Rose Ave Bakery is moving to Woodley Park “soon,” according to an Instagram post from the owners. Known for its authentic Asian American pastries, the Vermont Avenue NW location will serve its last pastries on Jan. 28.

Chef and founder Rosie Nguyen has been preparing for this move for a while now. (The Washington Business Journal first reported the new lease in May.) A daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Nguyen worked a decade as a full-time nurse at Children’s National Medical Center and became a self-taught baker and caterer while working shifts at a number of local restaurants. Nguyen eventually opened her bakery in the downtown D.C. location of The Block Food Hall at the beginning of the pandemic — specifically, on March 11, 2020, the “day everything changed.”

Even as they pivoted to an online pre-order operation, Nguyen and her business partner, Paula Wang, always planned for their shared food hall outpost to be a first step as they established their business. At their forthcoming standalone shop at 2633 Connecticut Ave NW (a former Dunkin’), the team hopes to evolve in more ways than one.

“There, we will be able to expand our menu of sweet and savory and introduce a coffee program that will still include fan favorites, like our beloved Vietnamese coffee and ube latte,” the owners write on their website. “What started as a way for Rosie to express her creativity has become a place for others to collaborate and push the limits for Asian pastries to be fun, delicious and fresh; all while supporting and uplifting each other and the community.”

Nguyen tells DCist over email an opening date is not yet confirmed, but she will be able to project a date by mid-February.

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Nguyen and her small team have already accomplished the near-impossible, succeeding amid a pandemic while building a cult fanbase. (Fans are affectionately nicknamed “Rosebuds.”)

Nguyen’s first online pre-order sold out in mere minutes; comedian Ali Wong visited the bakery in August 2021 with her mother, who gave a rave review of the pastries on Wong’s Instagram stories; Plus, the menu of ube (purple yam) pastries, ensaymada (Filipino cheese rolls), and coconut mochi puffs earned it plenty of press, including a “Bakery of the Year” recognition from Eater DC in 2021.

Details on the opening are limited, but Nguyen shared some updates with Washington City Paper in December.

“Our new space in Woodley Park is going to be the home I’ve always dreamed of for my staff,” she told the paper. “We’re going to make the outdoors cozy with a bunch of plants and some tables. Inside gets a lot of sunlight because of the windows that go all the way up. It’s going to have a beautiful pastry case and the coffee program will be better, because we’re getting an espresso machine.”

This post has been updated with a comment from the owners about the opening date.