Coco + Hazel at 411 N. Ridge Road. The milkshake shop is planning to close its Ridge location, which is in the Tuckahoe Shopping Center. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Several months into their tenure at the helm of Coco + Hazel, the milkshake shop’s new owners have decided to shut down the chain’s Henrico location to focus their energies on its Bon Air spot.
Carrie Walker, who bought Coco + Hazel with business partner Laura Hinkle in September, said they’re planning to end operations at 411 N. Ridge Road in the Tuckahoe Shopping Center in February.
Walker said the Tuckahoe shop’s 1,200-square-foot space was too small to be viable as they evolve the concept’s business model, and with the lease running out the decision was made to exit the space.
“The ability to scale the business there is pretty much nonexistent,” she said.
Coco + Hazel plans to continue to operate its 3,800-square-foot location at 2733 McRae Road in Bon Air, which Walker said seems like more fertile ground to grow the business she and Hinkle envision.
“They’re very different communities. Tuckahoe has been a very loyal community, and kids walk over and get ice cream scoops. At Bon Air, we’ve grown a large coffee presence,” Walker said. “I think an ice cream scoop shop could totally go into that Tuckahoe strip and do very well.”
Coco + Hazel’s last day of business on Ridge Road is expected to be Feb. 25. The shop’s lease on the space ends in April. The company announced its plans to close the Tuckahoe location on social media last week.
At the Bon Air location, Walker said they will continue to fine tune the business throughout 2024.
Come next year, Walker said the plan is to revisit an expanded footprint with what will be a new second location. She said that at this time, Carytown and Short Pump are top contenders for a future new location – areas that have taken priority over previous plans to explore an expansion into Chester.
They recently introduced smaller versions of their signature milkshakes, which feature pieces of cake and other baked goods in addition to ice cream and toppings.
One of Coco + Hazel’s specialty milkshakes, which comes with a piece of cake as a topping. (BizSense file)
The company’s classic signature milkshakes are 24 ounces and cost about $16. The new, smaller versions of them are 12 ounces and cost about $10.
“We found that price point works for people,” Walker said. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It hasn’t detracted from the big shake sales at all.”
Walker and Hinkle are also exploring the introduction of wine and beer sales, an expanded all-day food menu to complement existing breakfast offerings and a busier event calendar.
Coco + Hazel has switched to ice cream from Lynchburg-based Rookie’s, which was another change the new owners wanted to introduce. Previously, the company served Tillamook Ice Cream.
Walker and Hinkle bought Coco + Hazel from Himabindu Barola and Pavithra Burla, who owned it for just over a year after acquiring it from original owner Chelle Bravo. Bravo opened the Tuckahoe location in 2019, and the Bon Air location opened two years later.
Coco + Hazel at 411 N. Ridge Road. The milkshake shop is planning to close its Ridge location, which is in the Tuckahoe Shopping Center. (Jack Jacobs photo)
Several months into their tenure at the helm of Coco + Hazel, the milkshake shop’s new owners have decided to shut down the chain’s Henrico location to focus their energies on its Bon Air spot.
Carrie Walker, who bought Coco + Hazel with business partner Laura Hinkle in September, said they’re planning to end operations at 411 N. Ridge Road in the Tuckahoe Shopping Center in February.
Walker said the Tuckahoe shop’s 1,200-square-foot space was too small to be viable as they evolve the concept’s business model, and with the lease running out the decision was made to exit the space.
“The ability to scale the business there is pretty much nonexistent,” she said.
Coco + Hazel plans to continue to operate its 3,800-square-foot location at 2733 McRae Road in Bon Air, which Walker said seems like more fertile ground to grow the business she and Hinkle envision.
“They’re very different communities. Tuckahoe has been a very loyal community, and kids walk over and get ice cream scoops. At Bon Air, we’ve grown a large coffee presence,” Walker said. “I think an ice cream scoop shop could totally go into that Tuckahoe strip and do very well.”
Coco + Hazel’s last day of business on Ridge Road is expected to be Feb. 25. The shop’s lease on the space ends in April. The company announced its plans to close the Tuckahoe location on social media last week.
At the Bon Air location, Walker said they will continue to fine tune the business throughout 2024.
Come next year, Walker said the plan is to revisit an expanded footprint with what will be a new second location. She said that at this time, Carytown and Short Pump are top contenders for a future new location – areas that have taken priority over previous plans to explore an expansion into Chester.
They recently introduced smaller versions of their signature milkshakes, which feature pieces of cake and other baked goods in addition to ice cream and toppings.
One of Coco + Hazel’s specialty milkshakes, which comes with a piece of cake as a topping. (BizSense file)
The company’s classic signature milkshakes are 24 ounces and cost about $16. The new, smaller versions of them are 12 ounces and cost about $10.
“We found that price point works for people,” Walker said. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It hasn’t detracted from the big shake sales at all.”
Walker and Hinkle are also exploring the introduction of wine and beer sales, an expanded all-day food menu to complement existing breakfast offerings and a busier event calendar.
Coco + Hazel has switched to ice cream from Lynchburg-based Rookie’s, which was another change the new owners wanted to introduce. Previously, the company served Tillamook Ice Cream.
Walker and Hinkle bought Coco + Hazel from Himabindu Barola and Pavithra Burla, who owned it for just over a year after acquiring it from original owner Chelle Bravo. Bravo opened the Tuckahoe location in 2019, and the Bon Air location opened two years later.
thank you for opening on Monday – looks busy and the holiday events were a big hit
I wish Gelati Celesti would open a spot in Tuckahoe.
Glad to hear they’ve introduced some smaller portion sizes. I honestly looked at their pics online historically and joked with my kids that it looks like Diabetes in a glass. We joke about it every time we pass it and don’t go in. We live in Bon Air and frequent the overcrowded, and due to that, often slow, but still worthwile Perk. If they genuinely want to project their presence as a coffee place, it would do them well to put out some signage about it, because I had no clue. In any case, glad to see them re-assessing their… Read more »