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Crooked Run cleared to open Del Ray taproom at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue

Crooked Run cleared to open Del Ray taproom at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue

New Capabilities

Virginia ABC issues brewery and restaurant licenses; the 800-square-foot taproom is set to open by late August

Today: Planned opening date

Overview

Updated 6 hours ago

Crooked Run Fermentation is cleared to open its first Alexandria taproom. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued both a brewery license and a restaurant license for 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on August 6. The 800-square-foot space, the former home of dessert shop Dolce & Bean, is set to open by the end of the month.

The Del Ray spot is the brewery's fourth location, joining taprooms in Leesburg, Sterling, and Washington's Union Market. Co-founders Jake Endres and Lee Rogan plan six taprooms across the region. The opening tests whether an independent brewery can still expand while the national craft beer market shrinks.

Why it matters

A fourth Crooked Run location gives Del Ray a new neighborhood gathering spot, and tests whether independent breweries can still grow in a shrinking market.

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Key Indicators

4
Crooked Run taproom locations once Del Ray opens
Joins Leesburg, Sterling, and Washington's Union Market.
28
Seats in the Del Ray taproom
More than 20 inside plus eight outside.
12
Tap handles on the draught system
Euro-faucet draught system installed for the bar.
13
Years since Crooked Run's founding
Founded in Leesburg in 2013.

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People Involved

JE
Jake Endres
Co-founder, Crooked Run Fermentation
Overseeing the Del Ray build-out and food menu
LR
Leland "Lee" Rogan
Co-founder, Crooked Run Fermentation
Overseeing construction for the Del Ray taproom
 Monica Alford
Monica Alford
Design consultant for the Del Ray build-out
Providing on-the-ground design support

Organizations Involved

Crooked Run Fermentation
Crooked Run Fermentation
Regional craft brewery
Expanding with a fourth taproom

Northern Virginia brewery with taprooms in Leesburg, Sterling, and Washington's Union Market.
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority
State regulatory agency
Issued the licenses for the taproom

State agency that regulates alcohol sales and licenses breweries and restaurants in Virginia.

Timeline

January 2013 August 2026

8 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Planned opening date

    Today Milestone

    Taproom plans to open with a 12-tap draught system and an elevated bar menu.

  2. Brewery and restaurant licenses issued

    Regulatory

    Virginia ABC issues both licenses for 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue, clearing the taproom to operate.

  3. Building permit secured

    Regulatory

    Permit clears after floor-sag repairs and retiling; 12-tap draught system installed.

  4. Lease signed

    Business

    Co-founders sign the lease, later than planned, pushing construction back several months.

  5. ABC application filed

    Regulatory

    Crooked Run files an Industry Brewery Application with Virginia ABC for the Del Ray address.

  6. First tour of the Mount Vernon Avenue space

    Planning

    Endres first tours the former Dolce & Bean storefront at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue.

  7. Alexandria scouting begins

    Planning

    Endres and Rogan begin scouting Alexandria for a fourth taproom location.

  8. Crooked Run founded in Leesburg

    Founding

    Jake Endres and Lee Rogan start Crooked Run Fermentation as a nanobrewery in Leesburg.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2020–2025

The Craft Beer Shakeout (2020–2025)

American craft breweries grew every year through the 2010s. From 2020, the market reversed: brewery closures outpaced openings as costs rose and taprooms competed for a shrinking pool of drinkers. Hundreds of small breweries closed nationwide.

Then

Independent brewers pulled back expansion plans; many closed flagship locations rather than open new ones.

Now

The shakeout pushed the industry toward larger regional players and multi-location operators that spread fixed costs.

Why this matters now

Crooked Run's fourth taproom runs against this wave. Its success depends on a neighborhood like Del Ray drawing enough foot traffic to keep an 800-square-foot spot profitable.

1990s–2020s

Del Ray's Dining Boom (1990s–2020s)

Del Ray was long a quiet residential corridor in Alexandria. From the 1990s, Mount Vernon Avenue filled with independent cafes, restaurants, and boutiques, turning it into one of Northern Virginia's most walkable dining streets.

Then

Retail turnover sped up; well-known independent operators now anchor blocks once marked by empty storefronts.

Now

Del Ray became a proving ground for single-location independents, then for regional brands wanting a 'local' footprint.

Why this matters now

2003 Mount Vernon Avenue was home to dessert shop Dolce & Bean until spring 2025. Crooked Run's lease is the latest turnover in a corridor where new concepts rapidly replace old ones.

Sources

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Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority Alexandria Brief ALXnow Fox Es Sell Faster Alexandria Brief