Business & Tech

Waterfront Market and Cafe Opens

New Old Town Alexandria restaurant will open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch service.

The Waterfront Market and Café, a new fast-casual eatery with gourmet grocery component, will open at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 in the Torpedo Factory Arcade.

Jody Manor, owner of Bittersweet Cafe on King Street, received approval from Alexandria City Council to operate the new 4,000-square-foot market in May. Build-out of the 150-seat restaurant was recently completed and Manor has been putting the finishing touches on the spot over the last few weeks.

Manor, a lifelong Alexandrian, said he believes his new eatery is just the start of new activity along Alexandria’s riverfront as new development projects continue to pop up, including plans for a restaurant for the Torpedo Center Food Court, perhaps another one at the Beachcomber building, a proposed new hotel at the corner of Duke Street and South Union as well as new developments expected at the Robinson Terminal sites.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

“A lot’s going to happen in the next five years, with new hotels and restaurants,” Manor said. “We’re the first in with all the stuff that’s happening here and that’s exciting.”

The Waterfront Market will carry made-to-order sandwiches, sushi, salads, pizza by the slice and Bittersweet treats. The market component will carry picnic items like meats and cheeses and produce. Manor hopes to accommodate the boating crowd with the sale of bags of ice and takeaway beer and wine.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The Waterfront Market includes 76 indoor seats, 20 on the King Street sidewalk and 54 seats on a waterfront patio leased from the city for about $11,000 a year.

The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch service at the start with plans to add breakfast at a later date, Manor said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here