Photo by Alexis Courtney
Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Beauty Lounge (multi-category winner)
Melissa Black brought pin-up magic to the Richmond beauty scene when she opened a small tanning and waxing room in 2009. Now, she operates four salons as part of her Bombshell brand and has added other services to her repertoire. “We have an insatiable appetite for making guests feel fabulous,” says Scott Black, co-owner. “Our stylists are continually educating themselves with us.”
Best hair salon for hair coloring
1. Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Beauty Lounge
2. Mango Salon
3. Parlor Salon
Best natural hair salon
1. Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Beauty Lounge
2. Red Salon Organics
3. HAIR the Salon
Best spa
1. Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Beauty Lounge
2. Red Door Salon & Spa
3. Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa
Best manicures
1. Bombshell Brazilian Waxing and Beauty Lounge
2. Escape Nails and Spa
3. Fusion Nail Spa; Royal Nails
Photo courtesy Y-USA
Best after-school day care
YMCA
A unique curriculum comprised of physical education, nutrition and wellness, 21st-century skills, arts enrichment, and more allow children to receive a well-rounded experience after formal classroom instruction during the day. Pam Smith, operations director of the after-school program, says, “We have a program that emphasizes positive role models and development. There’s homework help after school, snacks and opportunities to be active.”
2. Rainbow Station
3. The Goddard School
Best day care provider
Ms. Babs’ Nursery School
2319 Grove Ave., 804-353-5019
Children 3 months up to prekindergarten age “learn through play” at Ms. Babs’ Nursery School. This year, weekly music and garden classes, yoga sessions, and nature clubs have been added. “Some of the newest additions to our school [are] our wonderful murals done by local artists such as Nicole Gomez and Patti Rosner,” says owner and Director Joe Cafarella.
2. Rainbow Station
3. (TIE) Primrose Schools; The Goddard School
Best preschool education
Ms. Babs’ Nursery School
2319 Grove Ave., 804-353-5019
“Our approach is simple,” says owner and Director Joe Cafarella. “A dedicated curriculum is created for our rising kindergarteners to prepare themselves for a more structured classroom setting while also remembering we are here to have fun.” Hands-on activities include cooking classes. Plus, the prekindergarten class is in charge of maintaining the gardens that grow various vegetables and herbs.
2. The Goddard School
3. Rainbow Station
Photo by Stephen Clatterbuck
Best pet day care
Holiday Barn
3800 Mountain Road, 804-672-2200; 614 Johnston Willis Drive, 804-794-5400
A dog’s day at Holiday Barn is more than play time and butt-sniffing. Under constant watch, the pets at Holiday also get a dose of “manners reinforcement.” After exercises like “name recall” and “boundary skills,” you may end up with a whole new dog at day’s end.
2. Impawsible Pups
3. Diamond Dog House
Best place to board your pet
Holiday Barn
3800 Mountain Road, 804-625-4114; 614 Johnston Willis Drive, 804-601-4794
With four different tiers of lodging suites for dogs, there are personal four-poster doggy beds, TVs, chandeliers and more amenities. Cat condos feature floor-to-ceiling platforms and climbing areas, each with a view of a fish tank. Plus, yep, a pet pool. “We’ve been able to develop our own activities for dogs,” owner Michael Hughes says. “They enjoy individual walks as well as social activities and play time.”
2. Impawsible Pups
3. (TIE) Diamond Dog House; Happy Camper Pet Lodge
Best veterinary clinic
(TIE) Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic; Cary Street Veterinary Clinic
5322 Patterson Ave., 804-288-7387; 3210 W. Cary St., 804-355-9144
Dr. Betty Baugh Harrison has made house calls to area residents since she opened Visiting Vets in 1990, and has continued to do so after starting Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic in 1998. Baugh offers diagnostics and a spectrum of services — from acupuncture to oncological care — in-house. Cary Street Veterinary Clinic, headed by Dr. Kimberly Kuhn, is sensitive to the needs of old dogs. Her practice has a licensed physical rehabilitator who works with patients on underwater and land treadmills.
2. Church Hill Animal Hospital
3. Broad Street Veterinary Hospital
Best pet shop
Dogma
3501 W. Cary St., 804-358-9267
With fun and safe gifts for pets, Dogma is a one-stop shop to fill all of your furry friend’s needs from beauty to play. Organic and holistic foods offer high nutrition for fur babies, and pet gear includes functional and fashionable attire that’s comfortable to wear.
