Little Red Fox and Sugar Fox have closed. ‘This is not a business decision’

A bustling Little Red Fox in 2019.

Less than two weeks after Little Red Fox marked its ninth year in business, its owners are announcing that the cafe and its sister shop Sugar Fox will be serving customers for the last time on Friday, December 23rd.

In a letter emailed to customers and posted on Instagram, Matt and Jena Carr say this was not a business decision, but a personal one.

“In order to address complicated health issues and prioritize the well being of our family, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to close,” they said.

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It’s clear this was no snap decision. New tenants have been lined up for both storefronts. “[W]e know you’ll be very happy with the fabulous local businesses that will be taking over our spaces in the new year,” wrote the Carrs.

Here’s the letter from the Carrs:

Dearest Friends & Neighbors,

After more than 9 wonderful years, we will be closing our doors at the end of this month. December 23rd will be the last day of service at Little Red Fox and Sugar Fox.

This is not a business decision. Our little neighborhood operation has maneuvered around every bump and turn and continues to thrive thanks to our incredibly hard working staff, our incredibly supportive community, and countless regulars who visit us almost every single day. This is a personal decision by us, store owners Matt and Jena. In order to address complicated health issues and prioritize the well being of our family, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to close.

We opened this business in our late 20’s with dreams to bring the casual gourmet fare we’d loved so much in Portland to the tables of DC. We were a bit naïve and absolutely made way too many different things from scratch in too small of a space: a bakery, coffee shop, prepared foods market, grocer, and sandwich shop that made its own hot sauce, pickles, apple butter, smoked aioli, pastries, and pies. We were even a butcher shop those first few years! It was an absolutely wild ride in the beginning, as we learned every lesson about running a small and incredibly busy foodservice business as we went. But I like to think that keeping all of those different plates spinning in the air (and seeing a few crash and shatter on the ground) is what endeared us to so many regulars that have made us a daily part of their lives these past 9 years.

Little Red Fox & Sugar Fox have always been a collaborative effort and their success belongs to everyone that’s ever worked in our kitchens and behind our counters—many of whom are some of our very favorite humans in the world. There are far too many people to name in this one post, so we’re going to spend the next 16 days that we’re open highlighting and honoring as many of them as we can manage here. Little Red Fox simply would not be what it is without all the wonderful souls that have come through it and changed it for the better.

As for what’s next? We hope you come visit us one last time. Or a few last times. We’re going to be serving up all your favorite coffee drinks, sandwiches, pastries, pies, ice cream, and so much more until the end. If you have a favorite memory, drop it in the comments below. We’re going to get very nostalgic and teary eyed over here these next few weeks. And then, when the last latte has been poured and the final ice cream scoop served, we’re all going to take a deep breath and try to enjoy the holidays. But don’t worry, we know you’ll be very happy with the fabulous local businesses that will be taking over our spaces in the new year.

We love you. We’ll miss you. Thank you for being a part of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Peace, love, & foxes,
Matt & Jena