Suzy Sno serves New Orleans-style snowballs. (Photos courtesy of Ruby Scoops)
Snowballs are rolling into a former cupcake bakery in Carytown.
Shaved ice shop Suzy Sno, a concept by Ruby Scoops ice cream shop owner Rabia Kamara, is relocating to 3423 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
It’s expected to open in March in the storefront formerly occupied by Tipsy Cupcakes RVA, the now-shuttered sweets shop that sold booze-infused cupcakes.
Suzy Sno serves New Orleans-style snowballs, which Kamara describes as fluffier and served with a wider range of toppings and flavors than the usual snow cone.
Kamara said she’s betting the space will be a good fit for Suzy Sno because it keeps the shop in the city on a street with high foot traffic. Her shop was most recently in the former Sweet 95 space at 3336 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. next to the newly opened Brick House on the Boulevard.
“We’re excited to be in a neighborhood with a lot of walkability,” Kamara said. “We didn’t want to move Suzy out of the city because there’s no shaved ice here and that was one of the selling points.”
Rabia Kamara
The Carytown space is 1,400 square feet across two levels. Kamara said the plan is to offer inside seating (a first for Suzy Sno) and use the upstairs as an events venue. Kamara said she has a three-year lease on the space.
Suzy Sno has been open on a seasonal basis since its inception but that could change to year-round operations with the relocation to Carytown, Kamara said.
Nathan Hughes and Veronica Wiles of Sperity Real Estate Ventures handled lease negotiations on behalf of Suzy Sno. The Gaulden Group represented the landlord.
The relocation to Carytown will be the third move for Suzy Sno since it first opened in fall 2021. The shop operated on a temporary basis at the former Sweet 95 from August to October after leaving its original location at 317 N. Second St. in Jackson Ward in June.
The Suzy Sno move comes as Kamara’s Northside-based ice cream shop Ruby Scoops is eying a move of its own to the upcoming mixed-use development planned for 310 W. Brookland Park. The shop is currently located at 120 W. Brookland Park. Kamara said she signed a lease on the new space but an opening date hasn’t been set.
Kamara co-owns Suzy Sno and Ruby Scoops with fiance Bakari Ruggiero.
Tipsy Cupcakes, which was founded by sisters Shay and Mesha Cousins, closed in Carytown in November, ending a roughly three-and-a-half-year run after opening in June 2019. The store announced its closing in a Facebook post a few days before the planned last day of business.
“Although we made it through the pandemic, it doesn’t mean we didn’t leave with some scars. … Despite our endeavors, all great things must come to an end,” the company’s post read in part.
Tipsy Cupcakes didn’t respond to requests for comment by Monday afternoon.
Suzy Sno serves New Orleans-style snowballs. (Photos courtesy of Ruby Scoops)
Snowballs are rolling into a former cupcake bakery in Carytown.
Shaved ice shop Suzy Sno, a concept by Ruby Scoops ice cream shop owner Rabia Kamara, is relocating to 3423 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
It’s expected to open in March in the storefront formerly occupied by Tipsy Cupcakes RVA, the now-shuttered sweets shop that sold booze-infused cupcakes.
Suzy Sno serves New Orleans-style snowballs, which Kamara describes as fluffier and served with a wider range of toppings and flavors than the usual snow cone.
Kamara said she’s betting the space will be a good fit for Suzy Sno because it keeps the shop in the city on a street with high foot traffic. Her shop was most recently in the former Sweet 95 space at 3336 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. next to the newly opened Brick House on the Boulevard.
“We’re excited to be in a neighborhood with a lot of walkability,” Kamara said. “We didn’t want to move Suzy out of the city because there’s no shaved ice here and that was one of the selling points.”
Rabia Kamara
The Carytown space is 1,400 square feet across two levels. Kamara said the plan is to offer inside seating (a first for Suzy Sno) and use the upstairs as an events venue. Kamara said she has a three-year lease on the space.
Suzy Sno has been open on a seasonal basis since its inception but that could change to year-round operations with the relocation to Carytown, Kamara said.
Nathan Hughes and Veronica Wiles of Sperity Real Estate Ventures handled lease negotiations on behalf of Suzy Sno. The Gaulden Group represented the landlord.
The relocation to Carytown will be the third move for Suzy Sno since it first opened in fall 2021. The shop operated on a temporary basis at the former Sweet 95 from August to October after leaving its original location at 317 N. Second St. in Jackson Ward in June.
The Suzy Sno move comes as Kamara’s Northside-based ice cream shop Ruby Scoops is eying a move of its own to the upcoming mixed-use development planned for 310 W. Brookland Park. The shop is currently located at 120 W. Brookland Park. Kamara said she signed a lease on the new space but an opening date hasn’t been set.
Kamara co-owns Suzy Sno and Ruby Scoops with fiance Bakari Ruggiero.
Tipsy Cupcakes, which was founded by sisters Shay and Mesha Cousins, closed in Carytown in November, ending a roughly three-and-a-half-year run after opening in June 2019. The store announced its closing in a Facebook post a few days before the planned last day of business.
“Although we made it through the pandemic, it doesn’t mean we didn’t leave with some scars. … Despite our endeavors, all great things must come to an end,” the company’s post read in part.
Tipsy Cupcakes didn’t respond to requests for comment by Monday afternoon.
I believe Ruby Scoops will do well in Carytown! They are always in good hands with Nathan and Veronica!