2. Fin & Feather
3. PetSmart
Best pet grooming service
Dogma
3501 W. Cary St., 804-358-9267
“You can judge the heart of a man by the way he treats his animals,” says Didi Tremblay, Dogma shop manager. “German philosopher Immanuel Kant said that, and it’s still true today.” The saying hangs on the walls of Dogma, and its groomers truly care. They are quick to advise customers when an animal should be groomed in a certain style for health reasons.
2. Holiday Barn
3. Impawsible Pups
Best locally owned bookstore that makes great recommendations (new, used and/or children’s)
Chop Suey
2913 W. Cary St., 804-422-8066
The folks at Chop Suey are interested in love connections of the literary variety. Case in point: the store’s “Blind Date With a Book” program. Books are concealed in brown paper wrapping and have descriptive tags such as, “In search of a reader interested in travel, drinking and crime.” And if it’s not a match made in heaven, buyers have two weeks to return the purchase.
2. Bbgb Books
3. (TIE) Black Swan; Fountain Bookstore
Photo by Megan Irwin
Best locally owned shop for men’s clothing
Franco’s Fine Clothier
5321 Lakeside Ave., 804-264-2994; 11800 W. Broad St., 804-364-9400
At Franco’s everything is tailored in-house, so if there’s an emergency or unforeseen event, the turnaround time can be as short as a day. “Most importantly,” says owner Kevin Reardon, “we do the full tailoring to make the garment the proper fit, which really starts with putting the right garment on the right person in the first place. … That’s why we carry so many different brands and styles.”
2. Ledbury
3. Peter-Blair
Best vintage jewelry and/or clothing selection
Bygones
2916 W. Cary St., 804-353-1919
For 38 years, Maynee Cayton has focused on finding new caretakers to love vintage pieces. One young woman who purchased a prom dress with matching purse from the shop found a photo of the ensemble’s original owner — a young woman dressed for prom in 1955 — inside the handbag. To complete the circle, the young woman then took a picture of herself in the dress on her own prom night and sent it to the consigner.
2. Halcyon
Best consignment store
Clementine
3118 W. Cary St., 804-358-2357
Chic consumers can find anything from a $40 Anthropologie top to a $359 Luis Vuitton bag at Clementine. How do co-owners Lyn Page and Jane Crooks offer such a wide selection? “We have longstanding and trusting relationships with some of the most stylish and fashionable women in Virginia,” Page says. “We are lucky these women connect us with their friends from all over the country so that we can sell top-quality curated pieces in our store.”
2. Ashby
3. Clothes Mentor
Best dry cleaners
Puritan Cleaners
Since 1937, Puritan Cleaners has remained committed to the area it serves. “Richmond is a great place, and we love serving the Richmond community,” says company President Gary Glover. He says Puritan began offering a home delivery service a few years ago where dry cleaning is picked up and dropped off at customers’ homes. Deliveries are growing, with about 5,000 Richmonders served each week. And the best part: It’s free.
2. HandCraft Cleaners
3. Rambo Dry Cleaners
Best locally owned shop for women’s clothing
(TIE) The Phoenix; The S.E.E. Boutique
3101 W. Cary St., 804-354-0711; 1244 Sycamore Square, 804-912-6631
Aug. 1 marks the 40th anniversary of women’s boutique The Phoenix in Carytown, and owner K McCarthy will celebrate with an open house Sept. 28-30. McCarthy says, “I have people who have shopped with me since we opened 40 years ago.” Celebrating its third year in Midlothian, The S.E.E. Boutique carries on-trend ensembles, with about 80 percent of the store’s inventory made in the United States. Co-Owner Sarah Estes says, “Most of my manufacturers are based in L.A., and those brands are unique to this area.”
2. (TIE) Mod & Soul; Need Supply Co.; Na Nin; Nellie George
3. (TIE) Fab’rik; La Grande Dame; Levys; Lex’s of Carytown; Monkee’s of Richmond; Penelope; Roan; Rosewood Clothing Co.
Photo by Megan Irwin
Best locally owned shoe store
Saxon Shoes
11800 W. Broad St., 804-285-3473
Richmonders know that when they come to Saxon Shoes, they’re going to find the best shoe for any occasion, from a wedding to working out. “This year we brought in a ton of new brands for men, women and children,” Amanda Weiner, special projects coordinator, says. “It’s stuff you don’t see at your local department store.”
2. (TIE) Lucky Foot/Lucky Road; Rider Boot Co.
