1 of 3
New Orleans-inspired sno-ball shop Suzy Sno has left its Jackson Ward location and will reopen in the former Sweet 95 space at 3312 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. on Aug. 4.
2 of 3
Suzy Sno owner Rabia Kamara in the original Jackson Ward location of the shop
3 of 3
The walk-up window at Suzy Sno’s new location
Following a series of unfortunate events related to the space they were leasing, Rabia Kamara and her Suzy Sno crew have bid their Second Street shop goodbye. The New Orleans-inspired sno-ball concept will open the doors of its new digs on Thursday, Aug. 4, thanks in part to a fellow member of the local dining community.
Taking over the former Sweet 95 space at 3312 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Suzy Sno is reintroducing itself in a brighter, bigger way, with the addition of an outdoor patio, on-site parking and even a few ice cream flavors coming to the menu from sister shop Ruby Scoops.
“We’re hoping it becomes a permanent location and we’re open seasonally,” says Kamara, a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate originally from Maryland.
After being forced to close for weeks and missing out on prime sno-ball season at her second frozen dessert business, Kamara put the word out that she and her co-owners were on the hunt for a new location.
In a very Richmond moment, Kamara got a call from one of the area’s most prominent restaurateurs, Johnny Giavos.
Giavos owns the Arthur Ashe Boulevard space once occupied by Sweet 95, which closed in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. Kamara recalls their conversation: “They hadn’t been open since COVID, and he said, ‘We’re thinking it would be good to finish your first season there.’ ”
Giavos and wife Katrina, powerhouse restaurateurs behind over a dozen area concepts including Stella’s and its multi-location markets and long-standing Fan eatery and bar Sidewalk Cafe, also stock Ruby Scoops ice cream at a number of their outposts, but the family has actually known Kamara’s fiance and Suzy Sno business partner, Bakari Ruggiero, much longer.
“Johnny used to coach him, and he grew up with Dean [Giavos, son of Johnny and Katrina]. They’ve known each other their whole life,” Kamara says. Of the new space, she says, “It’s a better location realistically for us, a better working relationship with us, we know them and work for them as is, and there’s a lot of mutual trust.”
After opening Suzy Sno in November 2021 in Jackson Ward, Kamara says that issues ranging from electrical to HVAC began to arise and either went unresolved or the fixes were delayed. Combined with an increase in rent, continued road closures on Broad Street and lack of parking for customers, Kamara and her co-owners had reached a breaking point.
“We had this realization like, what we are currently experiencing is not viable for us, and we don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who is treating tenants like they don’t matter,” Kamara says. “We had issues for six months that went unresolved.”
At the new location, Kamara says patrons can expect the addition of menu items such as a root beer floats and ice cream-stuffed sno-balls, including one dedicated to activist, tennis legend and native Richmonder Arthur Ashe. Listed on the menu as The Ashe, the cool concoction combines strawberry cheesecake syrup, strawberry ice cream, graham cracker and a red velvet truffle. Over 60 house-made organic syrups are available, from blue raspberry and mango to Bahama Mama and root beer, with options to add toppings such as condensed milk, marshmallow fluff or candies.
Suzy Sno will tentatively remain open through October, depending on the weather, Kamara says, and the shop will operate from March to October next year if it remains in the new location.
Earlier this year, the ice cream queen and “Ben & Jerry’s Clash of the Cones” champ announced plans to take her North Side shop, Ruby Scoops, to the next level. Look for Kamara to debut what she has dubbed “Scoops 2.0” at 310 Brookland Parkway next year, featuring a bigger kitchen and dining area and perhaps an ABC license. The current location at 120 W. Brookland Park Blvd. will be converted into a yet-to-be-revealed venture in Kamara’s growing portfolio.
Despite the difficulties dealing with the previous space and navigating the recent move, Kamara says owning two businesses during the pandemic has taught her how to adapt.
“Honestly, it worked out, and I’m really grateful all the stars aligned,” she says. “We want to finish this season off on a better foot than it started. We’re really excited about the fact that we could make this move and not have to shut everything down.”
Suzy Sno will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
