May's Parlor secures Virginia ABC licence for Holland Road baking studio

Overview

Updated Sep 13

May's Parlor, the nine-year-old Virginia Beach bakery, now holds a state alcohol licence at its Holland Road studio. The Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) issued it on August 17, 2026, under the 'Art Instruction Studio' category.

The licence is one approval, not a final go-ahead to open or serve. It also gives the bakery the legal option to pour beer and wine while it teaches, a tool for a business that closed its public storefronts and now runs on classes and pre-orders.

Why it matters

If May's Parlor pours beer and wine at its classes, a bakery that gave up its storefronts gains a new revenue line in a thin-margin business.

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Key Indicators

Years in business

Racheal opened the original May's Parlor at the Virginia Beach oceanfront in 2017.

Public storefronts

The bakery now operates appointment-only out of its Holland Road studio.

ABC licence held

Art Instruction Studio licence issued August 17, 2026 at 3497 Holland Rd.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Racheal

Founder and owner

Runs the class-and-pre-order studio at Holland Road

Organizations Involved

May's Parlor

Bakery and baking school

Operating appointment-only at 3497 Holland Rd, Suite 102, Virginia Beach

Small-batch bakery that pivoted from storefronts to classes, holiday pre-orders, and pop-ups.

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority

State Agency

Licensing authority for alcoholic beverage sales in Virginia

State agency that issues and enforces licences for selling alcohol in Virginia.

Timeline

2017 August 2026

3 events Latest: August 17th, 2026 · 2 months ago

August 2026
ABC issues Art Instruction Studio licence
Latest Licensing

Virginia ABC records a licence for May's Parlor at 3497 Holland Rd, Suite 102 in Virginia Beach.
August 17th, 2026
2026
Storefronts close, studio model takes over
Business model

No public storefronts; runs baking classes, holiday pre-orders, and pop-ups.
2026
2017
May's Parlor opens at the oceanfront
Opening

Racheal launches the small-batch bakery at the Virginia Beach oceanfront after culinary training.
2017

Scenarios

May's Parlor pours beer and wine into its baking classes

Likely Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: Hampton Roads hospitality and small-business coverage would track a local studio adding alcohol service

The bakery uses the licence to add alcohol-inclusive workshops, such as wine-and-croissant evenings or beer-bread classes, and lists them on its public schedule. A small-batch studio with no storefront gains a new revenue line tied to its instruction model.

Licence stays on the shelf as a reserve for events

Possible Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: A plausible fallback if daytime class demand stays steady

The licence sits unused for regular classes, kept as a contingency for private parties or holiday pop-ups where alcohol might be served. The core daytime business continues unchanged.

Bakery expands into evening private-event rentals

Possible Resolves by Jun 1, 2027

Discussed by: Local event and venue listings would show a shift toward bookings

The studio leans into corporate team-building and birthday-party bookings, using the licence to serve drinks alongside baking sessions. It effectively becomes a small event venue in addition to a school.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2010s

Paint-and-sip studios and the art-instruction alcohol licence (2010s)

Franchises like Painting with a Twist spread across the United States, pairing guided painting sessions with wine. Many states created licence categories that let instructional studios serve alcohol as a secondary part of the experience.

Then

The category gave art, craft, and cooking studios a legal way to sell drinks.

Now

It normalized the class-plus-drink model and shaped how regulators classify instruction-first businesses.

Why this matters now

May's Parlor's Art Instruction Studio licence is the same regulatory approach applied to baking.

2020-2022

Bakeries pivot to classes and pre-orders (2020-2022)

Retail bakeries lost walk-in traffic during pandemic restrictions. Many shifted to online pre-orders, curbside pickup, and small in-person classes, and the pivot became permanent for some once foot traffic stayed low.

Then

Surviving bakeries added revenue streams outside the storefront.

Now

Class-based and pre-order models became a normal way for small production bakeries to operate without a public counter.

Why this matters now

May's Parlor's storefront-less, class-and-pre-order model fits this shift; the licence is the next revenue-diversification step.