Several years after they purchased 1119 King St. in Old Town Alexandria, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters appears to be getting closer to opening the newest location of its popular Charlottesville-based coffee roastery.
For their new coffee shop in Alexandria, Mudhouse tasked West Workshop with carrying over charming elements from their Charlottesville flagship while ensuring the design was distinctly inspired by Alexandria’s rich history.
West Workshop is an award-winning architecture and interior design studio founded by architect Kurt West, specializing in hospitality, housing and commercial projects, with offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., focusing on thoughtful, collaborative design for diverse spaces. They also have a coffee-related venture, First Pour Coffee (linked via their Instagram), helping coffee businesses scale. Here are some details of the renovation, from West Workshop:
“By incorporating details reminiscent of Old Town sitting rooms and sleeping porches, the design achieves a modern ambiance with historic references. Touches include three Victorian-inspired wallpapers, complemented by a contemporary interpretation of a pre-Civil War-era hutch. A blend of oak paneling and painted bead board adds warmth, contrasted with stone floors, cream-colored tile walls, and marble countertops.
The three-story building, originally constructed in the early 1800s, has undergone numerous expansions and renovations. One design challenge was creating a solution to level the floors and ceilings and address structural issues that come with a 200-year-old building.
The shop’s long, narrow floor plan features five seating areas, each unique and welcoming, including an outdoor garden surrounded by jasmine and other plants, creating a charming atmosphere for Mudhouse’s customers.”
The building at 1119 King St. was previously leased by interior design company J. Brown and Co., and the building was purchased for $2.2 million in 2021 to 1119 King Property LLC, with the mailing address of Louis Dragas, according to City property records. He is a partner in the business, according to a report by WTVR-TV.
The Hampton Roads-based Dragas Group specializes in construction and development.
Lynelle and John Lawrence started the business in the 1990s.
“We are excited to join the bustle of King Street, one of our favorite places. It’s an honor to move into such a vibrant community, and we look forward to being a good partner in the neighborhood,” Lynelle Lawrence told Alexandria Living just after the purchase of the building.
According to a Special Use Permit application filed with the City, the new store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will have seating for 20 customers inside. The owners also hope they will be able to have additional seating outdoors.
The store will sell breakfast foods and “may also have open mic nights, poetry readings, coffee tastings, and assorted other live entertainment,” the application reads.
Mudhouse currently has three locations in Charlottesville, one in Crozet (also in Virginia), and its most recently opened locations are in Richmond and in Charleston, South Carolina.
For coffee lovers who can’t wait until the Alexandria location opens, you can buy Mudhouse’s award-winning, organic and sustainably-sourced coffee on their website to make at home.
Dec. 31, 2025
7:04 p.m.