Dessert chain one step from opening at Virginia Beach's surf-park district, near the Oceanfront
September 1st, 2026: Virginia ABC grants restaurant licenseNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 46 minutes agoVirginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control issued a restaurant liquor license to The Sweet Spot's new Atlantic Park location on Sept. 1. The dessert and coffee chain is one step closer to opening at 324 20th St., about a block from the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The license is one approval, not a green light. The shop still needs occupancy, health and other permits. When it opens, it will be an early test of whether Atlantic Park, a surf-park-anchored entertainment district still filling its storefronts, can draw steady foot traffic.
Why it matters
The shop's opening tests whether Atlantic Park's surf park can pull visitors into the Oceanfront's newest entertainment district.
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Organizations Involved
A local chain selling ice cream, milkshakes, funnel cakes and coffee across Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
A surf-park-anchored district between 18th and 20th streets in Virginia Beach, about one block from the Oceanfront.
Virginia's state authority that licenses and regulates alcohol sales, created after Prohibition.
Timeline
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Virginia ABC grants restaurant license
Latest Regulatory ApprovalVirginia ABC issues a restaurant liquor license to The Sweet Spot's Atlantic Park store at 324 20th St.
Scenarios
Sweet Spot Atlantic Park opens to customers
Discussed by: Local business coverage, including The Virginian-Pilot
The ABC license is one of several approvals. With it secured, the shop can finish occupancy and health inspections and set an opening date. The chain already lists the store's hours and menu online, a sign the launch is near.
Opening slips into 2027
Discussed by: Small-business reporting on permit timelines
A restaurant license does not equal readiness. Missing occupancy certificates, health inspections or staffing can stall a launch. Any one of those would push the grand opening past year-end.
Alcohol service becomes the differentiator
Discussed by: The Virginian-Pilot's business desk
A restaurant license lets the shop sell beer and wine. For a dessert and coffee bar, that could mean spiked milkshakes or coffee cocktails unavailable at its other locations, turning the Atlantic Park store into the chain's adult-focused flagship.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Virginia ABC and the end of Prohibition (1934)
After Prohibition ended, Virginia created a state-run Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority with a monopoly on liquor sales and a licensing system for restaurants and bars to serve alcohol.
Restaurants needed a state license to pour beer and wine, a rule still in place.
The ABC license became a standard milestone for any Virginia restaurant planning to serve alcohol.
The license The Sweet Spot just received is this same approval. It is one step in a chain of permits, not the final one.
Kelly Slater Surf Ranch (2015)
Kelly Slater unveiled a video of an artificial wave machine producing perfect, barreling waves. The clip made surf pools look commercially viable and sparked a wave of investment in surf-park technology.
Companies like URBNSURF and the World Surf League built commercial surf pools over the following years.
Developers began anchoring mixed-use districts around surf parks, betting the attraction would drive retail, dining and hospitality.
Atlantic Park is one of those districts. The Sweet Spot's viability depends on the surf park pulling in a steady stream of visitors.
