'The Things I Love' Moving to Center Street

The Things I Love, formerly located on West Street between Foster’s Grille and City Square Café in Old Town, will be moving to Center Street in the upcoming weeks.

The new store, which will be located between Carmello’s Restaurant and Creative Brush Studio, is right in the center of Old Town Manassas' main drag.

Store owner, Joanne Wunderly told Patch the reason main reason for the move was "increased visibility."

"I loved the space on the walkway and looking at the depot, but there was no vehicular traffic that went by,” she said.

Plus, her lease was ending and she needed to decide if she wanted to extend it or move. And while Wunderly says the moving process has been difficult, and she often gets phone calls from people asking where the store is located, she also recognizes the benefits of the big move. 

“All the parades come down Center Street,” she said. “I think it will be good for Old Town and it will be excellent for my business.”

The building for the new location was built in 1907 and was the old Opera House building, which contains a courtyard in the back.

“I plan to use [the courtyard] on a daily basis,” Wunderly said with excitement. “Customers will be able to go out and sit if they want to.”

But those aren’t the only highlights of moving to the new location. Aside from increased visibility and it being a high traffic area, Wunderly will also incorporate some new things.

The new store will have a reservation-only tea room with an afternoon tea time available. There will be linens made for the tables and new antique serving dishes. Table favors will also be available for guests when they arrive.

“I’m really excited about that,” said Wunderly. “It adds so much ambiance.”

Wunderly also mentioned that the inside of the store has been redone. Customers will see beautiful wood floors and new walls.

When asked if there would be any store opening sales, Wunderly said that because she tries to keep her prices “moderate to begin with” there will be no special grand opening promotional deals. She did, however, mention that the store will host a grand opening event once the move is complete, which will include special catered food, music and giveaways throughout the day.

Wunderly told Patch that she is very excited about the move for many reasons, but one very important reason is that she feels the new location will prove to be a more manageable place to run a business. And it will also help the close-knit ties she has with her family remain even closer.

“It feels different to me totally…I want to strike a balance. That’s what I’m striving for,” she said.

Patch will keep the community informed on the grand opening date and event details. Stay tuned!