Bittersweet Decision for Alexandria's Bittersweet Cafe

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- To every thing there is a season, and it seems this is a season of change for some businesses in Old Town Alexandria.

As many residents have heard, several longtime businesses have announced that they are closing -- for a variety of reasons.

This week comes word that Bittersweet Cafe plans some changes of its own. “As of May 1, Bittersweet will close our café and move just down the block to our original location in what is now our production bakery at 103 N. Alfred St.,” owner Jody Manor said in a post on Facebook Sunday. The cafe is located at 823 King St.

Read all of Manor’s message here:

As you may have heard, a number of longtime businesses along our retail core have recently closed or announced their closing. While this is the natural order of things in the lifespan of businesses, the changing face of retail and the sheer number of longtime businesses leaving our community has me concerned.

For some time I have been considering my own changes in life. I’ve been at this for a long time – nearly 30 years with Bittersweet and more than 42 in the restaurant business. Having started as a dishwasher, then moving on to a line cook and cater waiter with Bittersweet, I’ve had the joy of working with so many talented and hard-working people to build Bittersweet into something of a neighborhood institution. What we’ve created with you, so many of our very loyal customers, is something I deeply cherish and respect.

Today I am announcing a change in our company. It was a decision I struggled with in part because of you, our community and in part because I need a place to keep my Mom off the streets.

As of May 1, Bittersweet will close our café and move just down the block to our original location in what is now our production bakery @103 N. Alfred St. We will be a smaller operation but with the same great, fresh food, counter and outdoor seating & our friendly staff. Our catering business will remain just as it is and unaffected by the change.

And my Mom will still reign as the Queen of King Street!

I want to devote more time to civic affairs and supporting our incredible locally- owned small business community. If we are to keep our cherished Main Street of Mom & Pop businesses we need to do more to beautify and maintain our city while making it a more interesting and vibrant destination for visitors and residents. In this day and age of competition with online sales, our 17 blocks of retail between the waterfront and the Metro need a bigger voice in our City’s decision-making process. We must complete the redevelopment of our waterfront to act as an anchor for our business community and to attract more people here with better programming and utilization of our historic resources. We must develop a modern economy based on our colonial charms. I hope to spend more time helping to do so.

As many of you know I am an avid traveler and motorcyclist. While I am still young enough, there are many parts of the world I want to see and ride. The Zen of riding parts unknown is something that feeds my soul and I hope to have many more miles ahead of me while continuing to serve our community as we have done for the past 33 years - an eternity in the food business!

So we are not going away, just changing with the times and hoping to continue to see you at Bittersweet. I’ll keep you updated as we move through our transition.

My sincerest thanks to all of you – customers, visitors and employees past and present -- for helping our employees, my Mom and me build a community of which I am very proud.

Most sincerely,

Jody Manor