At new location on Henrico-Richmond border, Surrounding Counties hones big-time dreams one kolache at a time

Hidden at 7019 Three Chopt Road, in a corner of Village Shopping Center on the Henrico-Richmond border next to a shoe repair store, lies a humble grab-and-go coffee place. With a Groovie Ghoulies vinyl record playing in the background, the store boasts a welcoming, unique atmosphere.

Despite its small size, the café has big dreams: to bring specialty coffee into “Surrounding Counties,” starting with suburban Virginia.

“The vibe [of Surrounding Counties] was to encompass the world of specialty coffee that is part and partial to any modern cities and micro neighborhoods that are drawing the young, food-informed post millennial demographic, and bring that to suburbia,” founder Zach Archibald said.

Texas-native Archibald always has had a knack for specialty coffee. After co-founding Lamplighter Coffee Roasters in 2009, he leveraged his 15 years of experience to introduce the niche market to the suburbs.

To Archibald, specialty coffee is all about reshaping the global coffee landscape to reverse the long-standing impacts of colonialism. He emphasized establishing partnerships with companies that support coffee-growing communities.

He said that large chains dominate most suburbs in the coffee industry. Hence, investing in quality coffee that supports origin communities helps stores like Surrounding Counties stand out, while also ensuring that the people growing the coffee benefit from a better quality of life. One such company they work with is the Australian-based Proud Mary Coffee Roasters.

“They [put in effort to] make sure that the people that are creating the coffee have a chance to experience as much of an improved quality of life as you, who are drinking the coffee,” Archibald said.

This, however, isn’t his first rodeo with ‘Surrounding Counties.’

Founded back in October 2020 by Archibald as an effort to “get out of the house”, Surrounding Counties first opened a store at 8801 Three Chopt Road in Henrico, where it quickly gained a following of loyal customers through social media. However, in an Instagram post, the spot announced its temporary closure, citing financial limitations, among other issues.

This wasn’t the end for Surrounding Counties, which reopened at Village Shopping Center March 3, just less than three months after announcing its closure. Although different in size and concept, with the addition of three new partners, Archibald emphasized the importance of preserving the original store's vibe, atmosphere and its original mission.

“We want to take that city experience of coffee shops, the vibes, the fun, and the ‘welcoming for everyone’ experience, and we want to bring it out to the counties around the counties,” co-owner Vance Dunn said.

From decorations and record players to orange juice machines, the new store maintains a similar vibe to its original location, creating a welcoming environment for young, health-conscious consumers. Most notably, the store is best known for its kolaches.

“I put Virginian kolaches on the map,” Archibald said.

Derived from the Czechoslovakian Kolach, the kolache is an American twist on the Slavic pastry, created by immigrants in Texas as a means to assimilate to a new environment.

For the team behind Surrounding Counties, the decision to sell kolaches stems from a desire to offer a fast and easy-to-serve product with a wide variety of flavors to suit the average American consumer.

Kolaches in Surrounding Counties come in a variety of flavors, from traditional flavors like smoked beef sausage with jalapeño and cheese, to modern twists on American classics like the maple sriracha-glazed sausage egg and cheese. The store also provides vegan and gluten-free options, while offering experimental flavors through its daily specials.

“We don't have everything for everybody, but the things that we do, we want you to have a version for you,” Archibald said.

From its experiences at the flagship store, the team learned to streamline operations while building a loyal customer base. As a shop, its goal is to introduce kolaches to American consumers as an alternative to a classic breakfast sandwich. According to Dunn, the owners now aim to solidify kolaches as a defining part of the Surrounding Counties brand.

“We want to be for kolaches what Taco Bell is for tacos, yeah, to make it an American staple,” Dunn said.

In the future, the team aims to further expand the store to other surrounding counties and communities, starting with Richmond. The owners hope to develop the infrastructure needed for broader growth, taking the concept of local specialty coffee stores from big cities to suburbs all across America.

But for now, they aim to continue their impact on their local community, one cup of coffee and one kolache at a time.