Press site and newsroom
The Sweet Spot in the news. Coverage, community stories and brand milestones.
Explore press features, awards and updates from our dessert shops across Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
Press and creator inquiries
Everything you need to cover The Sweet Spot.
For interviews, fact checks, store visits or approved high-resolution photos, email staysweet@iamthesweetspot.com or call 757-644-3355.
Use the media kit and brand facts below for background, then link readers to the most relevant store page, dessert menu or Explosive Milkshakes® page.
Brand Facts at a Glance
- Founded in Virginia Beach in 2016 by Mery Ghattas.
- A locally based, family-owned dessert business.
- 2026 marks ten years since the first Sweet Spot opened.
- Four stores: Providence Road, Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic Park and Summit Pointe.
- Three stores are in Virginia Beach and one is in Chesapeake.
- Known for premium real ice cream, Explosive Milkshakes®, desserts made fresh after ordering, Italian coffee, espresso drinks and organic matcha.
Media resources
Download facts. Request photos. Plan an interview.
Founder: Mery Ghattas, Founder, President and CEO. Mery and her husband made dessert shops part of every trip they took. Seeing an opportunity for more dessert variety in their hometown, she opened The Sweet Spot in 2016 and built the concept around visible preparation, variety and memorable store design.
Approved brand boilerplate: The Sweet Spot is a Virginia Beach-founded, family-owned dessert business serving made-to-order desserts and drinks at four locations across Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. The menu includes premium real ice cream, Explosive Milkshakes®, warm funnel cakes and churros, Italian coffee, organic matcha, lemonade and boba.
Approved high-resolution product and store photographs are available by request. Please include the outlet, deadline, subject and intended use.
By: The Sweet Spot •
The Sweet Spot Marks Ten Years as a Virginia Beach-Founded Dessert Business
2026 marks ten years since founder Mery Ghattas opened The Sweet Spot in Virginia Beach.
What began as a hometown idea in 2016 has grown into four local dessert destinations: Providence Road, Atlantic Avenue and Atlantic Park in Virginia Beach, plus Summit Pointe in Chesapeake.
Across every store, guests can watch their order come together fresh - from premium real ice cream and Explosive Milkshakes® to warm funnel cakes, churros, Italian coffee, organic matcha, lemonade and boba.
The Sweet Spot remains locally based and family-owned while continuing to welcome families, couples, visitors and Hampton Roads neighbors for made-to-order desserts and drinks.
By: Restaurant Guru •
Recommended by Restaurant Guru 2025
We’re proud to share that The Sweet Spot has been recommended by Restaurant Guru for the third year in a row in 2025!
This recognition means so much to us and is a reflection of the amazing support from our Sweet Spot family. Your love for our desserts keeps us inspired to innovate and deliver unforgettable experiences every day.
From explosive milkshakes to warm churros and funnel cakes, every treat we make is about celebrating sweet moments with our community.
Thank you for making The Sweet Spot your go-to dessert destination once again — three years running!
The Sweet Spot Franchise Listed on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 Directory
We’re excited to announce that The Sweet Spot is now featured in the Entrepreneur Franchise Directory!
This achievement is all about you, our incredible customers, who have made this journey possible.
As one of the few franchises to grow from Virginia Beach, we proudly represent our city and the fantastic community that supports us. Your love for our desserts inspires us every day.
Thank you for being a part of our story! You can join The Sweet Spot family if you want to continue this journey with us. We would love to have you on board as we expand and share our delicious desserts with even more people.
Explore The Sweet Spot franchise opportunity and learn more about bringing the concept to a new market.
Neighbors have voted The Sweet Spot as a Neighborhood Favorite in 2024 for Best Dessert Shop and Best Go-to Restaurant.
Dear Sweet Spot family,
We are beyond excited to announce that The Sweet Spot has been named a Neighborhood Favorite for 2024 in both the Best Dessert Shop and Best Go-To Restaurant categories on Nextdoor—for the second year in a row!
This recognition means the world to us, and we owe it all to you, our incredible community. Your support, love, and enthusiasm for our desserts are what keep us inspired to continue delivering fresh, made-to-order treats that you can’t get anywhere else.
We are committed to providing you with the best desserts and unforgettable experiences every time you visit. Knowing that we’re your go-to spot for indulgence makes this award even sweeter.
Thank you.
The Sweet Spot Providence
The Sweet Spot Atlantic
The Sweet Spot Joins Franchise Registry, Unlocking Easier Franchise Financing
The Sweet Spot, Virginia Beach’s premium dessert bar, is thrilled to announce its inclusion in the Franchise Registry.
This listing connects us to over 9,000 lenders, streamlining the financing process for future franchisees. Now, opening a Sweet Spot franchise is more accessible than ever. Our commitment to a broad dessert and drink menu and made-to-order signature items remains at the core of our expansion.
Franchise opportunities are now available—visit our franchising page to learn more and learn more about the brand and current franchise process.
