CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – After teasing a June opening for a couple of months, Dairy Market almost made it with the sudden announcement of the July 1 opening of SunPins as its newest tenant. The Tuesday afternoon opening makes SunPins the 14th tenant in the Grady-and-Preston Avenue facility. Occupying the former South and Central restaurant space, SunPins offers an open-air concept feature six duckpin bowling lanes, tech-enabled darts, a scratch kitchen, and a full-service bar. During the warmer months, this sports bar and recreational facility has retractable doors that create a seamless indoor-outdoor experience with beer garden-style seating.

The sports bar menu includes scratch-made small bites, salads, and sauces. Other choices include Fried Green Tomatoes served with house-made ranch and pimento dip; Prosciutto Apple Brie Flatbread with apple butter, brie, apples, arugula, and balsamic glaze; or a Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with spinach, apples, goat cheese, spiced pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette. On the beverage menu, SunPins brings crafted cocktails, wine, drafted and bottled beer featuring local selections, and a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages.

“We are excited to welcome SunPins and the one-of-a-kind atmosphere they’re bringing to Dairy Market,” said Dairy Market general manager Anna Payne. “Their focus on being the go-to place for groups to gather perfectly aligns with our vision and we can’t wait for the Charlottesville community to enjoy this vibrant new space.”

SunPins is a local business and co-founder George Ordway said, “We’re super happy to be at Dairy Market. This is the first location and we’re hoping to expand, but we’re going to take it one day at a time and to call Charlottesville home, we’re excited about it.”

As for the Dairy Market idea, “The thesis is what can we do with the bowling industry to make it as appealing as possible, as it’s a game most have played at least once, maybe once or twice a year. How can we make it a place and an activity people want to do more frequently than that.”

Ordway said, “For me, that was adding fresh air and light, and a beer garden patio space that you don’t often see at your legacy bowling establishments. It’s I’d say known as a dark, windowless experience.”

“We’re blessed in Charlottesville to have a big, long stretch of beautiful weather especially in fall and spring.”

“Our vision is come September, October on a beautiful Saturday, this is a place where, yeah, you’re coming to play duckpin bowling and darts and enjoy our food and beverage. But you’re essentially connected to the patio with live music and other engagement. That’s the concept, and The Dairy Market was just a location that lent itself to all-of-the-above,” Ordway said.

Click here for SunPins information.
Click here for Dairy Market information.