CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Robin and Eddie Upchurch call each other ‘Eats’ and ‘Treats’ - the dynamic duo behind “The Place” in Christiansburg.
It all started out of their concern for children during the pandemic. The couple wanted to give kids a reason to smile.
That smile is something that never comes off Eddie’s face. He tells us, “My wife says, when she sees me sleeping at night, I always have the smile on my face.”
Eddie is known by the community as Aloha Eddie, making shaved ice for the last three-and-a-half years.
“When I see a little child take a first bite out of an Aloha Eddie shaved ice snow cone and they look at me and give me a big thumbs up, it just really does mean everything to me.”
A block of ice goes in the machine and comes out as a work of art - from the Superman to other classics like, “My personal favorite - and it may be yours too – is the blue cotton candy.”
Recently, Eddie has turned out to be quite the baker.
Robin says, “He makes the best bread. The cookies are on point.”
It’s all thanks to Robin, who is known for her great and versatile cooking.
“There’s a lot of people out there that don’t know how to cook or don’t have the time, so now you can come here, pick up a meal and it’s not out of a box.”
It starts with classic sandwiches like a Reuben, piled high and thrown onto the press. It then graduates to something like a Cuban.
Homestyle cooking has been Robin’s niche since she was a kid. The chicken pot pie, the shepherd’s pie and the enchiladas are all selling. The pizzas, however, are flying out of the kitchen!
It’s thanks to a homemade garlic parmesan crust, homemade sauce and whatever toppings you’d like. It’s in and out of the oven within 14 minutes, popping with color and a golden crust.
Whether it’s shaved ice, a sandwich or whoopie pies, head to 302 Radford St in Christiansburg to “The Place.”
It’s open Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.