The Crazy Mason milkshake bar liquidates Alexandria equipment
Internet-only auction set for Dec. 13 includes commercial freezers, POS system and kitchen equipment
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar is liquidating its equipment through an online auction, though the King Street storefront bears no signs indicating a permanent closure.
The business at 716 King St., known for over-the-top milkshakes served in mason jars, announced plans to open in February 2023 as the company’s 10th location, operated by franchisees Erin and Robert Studer, who also ran a location in Ellicott City, Maryland. The shop opened that summer.
A visit to the location on Thursday showed the storefront displaying a temporary “Come Back, We Are CLOSED” sign, with the business’s outdoor blade sign still hanging. No permanent closure notice was visible in the windows.
The internet-only auction, conducted by R.L. Rasmus Auctioneers Inc., begins closing Dec. 13 at 12:34 p.m. and includes 75 lots of restaurant equipment: commercial-grade soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream freezers, under-counter coolers and freezers, prep tables, a three-compartment sink, a waffle cone maker, a triple-spindle drink mixer, seven flat-screen televisions, a Toast point-of-sale system with seven touch screens, and kitchen supplies including 80 stainless steel malt cups. An 18% buyer’s premium will be added to all purchases.
According to auction documents, the business is described as “a well know Alexandria VA dessert bar” liquidating “high end soft serve and hand dipped freezers, cabinets, refrigeration, confection and dessert prep and retail assets.”
The Crazy Mason corporate office and the Alexandria franchisees did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.
As of Thursday, the company’s website listed the Alexandria location as open on weekends only — Saturdays from 12:30 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 to 9 p.m. — with the store closed on Mondays through Fridays.
In a February 2023 announcement, The Crazy Mason said it was opening its 10th location in Old Town Alexandria. “We fell in love with the Crazy Mason brand while on a family vacation in Myrtle Beach in 2021, and we opened our first location in 2022 in Ellicott City, Maryland,” the Studers said at the time. “We wanted to bring our crazy treats to the DC metro area, and Old Town Alexandria is one of our favorite places.”
The South Carolina-based chain, founded in Myrtle Beach in 2020 by Bo and Sherri Steele, features milkshakes topped with whole desserts, cookies, and candy designed for social media sharing.