Le Tache’s 210 King Street location opened ten years ago as something of a controversial prank — a prank chronicled by the New York Times, no less. But after a long stay in Old Town the “couples boutique” has finally closed.
The store offered a variety of explicit accessories, from lingerie to… well, we’ll tell you when you’re older. It was a large store that occupied multiple floors of a historic, brick building near the waterfront. The interior has been emptied, however, and a sign has been posted in the window saying the building is available for rent.
The shop had once been home to Trophy Room, a sporting goods store, but after the city refused to grant a permit to expand and the business closed, the building owner reportedly offered sex store Le Tache a 25-year lease in 2009 out of spite. Its racy wares are a contrast to other businesses on the block, including an ice cream store and an art gallery.
For customers now left in the cold, similar stores in Old Town include Lotus Blooms at 1017 King Street and Bloomers, a lingerie store at 924 King Street. The Le Tache chain also has (dubiously safe for work link) other locations throughout Northern Virginia, though several of them appear to be closing.
The former Le Tache storefront may not be totally vacant, however. 210 King Street is haunted by a ghost name Edna, according to the Alexandria Times.