Firehook Bakery's Old Town and two other locations in the area are closing.
The company posted a notice on its door that it will be closing its last three locations — Old Town Alexandria (430 S. Washington St.); Chantilly, Virginia; and Duport Circle in the District. All three will close Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
The Washington Business Journals reported that a Greenwich, Connecticut, private equity firm called Forward Consumer Partners acquired company from its owner earlier this year. The new owners are planning to focus more on its line of crackers that are sold in stores.
In a statement, the new owners said, "Of course it is a bittersweet announcement. While we will miss being an integral part of the local community, the decision was made so we can support the rapid growth and expansion of our national Firehook Cracker business.”
Firehook started in the 1990s and had eight bakeries at one point.
According to Firehook's website, "Crackers were part of our taste memory, so we developed our own—crunchy, well-seasoned, unevenly beautiful—and sold them alongside our breads and pastries. Whole and healthy ingredients made for savory, addictive crackers— perfect for our customers’ Mediterranean inspired diet."
The company's website seems to indicate they are considering direct-to-consumer cracker selling, but the feature is not working.
