In celebration of Business Appreciation Month, the Community Vitality Office (CVO) is highlighting small businesses throughout the Commonwealth that make each of their respective localities unique and provide quality of life to residents that doesn’t go unnoticed. Like most transformative projects, these businesses have been creative in bringing their dream to life, and many have been supported in some form by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) programs, including but not limited to, Community Business Launch (CBL), Enterprise Zone (EZ), Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF), Virginia Main Street (VMS), and the Virginia Small Business Resiliency Fund (VSBRF).

City Point Ice Cream – Hopewell

Best known for their juicy burgers and decadent milkshakes, City Point Ice Cream and Burgers has become a guilty pleasure and must visit for residents and tourists alike in the City of Hopewell. In 2022, City Point Ice Cream and Burgers participated in Hopewell Downtown Partnership’s (HDP) “Homegrown in Hopewell” initiative, funded by the CBL program. Since winning the top prize in the Homegrown in Hopewell pitch competition, City Point has purchased the former Guncotton Coffee space downtown, created 15 new jobs, and given over $5,000 to local charities and non-profits in the City of Hopewell.

The Pottery Shop – Big Stone Gap

The Pottery Shop came to Big Stone Gap in 2022 through their CBL program. They started as Big Stone Gap’s first paint your own pottery studio and have become so much more. Not only does the shop regularly host events for residents, but they also created some form of custom cup, plate or bowl for almost every restaurant in the town. The owners of the Pottery Shop continue to invest in the community anyway they can, even activating an overgrown and underutilized breezeway, transforming it into a small pocket park with a koi pond, wind chimes, outdoor seating and string lights for night time enjoyment.

Gifted Greenery – Stanardsville

After being inspired by prevalent food deserts in his hometown, Justin Griffin formed Gifted Greenery Farm in Stanardsville focused on diversified vegetables. Gifted Greenery is committed to ecological practices, as well as their community and food access by selling at the local farmers market where EBT is accepted. Any surplus is donated by Gifted Greens to the Society of St. Andrews and other food pantries nearby. Gifted Greenery is planning to expand its production and sales at new markets, as well as purchase drip irrigation supplies with a 0% interest loan from Foodshed Capital, a recipient of the VSBRF grant program deployed to support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that are focused on prioritizing lending to borrowers who have historically faced difficulty accessing capital, including low-income, BIPOC, female, immigrant, LGBTQ, or indigenous individuals.

The John Randolph Hotel – South Boston

After years of work by the Halifax Industrial Development Authority to stabilize and weatherize the property, it was finally acquired by husband and wife duo firm The Brittano Group. Julian and Karie Brittano intend to breathe new life into the boutique hotel, which will be renamed to The Rook at South Boston. Once complete, it will feature 32 rooms and a rooftop bar, with an adjacent building being revamped into a restaurant and conference center. This project has been a labor of love for the Town of South Boston, which has utilized funds from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, Virginia Brownfields Assistance Fund, and the IRF program to move the project closer to the finish line.

Infinity Global – Danville

For the third year in a row, Infinity Global, a luxury packaging supply company in Danville has qualified for Virginia EZ Job Creation Grant funds. Danville’s Enterprise Zone and Infinity Global’s American headquarters are located in the heart of the River District. Infinity Global continues to invest in the Danville area and its workforce, having added 28 new jobs in 2023 alone.