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Bev's Ice Cream Hopes to Freeze out the Competition

By Grant Fanning

When looking for a cool treat during a hot day of shopping in Carytown, sweet tooths had one place in mind – Bev’s Ice Cream.

That is, until Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop moved in next door.

According to Bev’s employees Grace Howard and Heidi Krizansky, “Bev” isn’t worried one bit.

“We have a pretty loyal following. I think we’ll be OK,” Howard said, scooping ice cream.

Ben & Jerry’s, a brand born out of a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vt., and now one of the nation’s largest ice creameries, opened its doors to Carytown shoppers and neighbors in mid-September.

It wasn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has scooped frozen desserts in Carytown. About a decade ago, the national chain opened a store in a similar location – but then closed it.

According to Krizansky, business is still good.

“It really hasn’t affected us at all,” she said. “Richmond is all about local business. I think that it will make a difference with tourists, people who don’t know our logo. They’ll see Ben and Jerry’s first, and they’ll go there.”

Exuding confidence, Krizansky said Bev’s can count on its loyal customers – and on the owners of nearby stores – for support.

“The merchants in Carytown have been so helpful; they direct so many customers and tourists here. People are upset about it, so I don’t really feel like it affects us much,” Krizansky said.

Bev’s Ice Cream, 2911 W. Cary St., is just a few doors down from the freshly painted Ben & Jerry’s, displaying a color palette of cool pastels, a mural of Carytown, tables and benches for outdoor seating, and even its own parking lot.

Bill Busching, owner and operator, jumped at the location at 2901 W. Cary St. when the opportunity arose.

“We had been looking for a place here for nearly two years,” Busching said.

Its close proximity to the staple shop for neighborhood ice cream didn’t concern him.

“If such an opportunity is there, we are going to jump on it. It’s a perfect location. We will see what happens,” Busching said.

Whether or not Bev’s will have a hard time competing with the big ice cream giant remains to be seen, but history tells us that Bev’s ice cream has a winning record against Ben & Jerry’s.

In 1999, Ben & Jerry’s opened a store in Carytown and closed shortly thereafter. This may be why Bev’s employees aren’t worried about a little competition moving in next door. There aren’t many large chains in Carytown save for the occasional convenience store or bank. Richmonders and Fan dwellers alike seem to shun against large chains moving in.

“It kind of upsets me that they moved in so close. I love Bev’s,” Jessie Tyler, a student and local resident, said of the new competition.

“I hope Bev’s wins. I love their ice cream.”

While strong support for locally owned shops is present in Carytown, the trend has slightly shifted in other parts of the Fan. Earlier this year, Wired Café on N. Robinson St. closed down shortly after coffee goliath Starbucks moved in one block away.