{"id":34226,"date":"2026-09-27T19:18:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T19:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/34226\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T19:18:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T19:18:31","slug":"veteran-owned-businesses-in-norfolk-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/34226\/","title":{"rendered":"Veteran-Owned Businesses in Norfolk, VA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home to the world\u2019s largest naval base, Norfolk is home for many who served in the military. You\u2019ll find several veteran-owned businesses throughout Norfolk, with their own unique story and journey. We hope you\u2019ll support these Norfolk veteran-owned businesses not just around Veterans Day but throughout the year. <\/p>\n

Bloom OV<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Andrea Olachia was all set to become a corporate lawyer in New York City when an abnormal growth in her brain stopped her career in its tracks. Five years later, the Navy vet owns Bloom OV, a sustainable florist in Norfolk\u2019s Ocean View neighborhood.\u00a0Olanchia and her team will help you create custom bouquets from local flowers for any occasion. <\/p>\n

Pendulum Fine Meats<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pendulum owner Dylan Wakefield was in the Navy for eight years as a chef on submarines. Once his navy career ended, he wanted to continue his passion for food and recognized Norfolk\u2019s need for a neighborhood butcher shop. In 2014, Dylan and his wife, Dana, decided to open\u00a0Pendulum Fine Meats. It\u2019s become a staple in Norfolk, a familiar place for community members to connect with their food, ask about the farmers and how the animals were raised. Locals pop in and out, friends gather around family-style tables for lunch, and Dana\u2019s mother makes desserts from scratch. Their lunch menu is drool-worthy and because they\u2019re a whole animal butcher shop, no piece goes unused, from beef bones for stock to tallow candles to roasted skins for pets.\u00a0Dana and Dylan love their location in the Ghent neighborhood for its historical buildings, sense of community and walkability, and we know you will too!<\/p>\n

Rip Rap Brewing Co.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tucked in the Railroad District of Norfolk,\u00a0Rip Rap is owned and operated by Liam Bell, a former Coast Guardsman.\u00a0Homebrewing was a hobby of Liam\u2019s while in the Coast Guard, and since turning it into his career, he hopes to spread his passion of beer to each person that walks in. The theme of coastal waterways is felt throughout the microbrewery. Liam himself painted the interior mural showcasing the Chesapeake Bay\u2019s waterways. Their beers are enticing and ever-changing, so once you find something you love, you may want to stock up.<\/p>\n

Kobros Coffee<\/p>\n

Twin brothers Erik and Sean Copack grew up in Orlando, Florida before both joining the military. They always had a love for coffee, but their extensive travels around the world broadened their appetite and amplified their appreciation for the coffee bean. Now, veterans, they are creating some of the most tasteful and compelling lattes in our city. Their rotating seasonal flavors are a bit out of the ordinary\u2014butternut\/acorn squash craft latte or fig\/brown sugar craft latte, for example\u2014but always a hit. They also typically incorporate notes of citrus into their coffee as a tribute to their original sunshine state. Their beloved shop is bursting with plants, and the team is extremely accommodating and friendly. It\u2019s hard not to be an avid Kobros Coffee drinker.<\/p>\n

Wands Books<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wands Books represents the fruits of many years of labor for Morgan Wood, former Marine and longtime Hampton Roads resident who is happy to talk about books any time, all the time.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s anything I love to do, it\u2019s talk about books and\u00a0bookshops,\u201d Wood says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 900-square foot store at 2501 Fawn Street is the former home of an indoor farmers market, an industrial bakery and is part of the burgeoning area known as Fawn Street Artists\u2019 Lofts. Flanked by\u00a0The Annex\u00a0performing hall and set squarely at the intersections of Lindenwood, Old Hunterville and the Railroad District, the area is home to photography and recording studios, makeup artists and a glass blower.\u00a0<\/p>\n

PJay\u2019s Kitchen<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Veteran owned and operated business seafood carry out. Committed to providing high-quality, fresh seafood to the local community. A diverse menu of seafood options, ranging from popular choices like shrimp, crab, and fish to unique and signature dishes.<\/p>\n

All Hands Pottery <\/p>\n

\"\"@allhandspottery, Instagram<\/p>\n

Angela Tilley, a 26-year Navy veteran, found a love for pottery during a deployment in Iraq. Post-deployment, she started taking classes in Germany to learn the fine techniques of pottery as well as courses that gave her experience with porcelain and Raku (a technique involving heating pieces at 1,800 degrees F and then creating a reduction environment to achieve unexpected surface decoration on pottery).<\/p>\n

After her time in Germany, she brought her new talent to Norfolk and opened All Hands Pottery Studio which offers classes for beginners and beyond. Tilley also offers an open studio for skilled pottery makers and students trying to perfect their practice. These classes make for the perfect team bonding activity or a great date night idea!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Home to the world\u2019s largest naval base, Norfolk is home for many who served in the military. You\u2019ll find several veteran-owned businesses throughout Norfolk, with their own unique story and journey. We hope you\u2019ll support these Norfolk veteran-owned businesses not just around Veterans Day but throughout the year. Bloom OV Andrea Olachia was all set<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[3175,3173,3171,3174,3172],"class_list":["post-34226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-virginia","tag-virginia","tag-virginia-dining","tag-virginia-food","tag-virginia-grocery-stores","tag-virginia-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117344620457515379","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}