NORFOLK, Va. - After building a following in one location, it's a risk to move somewhere else, but so far things are looking good for Crave Bakery & Coffee Bar in Downtown Norfolk.
"It’s gone way better than expected," said owner Camille Sheppard-Parrish one month after opening.
News 3 first met Sheppard-Parrish and her business in June of 2020. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and #TakeoutTuesday was an effort to support local restaurants. She couldn't meet COVID-19 social distancing requirements in her small Chesapeake storefront, so she set up a baby gate at the front door and took orders there.
Crave spent another three years in the Edinburgh neighborhood and did well during the pandemic, Sheppard-Parrish says, but visibility was a challenge in a strip mall set far back from Hillcrest Parkway.
In January, Crave reopened in a new location: the high-traffic corner of Boush and College Streets wedged between Downtown Norfolk and the Freemason neighborhood. It's the site of longtime business Chocollage Bakery.
“We felt honored to come and fill those big shoes," said Sheppard-Parrish outside the new storefront. "We love art, I love cooking and what better place could we be?"
The store is still waiting for its new awning and making due with a sign tied to the fence out front.
Inside, a window lets customers see right into the kitchen where Sheppard-Parrish works before they turn into the dining room filled with natural light. A glass case showcases the owner's scratch-made desserts. She says much of the menu is made 'from flour,' a throwback to her roots in New Jersey and the Gullah-Geechee communities of South Carolina.
Like for many other restaurants, Sheppard-Parrish says the biggest challenge these days is keeping up with higher costs of ingredients, but — with a background in business — she's navigated it so far.
“We think we did a good job of pricing our things from the beginning so our customers haven’t really felt that. We’ve taken a hit on the back end. We’ve tried to not compromise our ingredients. We still use locally-grown, organic ingredients for our customers," she told News 3.
And Sheppard-Parrish hopes that will continue to win over new customers as she sets up shop in a new city.
