Charm School Ice Cream Shop Opening New Shop in Westover Hills

Great news from the downtown dessert spot Charm School has some great news for ice cream lovers in the area. The development across from Westover Station (formerly Zata, formerly Taza read about the name change here) on Westover Hills Boulevard that will be home of a Veil Brewing outpost is now adding ice cream to the mix.

In December 2016, Alex Zavaleta and Meryl Hillerson opened Charm School’s flagship and production hub, Social Club, in the 3,000 sq ft space at 311 West Broad St. (Incidentally, they were the first “social club” on that block, before Black Iris and the soon-to-be Common House.)

Two years later, Alex and Meryl are ready to begin Charm School’s expansion, a reflection of the flagship’s success and growth. The co-founders have officially signed a lease to occupy 750 sq ft for their second Charm School shop, to be located in the new construction mixed-use building at 4910, 4920 and 4930 Forest Hill Ave.

The new space will offer an ice cream concept that Richmond hasn’t yet seen. The second location be referred to as Charm School Study Hall. We can’t reveal much just yet, but we can share that the new space will include:

• Late-night service including a walk-up window
• Ample parking via an adjoining lot
• Classic Charm School touches – of course there will be a record player!

Construction will soon be underway, and Charm School Study Hall is expected to open in 2019. Building Owners: A group led by Birck Turnbull and Charles Bice. General Contractor: Ben Adamson, owner of Corinthian Construction. Design: Fultz & Singh Architects.

Charm School is best known for their inventive, unconventional, delicious approach to ice cream. They hand make all of their ice cream, inclusions, and waffle cones at their Social Club location. They always offer considerable vegan options, including their signature toasted fluff.

There is a little more information at Richmond BizSense.com including a brief mention of changes in design.