July 28, 2025
Taste Of Brazil Restaurant & Bakery Relocates From Richmond’s East Main Street To Gayton Crossing
RICHMOND, VA (July 28, 2025) – Taste of Brazil Restaurant & Bakery recently relocated from downtown Richmond’s East Main Street area to the city’s West End, with a new 2,160 square foot space located within Gayton Crossing, a 160,000 square foot shopping center located at 9782 Gayton Road. Owner Léi Christina signed a lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC), a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company which acquired the asset last year, representing the company’s entry into the Richmond-area retail market. Kristin Perry, Leasing Manager, Commercial for CRC, and SL Nusbaum represented the landlord and Charles L. Parrish of The Wilton Companies and Andrew Brodie of SL Nusbaum represented the tenant in this transaction.
The bakery and restaurant specialize in Brazilian-inspired breads, cakes, pastries, pizza, sandwiches, coffee, and cold drinks utilizing ingredients and flavorings unique to the country. Representative items include Pão de queijo – a baked cheese roll or cheese bread that is a popular breakfast item – and pastels, which are fried pastry doughs filled with ground beef, chicken, ham, cheese, and other items. Catupiry, a soft, spreadable, and creamy cheese is commonly-used in both baked goods and prepared food items. Acai bowls are also on the menu of Taste of Brazil Restaurant & Bakery, which opened its new location in mid-June.
Christina explains that “American-style buttercream icing is never used in the bakery’s product but, instead, the concept uses white chocolate or milk chocolate ganache.” Another unique item is “cakes in a cup” which consists of different layers of cake. Everything is made from scratch using fresh and locally-grown ingredients, which produces “strong and distinct flavors and fluffier cakes.” This is especially true of the authentic Brazilian coffee – only served black – which has a distinct flavor profile and is known for its strength. The cold drinks are made from freshly-squeezed orange juice, sugar cane juice, passion fruit or Acerola – another popular Brazilian item.
According to Christina, Taste of Brazil Restaurant & Bakery outgrew its former space and she was looking for a shopping center venue positioned closer to Richmond’s Brazilian community. The larger kitchen enables the bakery and restaurant to prepare more items and serve more people, and the 50-seat restaurant and outdoor patio is perfectly suited for the regular breakfast and lunch buffets.
“Gayton Crossing places us in the heart of the Richmond Brazilian community and, since we have moved, we have noticed other ethnic audiences visiting including Hispanics and Americans,” Christina explained. “The center is vibrant and well-positioned and we are aware of several new tenants moving in, which will keep the shopping center interesting and serve to attract new audiences.”
Delivered in 1981 and situated at the signalized intersection of Gaskins and Quioccasin roads in Henrico County, Gayton Crossing is shadow-anchored by the national supermarket chain Kroger and features more than 30 restaurants and retailers occupying inline spaces and five free-standing pad sites. Representative tenants include Bank of America, GOLD’S Gym, Goldfish Swim School, Jos. A. Bank, KidStrong, Starbucks Coffee, Virginia ABC store and The UPS Store. The property contains eight means of ingress and egress and is surrounded by a free surface parking lot suitable for nearly 700 vehicles.
“Taste of Brazil brings a vibrant local business, a dedicated customer base, and distinctive offerings to Gayton Crossing, enriching our tenant mix,” said Kristina O’Keefe, Vice President of CRC’s Commercial Division. “We value locally-owned retailers and restaurants because they truly understand the unique character of the community and add meaningful diversity to our centers.”
More than 100,000 people reside within a five-mile radius of Gayton Crossing, including more than 75,000 households with an average household income exceeding $135,000. In addition, the daytime population within this same radius is nearly 235,000.
The median home value in Richmond’s West End is $520,000, and the existing residential pipeline is expected to add more than 1,500 homes within a five-mile radius of Gayton Crossing. Household incomes are projected to increase by more than 11 percent within a three-mile radius over the next five years.
The University of Richmond, with approximately 4,000 students, is situated in West End and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), with its additional 30,000 undergraduates, is located approximately 10 miles from Gayton Crossing. Richmond’s central business district is 14 miles from the site and Richmond International Airport is 22 miles away.
Headquartered in Baltimore and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of over eight million square feet of commercial space and more than 10,000 apartment homes across 14 states, with a portfolio valued at nearly $4.2 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.
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