Clockwise from left: Strawberry Fields and Plain Jane from Pearl’s Bake Shoppe, and Oreo peanut butter cupcake from Carytown Cupcakes (Photo by Erin Edgerton)
Sweet Choices
Cupcake purveyors open new West End storefronts
Two Richmond confectioners have new locations.
In July, Carytown Cupcakes opened a second store at Short Pump Town Center, while Pearl’s Bake Shoppe has moved a block from its previous location, from 5812 Grove Ave. to 5811 Patterson Ave.
Carytown Cupcakes (carytowncupcakes.com) planned its new shop for nearly a year. “West Enders enjoy our cupcakes, and they were constantly asking us when we were coming to Short Pump,” says owner Jessye Valerie.
The new store features what Valerie calls a “streamlined” interior design to make shopping simpler and easier. She wants to renovate her original store to have a similar design. Valerie says she’s received interest about expanding her business beyond Richmond, and if that were to occur, she says, the Carytown name would remain the same, as it has with the Short Pump outlet. “People in Richmond get attached to the stores and their personalities, and we want to honor that,” Valerie says.
Pearl’s (pearlsbakeshoppe.com) has moved into more expansive digs, with nearly 5,000 square feet making room for six new baking ovens. The bakery has also added employees and introduced new items to its menu, including espresso drinks. “I’d say it’s beneficial for us to move to a space that is literally three times as big,” owner Laurie Blakey says. —Mac Konrad
Shannon Brown and Jim Morgan in Henrico Theatre Co.’s 2012 production of “Ring of Fire” (Photo courtesy Henrico Theatre Co.)
Onstage
Henrico Theatre Co. marks 40 years of performances
Henrico Theatre Co.’s 40th season is underway, with performances including a return engagement later in November of “A Christmas Carol.”
The perennial holiday favorite will run Nov. 30 through Dec. 16 at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, where the troupe, sponsored by Henrico County Parks and Recreation, is in residence. Lynn Stevens is the author of this version, first staged by the troupe in 1989, and Terri Moore serves as director.
They also will stage “Ring of Fire,” a celebration of the music of Johnny Cash, from Feb. 22 through March 3. Tickets for that performance are $15. The director of “Ring,” Amy Perdue, says going with a play inspired by the music of the Americana music icon was a no-brainer. “Everybody loves Johnny Cash,” she says. The theater company first staged the musical in 2012 and then reprised it in 2014. Perdue says most of the original cast has returned for the February production. “It was important [for me to bring the cast back] — everybody just clicked,” she says.
The troupe opened its season with “Always … Patsy Cline” in September. It will also present “Arsenic & Old Lace” May 13-19, and “The Fantasticks” July 12-28. Tickets for the productions other than the Johnny Cash musical are $10, or $8 for students and seniors 55 and older. 804-501-5859, or artsglenallen.com. —MK
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The Queen Elizabeth bedroom at Dover Hall (Photo courtesy Dover Hall)
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The fireplace in the ballroom at Dover Hall (Photo courtesy Dover Hall)
At Rest
In July, Goochland County event space Dover Hall (doverhall.com) added a bed-and-breakfast function to the sprawling estate. Owner Jeff Ottaviano, who took over Dover Hall in 2017 with his partner Chad Hornik, believes the 55-acre English estate can be more than just a place for weddings or corporate retreats. “The facility lends itself to be a bed-and-breakfast,” he says. In addition, Ottaviano says that he and Hornik also want to build a 400-person outdoor pavilion and a restaurant at Dover Hall in 2019. —MK
Deep Run High School (Photo by Tina Eshleman)
Blue Ribbon School
Henrico County's Deep Run High School is one of eight Virginia schools and 349 across the country to earn honors as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2018.
The U.S. Department of Education selects schools for the honor based on significant growth in closing student achievement gaps or for demonstrating exceptional academic performance. Lenny Pritchard, principal at Deep Run, says the school's holistic program makes it stand out. “We’re meeting the needs of all of our students academically,” he says. —Elise Kim
The Doctors Are In
A new health care facility has opened in Short Pump, Bon Secours Short Pump Medical Plaza. The plaza, an extension of St. Mary’s Hospital, is a two-story, 50,000-square-foot facility at 12320 W. Broad St., and it’s staffed around the clock. Offerings include a 12-bed emergency department, a community wellness center and outpatient imaging services, including an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and 3-D mammography. It also will be home to Bon Secours Short Pump Primary Care, according to a release. —MK
