Norfolk has a new business, the Icebox Café, located at 10 Station Place.
The café has been open just three weeks, but was almost two years in the making, according to owners Peter and Marinelle Crippen. The Crippens, who moved to Norfolk in 2018, had a similar business, Rex, in New York City that they operated for 10 years before selling it in 2023.
When they moved here, they started looking for a new place to open a café and in 2022 Marinell heard about a newly available site in downtown Norfolk. That started an unexpectedly long odyssey toward opening as two contractors disappeared and a third installed the ventilation system but then closed that division of its business.
The work was finally done in September, but then Crippens learned that the ventilation system’s design required them to install a fire alarm system throughout the entire building, which also houses offices.
“Well, it finally happened and we’re happy to be here,” Marinell said.
The little café features breakfast sandwiches and burritos, biscuit sliders, cereal and hot and cold beverages. Baked goods, including bread, are all made by Peter, and the café serves as a delivery point for Mrs. Crippen’s Bourbon and Molasses Fruitcake, crafted by his 90-year-old mother.
Peter says the café “is a lot of work, but the difference is, it’s a 10-minute commute.” He adds their 14-year-old son is becoming fully versed in dishwashing.
The café is open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., six days a week (closed Tuesday). In January, hours will be extended to 2:00 p.m. to allow them to offer a very simple lunch menu.