Coffee & Treats in Bon Air

Outside of swimming laps in chocolate syrup, smoothies at Smoothie King are the tastiest way to improve your health. Smoothie King smoothies combine fresh fruit, natural juices, and special nutritional enhancers into more than 90 flavors (you can customize, add, and subtract the extras), all of which focus on achieving one of seven nutritional goals. Try an antioxidant-rich Pomegranate Punch with pomegranate, bananas, blueberries, apple juice, soy protein, and Turbinado sweetener to stay healthy. Weight-conscious en-smuthiasts can trim down and float away with the Celestial Cherry High, packed with bananas, black cherry, papaya, Turbinado, and honey, and unpacked with fat. You can also customize any smoothie by adding enhancers or “make it skinny” by cutting out the honey and Turbinado.

Carytown Cupcakes' team of bakers, affectionately known as "Team Buttercream," handcrafts the shop's preservative-free treats from scratch daily. Proprietor Dawn Schick harnessed the epicurean skills she gained as a personal chef and caterer to open her own cupcake shop in 2009 and has been baking alongside her expert team ever since. Her permanent menu of classic cupcakes woos sweet teeth with the familiar, comforting flavors of red velvet, vanilla, and baby blanket. Meanwhile, her seasonal menus rotate weekly to include vegan and gluten-free selections that fit into themes ranging from wine country to candy bars.

Demolition Coffee’s menu of gourmet ground coffee, freshly baked pastries, and specialty sandwiches delights patrons and has caught the attention of reporters from the Progress-Index and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The acclaim is due to expertly brewed espresso beverages, sandwiches featuring freshly baked bread, and salads accented with original toppings, such as caribbean chicken. Additionally, Progress-Index reporter F.M. Wiggins lauds the spacious café’s interior as “unique,” with recycled materials “that carry over the 'demolition' theme and the community atmosphere.” Beneath high wooden ceilings and surrounded by refurbished brick walls, wooden tabletops are scattered about the WiFi–saturated seating area to invite leisurely sipping, and regular live music provides entertainment for workaday-coffee cups.

Cheesecake Heaven Richmond’s head chef Jane Eckels first began baking her cheesecakes for local restaurants in 1994, and has since enticed the palates of such prestigious clients as Samuel L. Jackson. Today, she hands out selections by the slice or whole cake from an ever-changing menu with flavors ranging from traditional New York–style cheesecake to innovative espresso chocolate chip or raspberry lemonade. To satisfy as many patrons as possible, the pastry chef can create gluten-free alternatives of her creations upon request. In addition to the main bakery location, two brick drive-thrus allow customers to enjoy cheesecake without leaving the comforts of their car or Pope-mobile.

The impetus behind Mix It Frozen Yogurt & Juice Bar was choice, and the shop grants its customers this in abundance. Vegan, kosher, and organic options populate the menu, and the staff invites patrons to grab a cup made of recycled materials and color it with a rainbow of frigid treats. The syllabus of flavors—such as tropical sorbet and lemon icebox pie—rotates weekly, and the shop boasts as many toppings as there are states.

Beyond its core yogurty competency, Mix It also concocts specialty juice drinks, such as the pineapple- and acai-based Purple Haze, smoothies such as the PB&J, and coffee. Any of these throat-soothing elixirs can be enjoyed in the store during normal hours, in a private store experience for a customer's fundraising event, or via catering. Mix It also takes requests for private parties, but they must go through rap mogul P. Diddy, who either issues a hip nod of approval or writes a formal letter of rejection in calligraphy.

"We got rid of most of the fat and sugar in our yogurt to make room for all the extra awesome," Yapple Yogurt has written on its Facebook page. Though playful, the statement bears truth. At Yapple Yogurt, digestive-friendly probiotics and bold flavors such as pumpkin and blood orange replace the excess cholesterol, fat, and ham sandwiches found in most frozen treats. An epic selection of fresh fruits and decadent candies slide down the yogurt's creamy peaks, and refreshing smoothies and bubble teas give patrons a rest from the summer sun's stifling rays. Kaleidoscopic 3-D art pieces unfold across each Yapple's location, where hourglass tables and angular eggshell chairs set a vibrant stage for communal noshing.