that a donation to ACT for Alexandria continues to be the best way to benefit the greatest number of people in our community.”

Heather Peeler, President and CEO of ACT, said, “We are honored and thrilled that Laurent and Margaret are celebrating the anniversary of Del Ray Café with this generous donation,” adding, “Del Ray Café and the Janowsky family embody the spirit of Alexandria, a community that is compassionate and dedicated to caring for one another.”

The donation will support ACT’s programs and initiatives including the Youth Council, the Youth Support Network, and the Racial Equity Capacity Building Initiative. ACT has invested more than $1M in capacity building grants to deserving Alexandria nonprofits since 2005. More details about ACT and the grants program can be found online at www.actforalexandria.org .

This generous donation, coupled with the matching grants, is expected to be more than
$30,000. The donation will be presented to ACT on June 3, 2022 at Del Ray Café.

If you want to be a part of this amazing gift, make your reservation to dine on Open Table, or call the restaurant directly at (703) 717-9151. Del Ray Café is open daily for brunch 9:00 a.m to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Visit their website for menus and more information.

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Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city. A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class and has served as President of Living Legends of Alexandria since 2022. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.

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[…] also announced, with the help of The Zebra Press Z-TV, our 10th Anniversary donation. May 1, 2022 was our 10th Anniversary. We announced that we are […]

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