Amazon Team Visited Del Ray Eatery Before HQ2 Selection: Report

A Del Ray restaurant was a meeting place for local officials and Amazon's site selection team ahead of the announcement that a new headquarters is coming to Crystal City, one report says.

The report from The Wall Street Journal provides insight into how the e-commerce giant chose the DC suburb and New York City to house the new headquarters. Amazon announced 20 finalists for the new headquarters early in 2018 but later made multiple visits to the eventual finalists—the DC and New York City areas.

In July, a "top secret" July meeting took place between Amazon, developers and officials at Del Ray's Stomping Ground. Owner Nicole Jones provided them with a buffet and left the entire restaurant to them, The Journal reported. Officials had reportedly "impressed" Amazon in meetings surrounding the Stomping Ground visit.

The newspaper stated, "Together, they drank beer and ate mini chicken biscuits, with a Gay Pride flag hanging out front."

Aside from delicious food offerings, Alexandria had another draw for Amazon's selection of Crystal City. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a press conference Monday Alexandria's future Virginia Tech Innovation Campus to develop high-tech workers had been a major factor for Amazon. The state and Virginia Tech-funded campus will be located in Potomac Yard, part of the rebranded "National Landing" area announced with Amazon's headquarters.

The future Amazon headquarters will mean billions of dollars in investment and 25,000 workers for Crystal City.

SEE ALSO:

• Amazon Lands $819M In Incentives To Put HQ2 In Crystal City
• Innovation Campus, Other Amazon HQ Impacts Coming To Alexandria
• Arlingtonians Mock 'National Landing' Name For Crystal City

Image via Emily Leayman/Patch