A new family and veteran-owned business is coming to the first floor of 215 S. Union St.
Nahom Debessay and his wife, Mara, are opening Café du Soleil, a French-inspired coffee shop.
Debessay said his wife has always dreamed of opening a coffee shop because of the unique way that coffee brings people together.
It is important for the couple to keep the café as local and personal as possible, Debessay said. Both Nahom and Mara have close connections to Virginia. Debessay graduated from Falls Church High school, Virginia Commonwealth University for undergrad and George Washington University for graduate school. They live in the Fairfax County area of Alexandria.
Debessay’s brother-in-law, Sammy, who is a chef, will be making food items from scratch.
Mark R. Yoo Architecture PLLC, an architecture, interior design and construction firm with offices nearby at 221 S. Henry St., is putting the finishing touches on the space.
The café will serve manually brewed coffee from Counter Culture, a Durham, North Carolina- based coffee roasting company that provides sustainable coffee and develops strong partnerships with small farmers and café owners.
The couple is excited for the recent development along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront. Their hope is that Café du Soleil will serve as a warm and inviting spot for local residents, tourists and nearby office workers.
Customers can drop by for a quick breakfast or lunch or stay and hang out. Debessay believes that customers will be drawn by the quality of the coffee and the food and the community atmosphere.
The location of the café was formerly occupied by B Doughnut, which closed in March 2019 after being open less than a year. The building is also home to Praha Beads and Jewelry and Grit Studio Kris Clark Hair and Makeup on the second floor.
The café is scheduled to open in mid-March.
