Falls Church, Virginia, residents are grappling with the news that two well-known local businesses, run by Thomas and Tricia, are closing their doors.
The announcement came through a heartfelt Facebook post from Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, a local restaurant whose owners called the pair among the finest business owners and community members the city has known.
A Community Built Text by Text
According to the post, the owners of Clare and Don’s were part of a group chat among local restaurant owners known informally as the “no chain gang.” The group existed to swap ideas that benefited Falls Church as a whole rather than any single business.
The author of the post expressed concern that a rapid wave of new restaurant openings in the city may have contributed to the departures, writing that while new establishments will likely fill the vacant spaces, the same kind of civic-minded leadership will be harder to replace.…