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Owner of Pulp Fiction Lakeside Ruslana Remennikova
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The counter at Pulp Fiction Lakeside. The cafe offers baked goods from WPA Bakery and The Treat Shop.
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The inside of the space is light and airy, with live greenery, light wood and pops of bright blue.
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Pulp Fiction started as a smoothie and wellness food truck last year before opening its brick-and-mortar location.
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The menu features a handful of espresso beverages as well as smoothies.
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Remennikova competed in a Ironman triathlon in Australia that served as a source of inspiration for opening her cafe.
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The coffee at Pulp Fiction Lakeside is sourced from Legacy Roasting Co. in Hopewell, also owned by a VCU graduate.
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Pulp Fiction Lakeside is located at 5411 Lakeside Ave.
On July 8, Pulp Fiction Lakeside, a brick-and-mortar cafe spawned from a local food truck, opened its doors at 5411 Lakeside Ave. in the former Early Bird Biscuit Co. space.
Owner Ruslana Remennikova’s journey to opening her first business began in 2017 with the sudden death of her father soon after the two had completed an Olympic-length triathlon together.
“When events like that happen, you can either respond or keep snoozing,” says Remennikova. She chose the former. "Ever since I was a little kid, I worked hard and came from a family of hard workers."
Remennikova wanted to honor her father's memory by participating in an Ironman triathlon on the first anniversary of his passing. As she trained and focused her energy on the event, she made smoothies. At first they began with just two ingredients, typically almond milk and spinach, but she began to craft full-fledged recipes and slowly built a smoothie portfolio.
Following the Ironman competition in Port Macquarie, Australia, the VCU chemistry graduate left her job in the corporate world to launch Pulp Fiction, a wellness-focused food truck that opened in 2018, offering smoothies, wraps and salads and operating from April to October.
"I came back so motivated and inspired by my own strength, I knew I had more potential, and I set out to fulfill it," Remennikova says.
That same year Remennikova embarked on a life-changing trip to Italy. She worked in olive fields and backpacked in the countryside, touched by the warmth of the people, their work ethic and the deep sense of community she felt.
“I was very inspired by the community there,” she says. “After the trip I had a whole new outlook, and I wanted to be involved in [my own] local community and have outreach and projects."
Pulp Fiction Lakeside is a cozy 420-square-foot cafe with plentiful live greenery and comforting pops of bright blue.
“The space is nice, small and intimate,” Remennikova says, “exactly what I wanted and exactly what I am inspired by.”
The cafe serves coffee from Hopewell's Legacy Roasting Co. in espresso drinks, cold brews, cortados, a “French Press Per Table” and more.
Bagels are sourced from Davidovich Bakery in New York and paired with house-made schmears including lemon-poppyseed and chive. Sandwiches are also available, such as the Catalonian, with tomato spread and manchego cheese; the Israeli, with hummus, olives and feta; or the Aussie, with vegemite, tomatoes and butter.
Remennikova has partnered with WPA Bakery for gluten-free and vegan pastries and The Treat Shop for donuts and other baked goods. Other items from local purveyors include greeting cards from Snail Mail Love Co., chocolates from Miss Maud’s and preserves from Dayum This Is My Jam.
Smoothies are a major focus of the cafe, and Pulp Fiction offers a handful of varieties. “The Legacy," inspired by Remennikova's father, is a blend of spinach, almond butter, chia, flax, golden raisins, banana and almond milk. Add-on options range from bee pollen and charcoal powder to wheatgrass powder and matcha. There are also kosher options as well as vegan cheese from UnMoo.
Pulp Fiction Lakeside is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
