Mae’s Market and Cafe in Alexandria Closing for Good Jan. 19
Owner Nicole Jones says in a Facebook post she could not 'reach favorable lease terms with our landlord.'
ALEXANDRIA, VA-In a Facebook post yesterday (Dec. 17), Nicole Jones, the owner of Mae’s Market and Cafe (277 S. Washington St.), shared that it will close permanently Jan. 19. Jones says in the post that the cafe, which opened in Aug. 2021, is closing “due to the inability to reach favorable lease terms with our landlord. Our relationship has been nothing but favorable; we simply were unable to make the economics work for both parties.”
The wine bar, Virginia’s Darling, also located at the same address inside the Atrium and owned by Jones, will close Dec. 28.
Mae’s Market and Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and offers small grocery items. Many of their treats are made from scratch.
Jones, who also owns Stomping Ground in Del Ray, named the cafe after her great grandmother. The full announcement is below:
Dear Friends and Valued Guests,
It is with a heavy heart that I am sharing the difficult news that both Virginia’s Darling and Mae’s Market and Café in Alexandria will be closing for business due to the inability to reach favorable lease terms with our landlord. Our relationship has been nothing but favorable; we simply were unable to make the economics work for both parties.
Our final day of service at Virginia’s Darling will be December 28, and at Mae’s Market and Café Alexandria, it will be January 19. We invite you to join us in celebrating these final days together. Come share one last meal, enjoy a favorite dish and help us say goodbye in the way that has always felt right—together, around our itsy bitsy tables.
I hope you will join me as I extend my deepest thanks to our incredible team, whose hard work, passion, and commitment have been the heart of both restaurants. With their help, it has been a true honor to serve you, share in your celebrations, and watch friendships blossom over meals, coffee and sometimes too much wine. Your unwavering support has been the foundation of our success, and I will be forever grateful for your patronage.
While this chapter is ending, we hope that you will come and see us at Mae’s Market in Arlington where we will continue to serve daily coffee, pastry, quiche, bread and sandwiches as well as relocate the Virginia’s Darling wine program, many of its best snacks and the addition of afternoon pizza!
Thank you for making Virginia’s Darling and Mae’s Market and Café a special part of your lives.
With love and gratitude,
Nicole
Great Granddaughter to Mae
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