A new bakery and cafe, Maman, opened Dec. 18 at 701 King St. in Old Town Alexandria, the former home of gourmet market Foxtrot, which closed last year.
Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Kitchen hours end at 4 p.m.
The buildout of the store was done by RKM Development. Ronald Medrano is the owner and CEO, who brings more than 30 years of construction experience, having formerly served as a senior superintendent specializing in hospitality projects and high-end restaurants. (Another project was Little Falls Cafe in Falls Church.)
Maman is a New York City-based company with more than a dozen locations in NYC, seven locations in DC and a recently opened location, earlier this summer, at Mosaic District in Fairfax, its first in the Commonwealth.
The french bakery offers a selection of baked goods, coffee, fresh breakfast and lunch options spanning from hearty salads and sandwiches to savory quiches.
The bakery’s nutty chocolate chip cookie landed on Oprah Winfrey’s “favorite things” list several years ago.
Oprah isn’t the only celebrity who’s a fan. Martha Stewart is collaborating with Maman this year.
The new Martha-inspired menus launched in June with five items:
Here’s more about the company, from its website:
“On any given day of the week, maman welcomes sleepy new yorkers, local celebrities, moms-on-the-go, business partners, and friends into one of our many locations. greeted by the scent of culinary splendor that wafts through the space, our guests step into an experience that engages all of the senses: rustic décor at every turn, the aroma and comfort of cuisines inspired by family traditions, and the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients. maman founders benjamin sormonte and elisa marshall have brought to life a melding of our earliest childhood experiences in the kitchen and a nod to their mothers from the south of france and north america. maman, after all, means “mother” in french.
What started as an independent soho café and bakery in october 2014 is now a leading lifestyle brand that boasts cafés across north america, plus retail items so you can ‘take maman home’ with you. we host coveted events for high-end designers and collaborate with leading brands for partnerships and activations. we offer engaging, seasonal workshops like naked cake decorating, learning how to make cheese fondue, and creating floral arrangements.
Open seven days a week, maman offers a selection of delicious baked goods, coffee, fresh breakfast and lunch options; and seated lunch, brunch, and a full bar at select locations. we serve a broad menu of hearty salads, quiches, sandwiches, and of course pastries and sweets – you can’t leave without trying our famous nutty chocolate chip cookie, known as one of the best cookies in new york & listed on oprah’s favorite things. in 2021, elisa and benjamin released the highly anticipated maman: the cookbook, recipes from our kitchen to yours.”
Photos courtesy of Maman Old Town Alexandria; photos by @andreacablephotography, @mesitacreative, @andreadszot.
Dec. 21, 2025
8:21 p.m.