Goolrick's, the downtown Fredericksburg soda fountain that has been a community staple since 1869, has wrapped up a four-year renovation and is welcoming guests again with a fresh look. As Halloween approaches, WJLA is reporting on seasonal excitement at the newly revamped landmark, and a speakeasy is planned in the basement below.
According to WJLA, Chef D'Andre Sykes and owner Jeh Hicks shared details of the transformation on Good Morning Washington. The station reports the owners are honoring the landmark's history while introducing new experiences, and that the shop offers crowd-favorite menu items in its renovated space.
A Four-Year Restoration of an 1808 Building
The shop reopened in August after the long closure, as the Washingtonian noted when it visited. The restoration covered the 1808 building at 901 Caroline St., Fredericksburg Advance reported ahead of the reopening. The main dining room now seats up to 50 guests.
The work aimed to bring the pressed tin ceilings and slanted tiled floor back to what Washingtonian described as their peak 1920s glory. The building itself predates the business by six decades, since the same outlet notes it was built in 1808.
Hicks has framed the project as a balancing act. “A major focus throughout this project was honoring this landmark's history while restoring the space to a standard that ensures Goolrick's is here for many generations to come,” he said, per Northern Virginia Magazine.
Classic Menu, New Seating, Familiar Faces
The soda fountain menu still features chicken salad, egg salad and grilled cheese sandwiches, plus milkshakes and malts, according to the Fredericksburg Advance. The kitchen is led by Sykes, who the same outlet says previously worked at Michelin-starred Elske and the acclaimed Korean restaurant Jeong in Chicago. Northern Virginia Magazine adds that he began his career at Fredericksburg's own Fahrenheit 132.
The pharmacy is gone, with that space turned over to extra soda fountain seating. “We've taken the pharmacy out and just increased the seating for the soda fountain which, of course, will be the centerpiece of the whole building,” an owner told The Virginia Independent. The same piece quotes the team saying they're “bringing back mostly the same menu.”
Section 7 Waits Downstairs
The next chapter is a speakeasy-style basement restaurant called Section 7, which the Fredericksburg Advance says will open downstairs later this year. No firm opening date has been confirmed. WJLA says it will add a new nightlife experience to downtown Fredericksburg.
The name nods to Prohibition, as Washingtonian explains: it comes from the provision that allowed pharmacies to sell medicinal whiskey. For a shop that began life as a drugstore, it's a fitting wink.
Regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., per the Fredericksburg Advance, though it's worth confirming before you go.
