The BeeVe: Origin Story

Madeleine came to Southern Virginia University for college in 2016 and fell in love with the area: the autumn trees and spring blossoms, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Maury and James Rivers, the woods and hikes and waterfalls — Buena Vista was magical. The only thing missing was a place to buy Buena Vista t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other souvenirs. She wanted a shop for visiting friends and family, as well as somewhere fun for locals to come hang out and share our love of this tiny town.

Soon, this idea expanded into a plan to create an ice cream and gift shop; somewhere where people could come order sweet treats, hang out with their friends, and buy Buena Vista merchandise. Some of the local kids she met called Buena Vista “BV” which in turn got nicknamed “the beeve” — and things started to fall into place.

After saving up money and developing a business plan through the help of The Advancement Foundation and The Gauntlet Business Competition, Madeleine found the perfect location for The BeeVe - Cooper Corner. Tyson and Cami Cooper had been working for months to renovate an old building right on Buena Vista’s Main Street and it was everything Madeleine had dreamed of for her space. Soon, Sweet Scoops and Draft Creamery Ice Cream reached out and we had our suppliers for delicious, premium, and local ice cream!

The shop opened on September 30th, 2022 and Madeleine is so grateful for all the invaluable help she has received to bring this vision to life. Come stop by and say hello! Enjoy a scoop of ice cream and find a fun new BV souvenir in your favorite tiny town.