King of Pops’ Scott’s Addition location will stay open. (Mike Platania)
As peak popsicle season approaches, a local frozen treats maker is expanding its kingdom.
King of Pops, an ice pop peddler that launched in Richmond in 2012, has leased additional storage space at 2034 Dabney Road in Henrico.
The new 3,300-square-foot space is spillover from the brand’s 900-square-foot facility at 3001 W. Clay St. in Scott’s Addition. That space has served as its local headquarters, retail storefront and storage area since 2015.
The Dabney Road facility will house its freezer space and pushcarts that it deploys around town to sell pops in neighborhoods, parks and at events.
Paul Cassimus, president of King of Pops in Richmond, said the Scott’s Addition spot will continue as usual with the addition of the new digs to the west.
“From a customer’s perspective, nothing at Scott’s Addition will change,” Cassimus said. “All the same stuff will be offered there. There’ll just be no carts going in and out.”
King of Pops will split the space with P10 Foods, a small food distribution company started by the same folks who founded the King of Pops brand in Atlanta in 2010.
Cassimus said his Richmond branch wholesales popsicles and will begin doing so through P10 Foods, which specializes in small, niche food products. King of Pops is the only local company on P10’s client list, which includes small firms making things like gelato, jam, chocolate, nut butter and hot sauce.
“It was a mix of needing more for storage for King of Pops, but also having a warehouse space for P10, to store all the products they distribute,” Cassimus said of the decision for the spot on Dabney.
King of Pops is looking to move into the new space by mid-June, and is currently outfitting the building, including adding a walk-in freezer.
Eric Williford and David Williams of Colliers International represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
In addition to the Scott’s Addition retail front and carts, King of Pops also wholesales to local stores, including Libbie Market, Shields Market, Whole Foods and Tom Leonard’s.
Cassimus said King of Pops Richmond is on pace to sell about 220,000 popsicles in 2018.
“We’ve been growing very consistently year over year. We keep talking about going out to Virginia Beach or Northern Virginia, but we’re very happy with the growth we’ve seen in Richmond,” he said.
King of Pops Richmond operates as its own entity and is not a franchise. The brand also operates throughout Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Cassimus said locally, King of Pops has three full-time and about 30 part-time employees.
King of Pops’ Scott’s Addition location will stay open. (Mike Platania)
As peak popsicle season approaches, a local frozen treats maker is expanding its kingdom.
King of Pops, an ice pop peddler that launched in Richmond in 2012, has leased additional storage space at 2034 Dabney Road in Henrico.
The new 3,300-square-foot space is spillover from the brand’s 900-square-foot facility at 3001 W. Clay St. in Scott’s Addition. That space has served as its local headquarters, retail storefront and storage area since 2015.
The Dabney Road facility will house its freezer space and pushcarts that it deploys around town to sell pops in neighborhoods, parks and at events.
Paul Cassimus, president of King of Pops in Richmond, said the Scott’s Addition spot will continue as usual with the addition of the new digs to the west.
“From a customer’s perspective, nothing at Scott’s Addition will change,” Cassimus said. “All the same stuff will be offered there. There’ll just be no carts going in and out.”
King of Pops will split the space with P10 Foods, a small food distribution company started by the same folks who founded the King of Pops brand in Atlanta in 2010.
Cassimus said his Richmond branch wholesales popsicles and will begin doing so through P10 Foods, which specializes in small, niche food products. King of Pops is the only local company on P10’s client list, which includes small firms making things like gelato, jam, chocolate, nut butter and hot sauce.
“It was a mix of needing more for storage for King of Pops, but also having a warehouse space for P10, to store all the products they distribute,” Cassimus said of the decision for the spot on Dabney.
King of Pops is looking to move into the new space by mid-June, and is currently outfitting the building, including adding a walk-in freezer.
Eric Williford and David Williams of Colliers International represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
In addition to the Scott’s Addition retail front and carts, King of Pops also wholesales to local stores, including Libbie Market, Shields Market, Whole Foods and Tom Leonard’s.
Cassimus said King of Pops Richmond is on pace to sell about 220,000 popsicles in 2018.
“We’ve been growing very consistently year over year. We keep talking about going out to Virginia Beach or Northern Virginia, but we’re very happy with the growth we’ve seen in Richmond,” he said.
King of Pops Richmond operates as its own entity and is not a franchise. The brand also operates throughout Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Cassimus said locally, King of Pops has three full-time and about 30 part-time employees.
I wonder if there were any trademark issues with Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop.” I hope not.