PETERSBURG, Va. — A new ice cream shop has opened in Petersburg, and the person running it is 12 years old.
Lil Sis Ice Cream Shop, located at 447 County Drive, held its grand opening recently, offering cones, sundaes, and milkshakes.
The shop is named after its young proprietor, Skylar Curley, who is the youngest of five siblings.
"I have four brothers, and I was a little sister at the time," Skylar said.
While Skylar's parents, Shavohn and her husband, technically own the shop, Skylar is the one in charge.
Her path to business ownership started with a persistent request, an ice cream truck.
"I just kept asking for it and asking for it, and I knew I would get it at one point if I kept asking," Skylar said.
Her parents eventually gave in, and the family launched an ice cream truck in October 2020 — in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the challenges, Skylar built a loyal customer base even as many people were hesitant to leave their homes.
"Without the community, we don't exist," Shavohn Curley said. "I always tell them there's no us without them."
Last year, the family decided to transition from the truck to a brick-and-mortar location to better serve their customers.
"We just wanted to have a grand reveal for the community," Shavohn said.
The local chamber of commerce helped make that happen, and Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham stopped by the grand opening to welcome Lil Sis into the business community.
"My favorite is the rainbow flavor ice here, this is my favorite, a mix of everything," Parham said. "This right here is a success story, which is almost like a fairy tale."
Shavohn said she has one area where she would like to see her daughter grow.
"She needs to work on her public relations, because she's a little shy when it comes to talking," Shavohn said.
But the family's vision for the shop goes beyond selling ice cream
"We're just blessed, and we just want to be a blessing to anybody that comes in, if they're having a bad day, we want this to be a place where they can come and just have their spirit lifted up, feel, you know, welcome," Shavohn said.
Lil Sis Ice Cream Shop is located at 447 County Drive in Petersburg, Virginia.
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