Richmond Is Doing Lines Now

by Fayeruz Regan 07.2025

We knew we were in trouble when we couldn’t even turn onto the road where the pop-up was happening. Traffic piled up on Hermitage Road so far that you could see the jam from the freeway. “You don’t think this is for the pop-up event, do you?” my husband asked.

Unable to wrap my head around the notion that Richmond would have such a turnout for a DC-based food truck, I said, “No way.” Assuming Park RVA was having a big event, we waited until we got to Cummings Drive. That’s when we saw it. A line of people wrapped around the building, three hours deep. The parking lot and roads were a sea of metal, inching for a space where there was none. 

It was 7 p.m. on a school night and we had an eleven-year-old in the back seat. We turned the car around and went to Memi’s instead. Perhaps the Flavor Hive pop-up wasn’t so under the radar, or worse, I’m not as in-the-know as I had thought. Flavor Hive is a popular DC food truck with an innovative concept. Customers bring their favorite bag of chips, which the owners then fill with toppings of your choice. The Egyptian and Indian owners fill bags with cilantro, falafel, cucumber, secret sauces, and more. 

When I think of viral sensations and long lines, I always think of New York City and cronuts. The deep-fried doughnut/croissant crossover drew lines around the block, and garnered attention around the world. This phenomenon is for big cities, no?

Perhaps it’s a sign of Richmond’s comeuppance, but lines for viral provisions are becoming more and more ubiquitous. After all, Richmond has cronuts now. I remember when things weren’t so cosmopolitan. In the nineties, we had to drive to DC to see the film Trainspotting. Now Richmond hosts an international film festival and Bowtie Cinemas plays Oscar bait - even the nominated shorts. 

When I read about the knockout Italian sandwiches at Polpetti, my friend and I jumped at the opportunity. Alas, they were sold out of bread. The owner drives up to Brooklyn once a week for the special bread used in their sandwiches, and the public goes mad for it. When they’re out, they refuse to stoop to store-bought bread. 

Selling out only adds to the scarcity principle. This phenomenon leverages the idea that people place a higher value on goods that are limited in availability or difficult to obtain. Scarcity creates a sense of urgency. Hence, the food in question becomes a must-have.

Case in point: Ever since Baltik’s Bagels opened, cars have encircled the building. Drive-through patrons hunker down with podcasts until they can sink their teeth into the famed “crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside” bagels, which often sell out. 

Perhaps the biggest viral sensation is at Keffiyeh Cafe. My phone was constantly being pinged by friends and family in DC and Chicago, asking if I’ve tried their famous Dubai Strawberry dessert. Situated in a Palestinian-owned shopping center, Keffiyeh Cafe serves their version of the famous Dubai chocolate bar, which went viral last year. 

Dubai chocolate bars have a filling of knafeh (shredded filo dough) pan-toasted with butter and pistachio cream. The bars sold out online, going for as much as $20 on both Etsy and at 7-Eleven check-out lines. The quality varies. As someone who makes these bars from scratch, the high price is a necessity. Tiny jars of sweet pistachio cream, which truly make the dessert, are imported from Italy at $15 a pop.

I arrived at Keffiyeh Cafe to see a long line of cheerful customers, ranging from elderly Black couples to VCU students. Unlike the Flavor Hive debacle, the scarcity principle forced me to stay in this line. Fresh chopped strawberries are diced in with melted high-quality chocolate, chunks of pistachio cream knafeh and dusted with crushed pistachios. It was creamy, crunchy, tangy, sweet and salty, and I am here to say it is absolutely worth the hype. 

These lines tend to be communal experiences, where everyone bonds over the shared excitement of getting in on something early – something to brag about, something to relish. No one gets annoyed by the selfies and social media posts taking place in front of the sign. We all understood the importance of bolstering local businesses, especially innovative ones that delight customers and put Richmond on the map.