Aaron Mott will open Deco Gallery and Coffee in September. Photos by Michael Thompson.
RICHMOND, Va. — Aaron Mott was on a coffee break in Carytown when he decided to become one of the shopping district’s newest retail tenants.
Mott plans to open Deco Gallery and Coffee, a cafe and art gallery, at 3027 W. Cary St. in September.
He found the 2,300-square-foot space while working on a video shoot for a production company at the Byrd Theatre.
“On one of the breaks from filming, I walked down Cary Street and I saw the for-lease sign,” Mott said. “It was just a coincidence. I was just on a coffee break.”
He got in touch with Robert Hines, who owns the storefront that what was formerly Thomas-Hines antiques store, and now has a three-year lease on the space.
“Our hook is that we have both the art and the coffee,” Mott said.
Art sales can be fickle – particularly in the winter – but Mott said there is always demand for food. He plans to sell Turkish and regular coffee, along with baked goods from Williamsburg-based Kabbie’s Kake Studio.
“Art sales are kind of up and down,” Mott said. “It’s nice to have something consistent.
For Mott, a former Virginia Beach Geico employee, Deco is a return to his passion.
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