The Sweet Spot secures ABC license for Atlantic Park location

Overview

Updated Sep 12

Virginia'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's new Atlantic Park location is 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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Key Indicators

ABC restaurant license issued

Virginia ABC granted one license for the Atlantic Park store on Sept. 1, 2026.

Total Sweet Spot locations

Three shops in Virginia Beach and one in Chesapeake.

Virginia Beach locations

Atlantic Park joins Providence Road and Atlantic Avenue stores.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Organizations Involved

The Sweet Spot

Dessert and coffee shop chain

Awaiting final approval to open its Atlantic Park location

A local chain selling ice cream, milkshakes, funnel cakes and coffee across Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

Atlantic Park

Mixed-use entertainment development

Retail tenants opening as construction completes

A surf-park-anchored district between 18th and 20th streets in Virginia Beach, about one block from the Oceanfront.

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority

State Agency

Issued restaurant license to The Sweet Spot

Virginia's state authority that licenses and regulates alcohol sales, created after Prohibition.

Timeline

1 event Latest: September 1st, 2026 · 2 months ago

September 2026
Virginia ABC grants restaurant license
Latest Regulatory Approval

Virginia ABC issues a restaurant liquor license to The Sweet Spot's Atlantic Park store at 324 20th St.
September 1st, 2026

Scenarios

Sweet Spot Atlantic Park opens to customers

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

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

Possible Resolves by Q1 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

Possible Resolves by Mar 1, 2027

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.

December 2015

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.

Then

Companies like URBNSURF and the World Surf League built commercial surf pools over the following years.

Now

Developers began anchoring mixed-use districts around surf parks, betting the attraction would drive retail, dining and hospitality.

Why this matters now

Atlantic Park is one of those districts. The Sweet Spot's viability depends on the surf park pulling in a steady stream of visitors.

1934

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.

Then

Restaurants needed a state license to pour beer and wine, a rule still in place.

Now

The ABC license became a standard milestone for any Virginia restaurant planning to serve alcohol.

Why this matters now

The license The Sweet Spot just received is this same approval. It is one step in a chain of permits, not the final one.