Henrico Small Business Spotlight: The Santa Spot

Christmas is a time of gift-giving for many. But if you’re looking to give memories instead of things, Jodie Strum hopes you’ll consider adding The Santa Spot to your list.

“People that love Christmas really love this place,” the commercial real estate professional said of her North-Pole-themed wonderland.

The Santa Spot has just begun its fourth season in operation. But Strum’s inspiration for the business goes all the way back to her childhood in Richmond. 

“I grew up going to Miller & Rhoads to see the Legendary Santa and the Snow Queen,” Strum said. “I just had a lot of magical memories of that.”

Fate, or perhaps nostalgia, led Strum to a similar experience for her son while they were visiting friends in Atlanta a number of years ago. She had so much fun giving her son the experience, she went back for round two the following year. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause in the fun that gave Strum a moment for reflection.

“I just sort of thought, how come there's nothing here?” Strum said. “We live in this great city, Virginia is a great place for small business and there's just really no actual holiday experience for these kids.”

Strum quickly went from “somebody's got to do it” to “I guess it's me,” and The Santa Spot was born. She operated out of a vacant retail space at Libbie Mill for her first year two years before moving to Gayton Crossing – a place The Santa Spot will call home for at least the next three years.

But what exactly can you expect when you bring your children to The Santa Spot? Strum says it’s a one-hour, small-group experience geared towards 2- to 12-year-olds where the kids have free range of the space.

They can head to Mrs. Claus' Bake Shop to decorate snowman or reindeer-shaped cookies, create ornaments for their Christmas trees at home, visit the post office to write and mail letters to Santa, color on the giant coloring wall or play with the toys in the space.

You’ll also have plenty of options for photo opportunities. There are festive decorations throughout the room, including an elf and reindeer statue, Christmas trees and a little elf fairy door, as well as giant Santa boots to try on for size. 

But the star of the show is, of course, the jolly old man for whom the space is named. And the unique thing about The Santa Spot is that Santa is spending time with the dozen or so kids in the space throughout the hour.

“Santa will walk around and interact with the kids, the photographer is tracking him and taking candid photos for that period of time and the kids really just naturally kind of move around the room,” Strum said. 

Santa, dressed in his iconic red suit, is equipped with a real beard – so even skeptical children will know he’s the real deal. And Strum makes sure the kids are comfortable with the big guy before the first children leave the main activity room to head downstairs for professional Santa photos by the “fireplace.” 

“What's really helpful is that Santa works the room and so the kids really get a good warm-up to him. . . [they] aren't waiting in a line for their turn to get a picture taken, so they're not getting anxious,” Strum said. “It's not like we just throw them in someone's lap.

“By the time they go get their photo taken, it's very rare that I have someone who is not agreeable.”

The Santa Spot, however, is a very low pressure environment. So if a child doesn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap, he or she can stand in front of him or sit on a rocking horse nearby. If children don't want a photo taken at all, they can just keep enjoying the festive space. 

After the children come down for a photo with Santa, they get to find their name on the nice list. Once all the families have had their special moments with Santa, they all reunite by the fireplace for milk and cookies and a Christmas story with Santa – Strum’s personal favorite part of the whole experience. Then, it’s time to head home.

“They get a bell on their way out and Santa explains to ring it for the reindeer to find them on Christmas Eve,” Strum said.

The Santa Spot is only open on the weekends from now through Sunday, Dec. 21. Individual bookings are available through the “book now” tab on the website, but people looking to book a private group event should email info@thesantaspot.com with a brief description of their group and goals.

The Santa Spot also is available for corporate events by filling out this form on the website.

Strum sees a lot of people booking for themselves, but she’s also seen many tickets sold as gifts.

“It's a great thing to give someone an experience,” Strum said. “Somebody probably isn't going to remember whether you gave them a pullover or cooler last year, but they're going to remember that you're the one who gave them the opportunity to share that holiday magic with their family.”

Spots are filling up quickly this year, but that’s music to Strum’s ears. She’s hoping high demand will mean she can keep The Santa Spot open during weekdays in the future.

“Ironically, I have people show up that drive from D.C., Charlottesville, the Northern Neck,” Strum said. “And that also reinforces to me that there's really nothing like it. So my goal would be to get to the point where I am open for six weeks and open during the week, as well.”

Find The Santa Spot at 9750 Gayton Road. For details, visit thesantaspot.com.

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