Before becoming a ghost kitchen, the building along West Broad had been occupied by TitleMax. (Mike Platania photos)
The latest entrant into the local ghost kitchen scene has made its debut near Willow Lawn.
ChefSuite recently opened at 4711 W. Broad St., where it offers 16 rentable kitchen suites from which tenants can operate restaurants for delivery and pick-up only.
The business is a new concept from Jay Modi and Jarnail Tucker, who have been working on the venue since 2021 when they purchased the former TitleMax building.
Three of ChefSuite’s kitchens are leased, though Modi said they have a few additional leases signed for to-be-announced operators.
Its current lineup consists of Southern comfort food concept A Pinch of Sugar from Nikita Moore, and Dionis Taveras’ Latin Quarter Kitchen, which specializes in sandwiches made from smashed plantains. The third space is occupied by On A Roll Italian Subs, which is owned by Modi and Tucker.
“It’s something we took on so we’re able to learn every single step of the way of what it takes to start a restaurant at ChefSuite,” Modi said of On A Roll. “Things like the process with the city, getting vendors and the equipment tenants would need in place.”
Tenants at ChefSuite must provide their own stoves and other hardware.
Dishes from On A Roll, A Pinch of Sugar and Latin Quarter are available exclusively for takeout and delivery. Modi said each is signed on with national delivery platforms Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub as well as ChefSuite’s website.
Kitchens at ChefSuite are rented from $2,700 per month and each includes a commercial hood, sinks, shelving, a water heater and oil removal systems. Modi said it’s up to tenants to fill out the rest of their cooking hardware, some of which can be rented from ChefSuite.
Ghost kitchens began arriving in Richmond after the pandemic, landing in the Fan, Regency Square Mall and Scott’s Addition. The Fan ghost kitchen, The Coop, had been operated by local chef Mike Ledesma but closed shortly after Ledesma closed his Perch restaurant last year.
Modi and Tucker, meanwhile, are looking to bring ChefSuite into multiple markets. The duo is working on building out a second location in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs and has a few other, unidentified cities in mind for further expansion.
“We like to target areas outside of the main hubs because frankly that’s where people really live,” Tucker said. “People work in central business districts and there is a lot of density and money that goes there, but the neighborhoods where people live day-to-day also need options and we want to be able to provide that.”
Another eatery is en route to ChefSuite’s block of West Broad is Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which is preparing to raze a former Burger King at 4800 W. Broad St. and replace it with a new drive-thru location.
Before becoming a ghost kitchen, the building along West Broad had been occupied by TitleMax. (Mike Platania photos)
The latest entrant into the local ghost kitchen scene has made its debut near Willow Lawn.
ChefSuite recently opened at 4711 W. Broad St., where it offers 16 rentable kitchen suites from which tenants can operate restaurants for delivery and pick-up only.
The business is a new concept from Jay Modi and Jarnail Tucker, who have been working on the venue since 2021 when they purchased the former TitleMax building.
Three of ChefSuite’s kitchens are leased, though Modi said they have a few additional leases signed for to-be-announced operators.
Its current lineup consists of Southern comfort food concept A Pinch of Sugar from Nikita Moore, and Dionis Taveras’ Latin Quarter Kitchen, which specializes in sandwiches made from smashed plantains. The third space is occupied by On A Roll Italian Subs, which is owned by Modi and Tucker.
“It’s something we took on so we’re able to learn every single step of the way of what it takes to start a restaurant at ChefSuite,” Modi said of On A Roll. “Things like the process with the city, getting vendors and the equipment tenants would need in place.”
Tenants at ChefSuite must provide their own stoves and other hardware.
Dishes from On A Roll, A Pinch of Sugar and Latin Quarter are available exclusively for takeout and delivery. Modi said each is signed on with national delivery platforms Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub as well as ChefSuite’s website.
Kitchens at ChefSuite are rented from $2,700 per month and each includes a commercial hood, sinks, shelving, a water heater and oil removal systems. Modi said it’s up to tenants to fill out the rest of their cooking hardware, some of which can be rented from ChefSuite.
Ghost kitchens began arriving in Richmond after the pandemic, landing in the Fan, Regency Square Mall and Scott’s Addition. The Fan ghost kitchen, The Coop, had been operated by local chef Mike Ledesma but closed shortly after Ledesma closed his Perch restaurant last year.
Modi and Tucker, meanwhile, are looking to bring ChefSuite into multiple markets. The duo is working on building out a second location in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs and has a few other, unidentified cities in mind for further expansion.
“We like to target areas outside of the main hubs because frankly that’s where people really live,” Tucker said. “People work in central business districts and there is a lot of density and money that goes there, but the neighborhoods where people live day-to-day also need options and we want to be able to provide that.”
Another eatery is en route to ChefSuite’s block of West Broad is Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which is preparing to raze a former Burger King at 4800 W. Broad St. and replace it with a new drive-thru location.