Occoquan Chocolate Walk: Blue Arbor Café

After visiting any of the 39 Occoquan businesses taking part in the chocolate walk, be sure to stop by Blue Arbor Café for a little boost. 

The sandwich shop is offering a special hot chocolate to those participating in the chocolate walk, and a chocolate cheesecake, made by a local German baker. Sample the cheesecake for free at Details. 

"Then come on over here if you want the whole thing," manager Sherry Mangas said. 

Mangas has worked at Blue Arbor for over five of the nearly nine years it's been in business.

"I like creating food, I like decorating, and I like coming up with specials," Mangas said. 

As a small restaurant, Blue Arbor is able to frequently go off menu to accommodate customers' needs. 

"If they're frequent, we tend to understand what their likes and dislikes are," Mangas said. "We have an elderly woman who comes in on a regular basis and we know that her coffee has to be extra hot and we know that she's going to want mustard and mayonnaise on the side of whatever she's eating, even if she doesn't use it. That's the fun part of being here, you can control what you do and everyone's treated special." 

Some customers come in with a complete list of everything they don't want to or cannot eat, due to preferences or allergies.

"We're able to accommodate them," Mangas said. 

Future developments for Blue Arbor include possible changes to the menu, including items that customers often request, and gluten free options. The restaurant may also offer a frequent patron card. 

Mangas is not sure if the restaurant will be open on Valentine's Day, but customers can visit the restaurant's Facebook page for daily updates on hours and specials. 

Related content: 

• Occoquan Holds Chocolate Walk Just in Time For Valentine's Day
• Occoquan Chocolate Walk: Polka Dot Divas