The Sweet Spot Founder Creates Dessert Franchise with Experiential Emphasis
How did you come up with The Sweet Spot?
It’s very personal. My husband and I, whenever we travel, try every dessert store in a town or city. That’s what we search for: desserts and ice creams. We are Virginia Beach born, and on our oceanfront, you don’t have a variety of desserts. You have soft serve and dip ice cream, but that’s it. That’s all the desserts we have.
We had a previous business, and there was a vacant place next door. We said, let’s take it and do something, but we had no idea what we were going to do. First, it was a convenience store. That wasn’t us. We didn’t want to do a convenience store. So we started with rolled ice cream. We had just come from Thailand and were obsessed with rolled ice cream.
Dear Sweet Spot family,
Thanks to your incredible support, Restaurant Guru has again recommended The Sweet Spot for 2024! This achievement directly results from your continued loyalty and passion for our desserts.
Your support and feedback inspire us to innovate and create unforgettable experiences for you. We are deeply grateful for your trust in our brand.
As we celebrate this milestone, we want to reiterate our commitment to you. We promise to continue providing you with exceptional desserts and service because you deserve nothing less. Thank you for being a part of our journey and making The Sweet Spot a special place for dessert lovers everywhere.
The Sweet Spot.
Virginia Beach dessert shop gets a facelift just in time for the summer season
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A familiar favorite in Virginia Beach shut down during winter to get a facelift. The Sweet Spot on Atlantic Avenue is now back open and ready to serve.
Covered in flowers and pink from top to bottom, The Sweet Spot catches your eye instantly. Mery Ghattas said it was time this location received some TLC, “Virginia Beach showed us so much love that we had to redo this location to make it worthy of Virginia Beach and to make it spectacular.”
“I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb, okay?” Owner, President, and CEO Mery Ghattas laughed. “I want it to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at this pink place, what is it?'”
Ghattas said they tore everything down and built it back up, not only for the customers but for the city too, “Yes, we developed the desserts, we worked so hard, but if the city didn’t show us the love, we wouldn’t be where we are.”
Dear Sweet Spot family,
We want to express our heartfelt appreciation for your support. Whether through recommendations, word-of-mouth, or any other means, your support has been instrumental in helping our business thrive.
We are grateful for customers like you who believe in our brand and what we offer. Your continued support is invaluable to us, and we wanted to extend our deepest thanks.
Thank you for being a part of the journey. We look forward to serving you and providing you with exceptional experiences.
The Sweet Spot.
The Sweet Spot Oceanfront.
“Very excited that the festival is coming back here, you know,” said Mery Ghattas, owner of The Sweet Spot ice cream shop. “I think Pharrell is giving us a great opportunity, putting Virginia Beach on the map.”
A Sweet Pink Christmas wonderland 2022
The Sweet Spot’s 2022 pink Christmas wonderland for this holiday season.
Enjoy a heartwarming place to spend time with your loved ones and enjoy our Christmas decorations and a delicious holiday menu. Hot chocolate, freshly fried funnel cakes, and much more.
Most Outrageous Milkshakes
They’ve exploded onto the restaurant scene, bedazzled your social media, and transformed an old-fashioned treat into eye-popping works of art. Outrageous milkshakes—dubbed “freak shakes”—pile a ridiculous amount of sweet and savory treats atop one tall, frosted glass.
For National Chocolate Milkshake Day, Yelp created a list of America’s most outrageous milkshakes based on Yelpers’ ratings and reviews. You’ll even spot The Sweet Spot featured!
Our igloos are finally here!
Most Outrageous Milkshakes
We are excited to announce our igloos have finally arrived—the perfect private space for you and your group. Enjoy a memorable night and fall in love at The Sweet Spot.
Virginia Beach ice cream shop raises money for CHKD
An ice cream shop in Virginia Beach is raising thousands of dollars for the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. The Sweet Spot off Providence Road started a campaign with CHKD to help with donations for the holidays.
A Kempsville dessert shop repurposed 1,500 toys to support CHKD
A Kempsville dessert shop repurposed 1,500 toys to support CHKD
The Sweet Spot in Virginia Beach hosted its Holiday Experiential Pop-Up, displaying 1,500 stuffed animals, dolls, and toys that CEO Mery Ghattas bought at CHKD thrift stores. The festive, pink dessert shop turned into a magical fundraising wonderland.
More crazy shakes, desserts are coming to Virginia Beach with Sweet Spot expansion
More crazy shakes, desserts are coming to Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach’s homegrown spot for unicorn milkshakes and bubble waffles will soon have a new flagship in the Fairfield neighborhood — a bright-pink hall of sweets with a spacious patio and loaded brownies served hot on a skillet .
Welcome to the Sweetest Spot in Virginia Beach
Colorful, hand-crafted specialty desserts are offered daily at The Sweet Spot. From Bubble Waffles to Explosive Milkshakes, The Sweet Spot offers desserts you won’t find anywhere else in Virginia Beach.