3. (TIE) Road Runner; The Shoe Box
Best locally owned sneaker and/or running shoe shop
Lucky Foot/Lucky Road
13265 Rittenhouse Drive, 804-744-5060; 1601Willow Lawn Drive, 804-658-3110
Personalized attention and matching appropriate athletic footwear to customers is what husband-and-wife team Jeff and Desiree Van Horn do every day at Lucky Foot/Lucky Road. “The main thing is we want everybody to feel like this is their store no matter what level of walker or runner they are,” Desiree says.
2. Road Runner Running Store
3. Fleet Feet Sports
Best fine jewelry
Schwarzschild
Since 1897, Schwarzschild Jewelers has helped Richmonders mark special occasions with pieces from top-end designers such as Mikimoto and John Hardy. “You wouldn’t recommend something to anyone that you wouldn’t recommend to your mother, brother or sister,” says Ben Stahl, manager of Schwarzschild’s Alverser Plaza store.
2. Adolf’s Jewelers
3. Fink’s
Best toy store
World of Mirth
3005 W. Cary St., 804-353-8991
The whimsical toy store often has shoppers laughing in the aisles. A particularly hilarious offering is the game “Fishin’ for Floaters,” which keeps young ones busy in the bathtub, according to Thea Brown, the store’s general manager. For a gift with girl power, there’s the “Goodnight Book for Rebel Girls,” which features short stories of courageous women and girls.
2. Toys That Teach
3. The Toy Center
Best cigar selection
Havana Connections
“Cigars are all about passion. What we do is provide passion to our customers,” says Jason Cannata, operations manager of Havana Connections, a 20-year fixture in the market. “We talk about the artistry that goes into a cigar, the process.” The company’s staff uses its encyclopedic knowledge of cigars to help customers choose from among 600 cigar options at five locations.
2. Mona Lounge
3. (TIE) Cigar Realm; Old Virginia Tobacco Company
Photo by Brooke Marsh
Best locally owned gift shop
Mongrel
2924 W. Cary St., 804-342-1272
Mongrel’s inventory is in a constant state of flux. Co-owner Stan McCulloch says, “Because things change so much, if [customers] see something they really like, they should go ahead and get it before it disappears.” Since opening 26 years ago, the quirky and unexpected finds have continued to surprise shoppers, so much so that McCulloch says they’re now seeing their second generation of customers following their parents’ example.
2. Tweed
3. Tinker’s
Best new car dealership
McGeorge Toyota
9319 W. Broad St., 804-755-9200
In business since 1955 and having moved to its current location in 2006, it’s safe to say that McGeorge isn’t all that new to Richmond, but this certified Toyota dealership remains a favorite for its selection of new and used models and its award-winning service and repair facility. Plus, the McGeorge @Home program allows you to complete the entire car-buying experience from your computer.
2. Pearson Honda
3. Haley Toyota
Photo by Jay Paul
Best attention to detail at a carwash
Car Pool
The local company is celebrating its 40th year in business and has six full-service car washes, an exterior-only car wash and a full-service detail shop. After every service, employees sign their names to the work to indicate a job well-done. Car Pool offers everything from undercarriage rinses to paint manipulations and restoration work for flood-damaged cars.
2. Dave’s
3. Flagstop
Best locally owned auto repair shop
Paradise Garage
14 S. Allen Ave., 804-358-5902
Owner Greg McClellan lets his shop’s reputation speak for itself, welcoming repeat clients and word-of-mouth visits. “I’m here to fix cars and not just sell a bunch of service that you don’t really need,” he says. Communication is also important in keeping good client relations. “A lot of people don’t understand when they need a car repair what they’re getting, so we try to explain it to them so they understand it.”
2. Wallace Automotive
3. Midas of Richmond
Best collision repair
(TIE) Baugh Auto Body; Conner Brothers Body Shop
6018 W. Broad St., 804-285-8045; 10360 Chester Road, 804-748-3694
Open Saturdays, on-site car rentals and state-of-the-art technology all contribute to a smooth repair process at Baugh Auto Body. At Conner Brothers, the staff provides a top-notch experience during a difficult time. “When you go through a repair at Conner Brothers, we are going to keep you informed from start to finish on all aspects of the repair,” owner Kevin Conner says.
