ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Less than a week after its grand opening, Friends to Lovers, a new romance-only book store, closed its doors due to smoke damage from a fire. The bookstore is one of three small businesses impacted by the fire.
According to the Alexandria Fire Department, crews were called to the building on South Saint Asaph St. just before 11 p.m. Sunday. More than 50 firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the building and worked to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.
Three businesses are located inside the building, including Friends to Lovers Bookstore, Little Birdies Boutique, and Madame Coco Emporium. All three small businesses were forced to close due to smoke and water damage.
The Friends to Lovers Bookstore held its grand opening just days before the fire. The store is the first bookstore in the D.C. area that sells only romance books. The owners posted the journey to opening the store on Instagram and TikTok with an outpouring of support from the community. A post on Instagram showed the store celebrating a successful and busy opening week.
"What an unforgettable day!" The store wrote on Instagram. "Your love and support mean the world to us, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to this new chapter."
That night, the fire would force them to close their doors. While the bookstore reportedly only sustained smoke damage, a statement from the store says the building won't be operational for at least the rest of the year and maybe longer.
"Friends to Lovers isn't about the building," the statement reads. "We have already built the foundations for a beautiful, vibrant and joyful community centered around love and friendship and storytelling and I'm so thrilled for everything we've accomplished so far and everything we'll accomplish in the future."
As Friends to Lovers searches for a new home, the bookstore has created a GoFundMe. As of Monday night, the online fundraiser has raised more than $10,000 of its $20,000 goal.
The other two impacted stores joined Friends to Lovers by posting statements online following the fire.
"We are so devastated to announce that the Little Birdies store has suffered significant damage due to a fire in the building," a post on the Little Birdies Instagram page reads. "While we don't know the extent of the damage, our merchandise - much of it designed with love and care in-house - has been destroyed, and our building will not be usable for the foreseeable future."
The home goods and children's store, which opened in 2012, has created a GoFundMe that as of Monday night, has raised more than $2,100 of its $50,000 goal.
The Madam Coco's Emporium Instagram account also shared a statement, saying it was shaken by the losses, not just for their business.
"We are shaken by the losses, not just of our own space, but of the incredible women-owned businesses that were also impacted. These shops have been our partners, our friends, and a source of inspiration every single day," the statement reads. "Though the damage is immense, our spirits remain rooted in hope and resilience. This is more than just a setback-it's a reminder of the strength and unity of our community. Together, we will rebuild."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
