Chilly reception
“Coming Soon” reads a sign that takes up an entire storefront window in the vacant spot next to Splendora’s. It’s a sign for Kilwins—a national ice cream, chocolate and fudge chain—that will be arriving this fall on the Downtown Mall.
Kilwins is a “three-legged stool of confections, chocolate and ice cream,” says Steve Titus, vice president of franchise development for the Michigan-based chain. He promises fudge, four or five types of caramel corn, peanut and cashew brittles, candy apples, chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels, hand crafted chocolates and its best-selling, old-fashioned ice cream come late October or early November.
The arrival of a national chain hasn’t escaped the notice of business owners who share the same sweet niche.
Splendora’s owner PK Ross says she has concerns about what seems to be a direct competitor immediately next door. “Ranting is tempting, but cursing and flailing about, while enjoyable, [will] only detract from running my business,” she writes in an e-mail.
Titus says Kilwins franchise owners research an area before signing a lease and he doesn’t believe Kilwins will affect its neighbor’s bottom line. “Each storefront will have its own niche,” he says.
A block west, the owner of Chaps ice cream says he’s not worried, and he notes he’s seen other ice cream chains come and go on the mall.
“I’m still here, they’re not,” says Tony LaBua, who says last year was his best year in a 30-year stretch of selling coffee, donuts, sandwiches and, most importantly, ice cream.
“Everybody’s competition,” he says, “that’s why you got to stay on top of your game.”
Ross hopes to have peaceful coexistence with her new neighbor and believes that, “in a perfect world,” her block on the mall could be an “ice cream row” and destination for frozen treat loving foodies.
Still, she’s aware that corporate chains can pose a threat to local shops, and while Splendora’s is well-known for exotic gelato flavors like goat cheese honey fig, lavender and chipotle chocolate—flavors Kilwins probably won’t serve—she says consumer demand will determine which shops stay open for business.
“All the passion in the world won’t keep a restaurant open,” Ross says, “otherwise I’d be open 24-hours a day for the next 60 years.”—Samantha Baars
Delicious internets
A local food blog has won a national award, but it might not be the first foodie web log that comes to mind. Brooklyn Supper, authored by food writer Elizabeth Stark and her husband Brian Campbell, was recently honored with editors’ choice in the Most Delicious Food category of the 2015 Saveur Blog Awards.
“Brian and I have been over the moon since we won the Saveur award,” Stark says. “We’re especially excited to have won for Most Delicious Food, because in the end, delicious food is what a food blog should be about.”
Stark and Campbell started cooking food, photographing it and writing about the results in Brooklyn Supper while living in New York in 2008. The couple moved to Charlottesville in 2013. Their blog was selected as a finalist in the Saveur Blog Awards Most Delicious category in April—an impressive feat, given that the magazine received 50,000 nominations, according to its website. Saveur’s editors selected their winner in 14 categories—Best Culinary Travel, Best Designed, Best Photography, etc.—and readers voted for their favorites as well.
Stark said she and her husband have their areas of expertise but that the blog is a true collaboration, and they hope the Saveur honor will help them expand.
“The award…gives us a nice boost as we jump into larger projects and exciting partnerships,” she says.—Shea Gibbs
Oh, baby
The concept of a build-your-own burrito restaurant isn’t new. Pick between a tortilla, salad bowl or nachos, choose your marinated meat, and add the freshly-chopped toppings of your choice. Guacamole’s extra. Thanks to Chipotle, we all know the drill. But in Gordonsville—the little town 20 miles northeast of Charlottesville, home to The BBQ Exchange—there’s been nothing like that. Lifelong Greene County resident Greta Fleming wants that to change, and this summer she’ll open the second iteration of Burrito Baby, a made-to-order burrito restaurant.
“I always wanted to open a restaurant and my kids always loved my burritos,” Fleming says.
Fleming originally set up shop behind the counter of Purple Cow, a soft-serve ice cream shop in Gordonsville, but the partnership was short-lived—she stopped serving her burritos after about two months.
But even in such a short time, Fleming says, the local response was promising, and she was eager to find a new location.
“It really is a very simple concept, and the idea just clicked with the residents there,” she says.
Fleming recently signed a lease on a little cottage on Faulconer Street, just off Main Street, and hopes to have Burrito Baby up and running again by July. For updates and information about the new opening, check out the Burrito Baby Facebook page. —Laura Ingles