Pearl's Cupcake Shoppe will open after delays

After experiencing delays brought on by Mother Nature, clumsy delivery crews and a lack of electricity, Pearl's Cupcake Shoppe on Grove Avenue in Richmond is expected to open today.

"In a way, it helped us," co-owner Laurie Blakey said of the delays. "Our neighbors had such a tough time [after all the snowstorms] that right now we'd be trying to make up what we lost."

Blakey and business partner Laura Condrey met about eight years ago while working in the real estate industry.

While the partners are philosophical about the delays now, it wasn't always that way.

"It was so frustrating because we were getting what we needed to start, but other things kept popping up," Condrey said.

The shop, which is in Richmond's Libbie and Grove avenues shopping district, took over the former South Pole Toy Store location at 5812 Grove Ave.

Pearl's specializes in cupcakes.

Blakey and Condrey came up with the recipes during the past year. They include a peanut butter and jelly cupcake and chai honey cupcake, along with some classics.

Pearl's, which is named for Blakey's grandmother, also will offer specials, including baby bundt cakes, breakfast breads, scones and cookies as well as gluten-free and vegan items.

Everything is baked onsite.

The shop originally was set to open Feb. 1, but that date got pushed back by a few days.

Blakey's goal then was to open by Valentine's Day and cash in on the holiday. But Feb. 14 came and went.

The delays were caused in part by two major snowstorms that snarled the city and forced power crews into emergency service, delaying Pearl's electricity hookup.

That, in turn, pushed back contractors who needed to get into the shop to put on the finishing touches.

"We're just ready to open and start baking," Condrey said.

In other buzz:

•PoshTots.com, the online retailer that sells high-end children's furniture and other items, has left its offices in western Henrico County and moved to new digs in eastern Henrico near the Richmond line. The 13,500-square-foot building is about a half-mile east of the Rocketts Landing development. It's about 1,500 square feet larger than the previous location and houses the company's corporate offices and warehouse.

•The Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop in Carytown has closed. The shop at 2901 W. Cary St. at Colonial Avenue, which opened in 2007, was empty of furniture and ice cream last week. The phone also was disconnected.

Franchise owner Bill Busching said that he could not give any details because "I'm no longer involved with that store."

•The Children's Place is reopening at Chesterfield Towne Center in Chesterfield County. The kids clothing retailer closed its previous store at the mall on Midlothian Turnpike in 2003. The new store is expected to open in August.

•Aeropostale is moving to the mall's center court in space previously occupied by Dollar Village. Dollar Village took over that location after KB Toys went out of business last year, but Dollar Village's store is now near Sears.

The new Aeropostale store is under construction and is set to open this spring. The current store remains open until the new space is ready.

•Wings-Pizza-N-Things will take over the former Spinnaker's Restaurant space and completely remodel it. Spinnaker's closed last fall. Wings-Pizza-N-Things, which specializes in chicken wings, pizza and burgers, will open a restaurant later this year at Regency Square in Henrico.

•Monkey Joe's party and play centers for children is opening in early spring in the Towne Center Plaza shopping center just east of Chesterfield Towne Center. Monkey Joe's has a play area with inflatable slides, jumps and obstacle courses for children 12 years old and younger. It also has a toddler section and has party rooms to rent. Parents even have a place to hang out while their children play.

Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or LLLovio@timesdispatch.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/RTDBizBuzz.