COVID-19 has changed just about everything, including Alexandria food culture. In just under a year, it has transformed the way the city thinks about restaurant dining, changing not only the ways locals dine at restaurants but also how their restaurants serve them food.
According to the city’s revenue division, 17 out of 422 local restaurants, about 4%, have closed during the pandemic. When compared to the national average, this figure appears low. According to the National Restaurant Association, one in six restaurants have closed nationwide because of COVID-19.
While the last year has presented many challenges for local eateries, restaurateurs in Alexandria are surviving and adapting despite all the obstacles.
French Canadians left an indelible mark on the business district around Lafayette Square
Mike Richard
Special for The Gardner News
While the businesses in the cluster at 110-134 Parker St. were never part of a named block, there were many stores and shops that flourished in the area over the years.
The structure at 110-118 Parker St. was built in 1900 and located just to the right of Robillard’s Pharmacy approaching Lafayette Square.
This section of Gardner, near Nichols and Parker streets, was once dubbed Canuck Corner because of the large French-Canadian population that settled there. In time, the French Church (Holy Rosary) was built a short distance away, while the Acadien Social Club was also in the neighborhood.