Red Curry, a pan Asian bistro, is attempting to break the 100 King Curse when it opens its doors at 100 King St in Old Town Alexandria later this year. There have been many restaurants who’ve tried to establish a foothold in the fabled old town location and all have failed for one reason or another. Most recently was 100 King who attempted to go upscale, and by upscale I mean $$$ for tapas but couldn’t overcome the hard surfaced ear shattering noise level that drove many away. Some carpet might have helped? Sorry Tom Sietsema, I know you liked 100 King. But I digress…. for anyone walking the streets of Old Town Alexandria, there are 2 things that will stand out, Tour Buses and Tourists. Well, a third is the new sex shop that popped up due to zoning issues…. But back to tourists, they don’t want to spend a lot of money for meals. Look at Bugsy’s Pizza and for $7.00 you get all you can eat pizza buffet with salad. For a tourist, that $7.00 X 30 kids is much easier to swallow than a $10.00 tapas plate. I’m not suggesting that Bugsy’s is equivalent to Two Amy’s or Match Box in terms of quality, but Old Town is a Tourist destination and to plop an eatery at one of the most popular intersections of Old Town means your clients are going to be overwhelming from that demographic. If you want locals, go off King like MoMo’s (Sushi), or Pita House (Lebanese), both are small, don’t cost a lot, and have been around for a long time. If Red Curry opens and does not undercut the prices of Mai Thai, which is right across the street, they will succumb to the curse. However if they come in, offer great food, better service, and are priced at or below the surrounding establishments, they may have a chance. I hope so, it’s such a great location.