Whisk owner Billy Bryan is opening a location in Henrico County. (Photos courtesy of Billy Bryan)
The new owner of Shockoe Bottom-based bakery Whisk is expanding outside the city limits.
Billy Bryan, who bought the business earlier this year, plans to open a new Whisk cafe in early September in The Shoppes at Staples Mill shopping center. The location will also be the new home of the company’s production operations.
In addition to Whisk’s lineup of coffee and baked goods like croissants and cakes, the new cafe will feature an expanded sandwiches menu and more drink offerings and market items in addition to salads.
“It gives us the opportunity to really think it through and lay it out so we can focus on serving our guests in the most efficient manner but also for us to test new products and release new products,” Bryan said.
The 2,800-square-foot spot at 8308 Staples Mill Road is larger than Whisk’s city outpost. Bryan said customer feedback and the need for a bigger bakery drove his interest in the location in western Henrico County.
“We have a large customer base who shop with us regularly and on numerous occasions ask if we had plans to go to the West End, because it would be more convenient for them,” Bryan said. “We actually needed more kitchen space for our production, for our wholesale, our freezer-to-oven products and custom orders.”
Whisk is opening a new cafe at 8308 Staples Mill Road in The Shoppes at Staples Mill shopping center.
The spot was formerly occupied by a bakery called Lessa’s Cakes and More. Bryan bought the equipment in the space and has made additional purchases. He estimates he will invest about $150,000 in the space’s buildout and equipment.
“One thing that attracted me to the space is the kitchen was in very good shape as far as some of the equipment goes,” Bryan said. “For your average bakery, it’d be considered turnkey. But because of the volume of production we do, I have ordered additional equipment.”
The new cafe is slated to open Labor Day weekend. Whisk plans to move out of its current production facility at 403 Strawberry St. in the Fan to consolidate bakery operations in the Henrico location. The Shockoe Bottom cafe at 2100 E. Main St. will continue to operate as usual.
Baking classes that Bryan restarted in May at Strawberry Street will also migrate to the Henrico spot.
Bryan bought Whisk earlier this year from Morgan Botwinick, who founded the business in 2015.
Giuseppe Giambanco of Giambanco Real Estate handled lease negotiations for the landlord and tenant. The Henrico space was briefly occupied by Twister’z Premium Frozen Yogurt in the early 2010s.
Whisk owner Billy Bryan is opening a location in Henrico County. (Photos courtesy of Billy Bryan)
The new owner of Shockoe Bottom-based bakery Whisk is expanding outside the city limits.
Billy Bryan, who bought the business earlier this year, plans to open a new Whisk cafe in early September in The Shoppes at Staples Mill shopping center. The location will also be the new home of the company’s production operations.
In addition to Whisk’s lineup of coffee and baked goods like croissants and cakes, the new cafe will feature an expanded sandwiches menu and more drink offerings and market items in addition to salads.
“It gives us the opportunity to really think it through and lay it out so we can focus on serving our guests in the most efficient manner but also for us to test new products and release new products,” Bryan said.
The 2,800-square-foot spot at 8308 Staples Mill Road is larger than Whisk’s city outpost. Bryan said customer feedback and the need for a bigger bakery drove his interest in the location in western Henrico County.
“We have a large customer base who shop with us regularly and on numerous occasions ask if we had plans to go to the West End, because it would be more convenient for them,” Bryan said. “We actually needed more kitchen space for our production, for our wholesale, our freezer-to-oven products and custom orders.”
Whisk is opening a new cafe at 8308 Staples Mill Road in The Shoppes at Staples Mill shopping center.
The spot was formerly occupied by a bakery called Lessa’s Cakes and More. Bryan bought the equipment in the space and has made additional purchases. He estimates he will invest about $150,000 in the space’s buildout and equipment.
“One thing that attracted me to the space is the kitchen was in very good shape as far as some of the equipment goes,” Bryan said. “For your average bakery, it’d be considered turnkey. But because of the volume of production we do, I have ordered additional equipment.”
The new cafe is slated to open Labor Day weekend. Whisk plans to move out of its current production facility at 403 Strawberry St. in the Fan to consolidate bakery operations in the Henrico location. The Shockoe Bottom cafe at 2100 E. Main St. will continue to operate as usual.
Baking classes that Bryan restarted in May at Strawberry Street will also migrate to the Henrico spot.
Bryan bought Whisk earlier this year from Morgan Botwinick, who founded the business in 2015.
Giuseppe Giambanco of Giambanco Real Estate handled lease negotiations for the landlord and tenant. The Henrico space was briefly occupied by Twister’z Premium Frozen Yogurt in the early 2010s.