Call Your Mother, a local deli that serves bagels and sandwiches, recently opened its newest location on Connecticut Avenue. The deli is replacing Little Red Fox, a cafe, bakery and market that closed in December 2022.

Little Red Fox opened in 2013 and quickly became a popular location for locals to enjoy coffee, sandwiches and baked goods. The business’ owners, Matt and Jena Carr, explained that the closing was a personal decision made to “address complicated health issues and prioritize the well being of our family” in a statement posted on Instagram. They thanked the staff, community and regular customers who allowed their business to thrive.

“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,” they concluded.

Owners Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira, a married couple, opened Call Your Mother’s flagship shop in the Park View neighborhood in 2018, after selling their bagels exclusively at farmers’ markets in Washington. In addition to Call Your Mother, Dana is the founder and co-owner of Timber Pizza Company, a Washington pizza restaurant that opened in 2014.

The deli’s website describes its bagels as “somewhere between a classic NY-style bagel and the sweeter, Montreal-style bagels from our friends up North,” inspired by “the nostalgia of family traditions and the eclectic food from [Dana and Moreira’s] childhoods.”

“Growing up, [my dad] always used to say, ‘Oh I wish I had opened the deli,’ so I had that idea sort of baked in the back of my brain from a young age,” Dana said in an interview with The GW Hatchet.

Dana emphasized the importance of curating the right brand for a business, explaining, “We want the branding to be super fun and interactive.”

“We look at every detail from music, to branding, to how you’re greeted at the door, while also trying to make the food super fun, and delicious, and with a little hint of nostalgia so you remember your favorite childhood donut or bagel,” Dana continued.

Moreira is the co-owner and executive chef at Call Your Mother and Timber Pizza Company. Moreira grew up in Argentina and moved to the U.S. at 20 after receiving a scholarship to attend the Culinary Institute of America. She met Dana after moving to Washington in 2015, where they opened Timber Pizza Company together.

Call Your Mother partners with numerous non-profit organizations, including Urban Alliance, a non-profit that offers career training to youth; AYUDA, an organization whose purpose is to transform the lives of low-income immigrants; Food Rescue, an organization that works to eliminate hunger and food waste; and Martha’s Table, a charity and volunteer center that works with children and families in the Washington area.

“We’re committed to making a positive impact in our community and using our platform to raise money and awareness for causes we care deeply about,” Call Your Mother’s website states.

The new Call Your Mother deli on Connecticut Avenue is its eighth location, with other locations in Capitol Hill, Bethesda Trolley and Georgetown, in addition to farmers’ markets in Silver Spring and Dupont Circle.

Dana and Moreira plan on opening a new Call Your Mother in Denver, Colorado in the spring of 2023, which will be the business’ first location outside of the Washington area.