RICHMOND, Va. — Carrying on with a plan set into motion by her late son, 80-year-old Barbara Given is bringing an ice cream parlor to life in Jackson Ward.
With the help of friends and neighbors, Given, a resident of Alexandria, plans to open Stoplight Cafe at 405 Brook Road this fall. The shop will serve house-made gelato and soft-serve ice cream, as well as breakfast and lunch items.
The business is five years in the making, a road that began when Given and her son Bryce Given bought the 105-year-old building in 2010.
Bryce was a master carpenter who specialized in doing trim work around Richmond. The VCU grad was also a skilled mechanic who liked to fix up old Volkswagens. He had planned to use part of the Brook Road property – originally a feed and grain store in the early 20th century – as a garage to pursue his interest in cars. He owned a vast collection of Americana and pop culture curiosities, as well as a cat named Michael Jackson. After several periods of recovery, Bryce died in March from cancer at age 52.
To continue reading about Ms. Given and her plan to open the Jackson Ward, click here.