2. Bruce’s Super Body Shop
3. Dorn’s Body and Paint
Best place for massages
Hand and Stone
10 N. Nansemond St., 804-729-5561
Hand and Stone’s signature massage involved gliding heated stones across the body for an experience so relaxing, clients will feel “massage drunk,” says Manna Bermudez, the spa’s regional manager. “Everything a therapist can do with hands or knuckles can be done with the stones,” she adds. Area therapists are also trained in massage techniques for clients undergoing chemotherapy.
2. Massage Envy
3. (TIE) Back in Action; Escape Massage; Sacred Waters Holistic Spa & Boutique
Best florist
Strange’s
Since opening in the 1930s in the backyard of Gideon Strange, the business has expanded to three locations in the Richmond area under the Gouldin family. Strange’s ranks among the top 25 in the FTD network of 25,000 florists. “We are competitive in the fact that we have a lot of options and a strong, easy-to-use website for flower delivery,” says Meg Gouldin, the company’s head of human resources.
2. Coleman Brothers; Strawberry Fields Flowers and Finds
3. Vogue Flowers
Best framing shop
Rick’s Custom Framing + Gallery
5702 Patterson Ave., 804-288-0001
Fie on your Instagram feed and selfies. The well-staffed Rick’s Custom Frame and Gallery proves that your digital art can go only so far. Owner Rick Michaels touts his crew’s solid track record since 2009. “Most people want to see and touch and be up close to what they’re picking out,” he says.
2. Frame of Mind
3. (TIE) Beveled Edge, Fralin, McCool’s, Sterling Art and Frame
Photo courtesy Wegmans
Best new business in the region
Wegmans
12501 Stone Village Way, 804-419-9900; 12200 Wegmans Blvd., 804-377-4100
Wegmans offers a full-service restaurant, The Pub by Wegmans, at its two local locations, Midlothian and Short Pump. “The best ingredients and the variety of freshness [appeal] to foodies and families as well,” says Todd Strassner, store manager of the Short Pump location.
2. (TIE) The Float Zone; The Veil Brewing Co.
3. (TIE) Aldi; Charm School Social Club; Zzaam Fresh Korean Grill
Best place for eye exams and glasses
Virginia Eye Institute
Attention to detail is the cornerstone of a good eye exam at Virginia Eye Institute. “It’s not a 15- or 20-minute exam. Patients get a thorough exam, and the doctor informs them if anything is going on or gives them a clean bill of health,” says Rich Myott, director of optical services. The practice also offers high-end frames with customer service to match.
2. Grove Eye Care
3. Patterson Eye Clinic
Best law firm
Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen
Founded in 1930, the Allen firm has fourth-generation Allens practicing today. It’s the oldest and largest law firm in Virginia, says Director of Marketing Karen Hester. “I just met a client [recently], and she knows about us because a family member of hers worked with a second-generation Allen years ago,” Hester says.
2. McGuireWoods
3. Seth P. Saunders, Attorney at Law
Best mortgage broker
SunTrust Mortgage
Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, buying a second home or refinancing your mortgage, SunTrust Mortgage has loan officers at the ready to help you every step of the way. A multitude of mortgage loans and financing programs makes planning for your dream home a reality, and online tools and resources assist with applications, checking interest rates and figuring out monthly payments.
2. CapCenter
3. (TIE) MAK Financial Group; Wells Fargo; Virginia Credit Union
Best local financial planning firm
Call Federal
Call Federal has its customers covered. The credit union has full-time financial counselors who work individually with members on their financial goals. Group workshops and online literature are also available for members who may feel pressured by one-on-one intervention. Call Federal is also committed to education in general: The credit union awards four $2,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors annually.
2. (TIE) Ameriprise; Edward Jones; Heritage Wealth; Verus Financial
Best credit union
Virginia Credit Union
VACU will open its 14th branch in the Richmond area in December, located in Hancock Village in Chesterfield County. The branch will be the $3.1 billion credit union’s 18th branch overall. Even though the company is growing, “VACU members recognize they don’t have to sacrifice caring, personal service for better rates or top-tier technology,” says Glenn Birch, VACU spokesman. “It matters to the community that we are member-owned and local.”
2. Call Federal
3. Navy Federal
Best bank
SunTrust
When it comes to banking at SunTrust, the experience goes beyond the traditional bank teller interaction and focuses on customers’ financial portfolios as a whole. Offering assistance in wealth management, SunTrust’s experts are available to guide your goals. Plus, digital banking services provide convenience to monitor accounts 24/7.
2. (TIE) Union Bank & Trust; Wells Fargo
3. BB&T
