Love Of French Food Inspires Woman To Launch Café​ And Bakery

HERNDON, VA — Mary Achi always dreamed of opening a French café like the ones she encountered growing up in Australia. She also had fallen in love with the Town of Herndon, so it was only natural that when she finally decided to make her dream a reality, she would do it there.

"We bought a house two years ago and then we said, 'That's it. We have to move here,' because I was in love with everything here," she said.

On Feb. 26, Achi opened her first business, Le Vingt Trois Cafe & Bakery at 311 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon, close to WOOBOI Chicken and Weird Brothers Coffee.

"It's a French café and bakery," she said. "We do fresh baguettes and sandwiches, croissants and all other stuff. We have a seating area. We have French music going on in the background." The café also serves Italian coffee.

Although an interior designer by trade, Achi's hobby was baking and making French food.

"That's why I always planned to do this business all of my life," she said. "Luckily, I had the opportunity to open it here in Herndon."

The top sellers so far have been two classic French sandwiches — the Croque Monsieur and the Jambon-Beurre. The former is a grilled ham and cheese concoction under a blanket of creamy béchamel and the latter features slices of ham served on a fresh baguette.

"Everything has been a hit lately," Achi said. "All of our baguettes and sandwiches are my recipes and everyone is loving it."

Opening a new business during a pandemic was a concern, but Achi decided to put all those negative thoughts behind her and move ahead with the enterprise.

"When I opened, the people were supportive all around Herndon," she said. "Everyone supports small businesses. Now I feel very comfortable. I think I took the right decision to open during the pandemic."

Le Vingt Trois Cafe customers can choose carryout, curbside service, or dine at one of the tables outside. Currently, the eatery is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Achi hopes to expand the hours eventually to the weekend and even apply to offer alcoholic beverages.

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