After sitting vacant for over two years, the VCU-area restaurant space has a pair of new tenants en route. (Mike Platania photo)
With members of a prolific local restaurant family moving in, a long-dormant VCU-area building is about to get its mojo back.
Tito and Estefani Padilla are preparing to open two restaurants – Tito’s Taqueria & Bar and La Fe Cafe – in the former Mojo’s Philadeli building at 733 W. Cary St.
The brother and sister duo are the children of Rudy Padilla, owner of Amigos Family Restaurant near Willow Lawn, and their other sibling, Iliana White, owns Kahlo’s Taqueria & Bar in Union Hill.
The Mojo’s building has sat empty at the corner of West Cary and South Laurel streets since late 2020 when Mojo’s closed after more than 20 years. It sold to a group of Fredericksburg-based doctors in 2021 who kicked off a renovation of the two-story structure.
Tito will be in charge of his namesake side of the restaurant, which he said will be an authentic taqueria and bar with an approachable menu.
“I’m trying to have things like alcoholic slushies and fresh homemade tortillas,” Padilla said. “We’ll have other stuff besides tacos but that’s going to be our main thing.”
One dish Padilla said he’s excited to offer is a twist on birria tacos.
“We’re gonna have birria tacos, but have it be like a pizza. With the VCU students, that might be good for them,” he said. “No one in Richmond, as far as I know, has that. Hopefully we’ll be the first ones to bring it.”
Next door, La Fe Cafe will be a breakfast and brunch spot helmed by Estefani, who wasn’t available for comment by press time.
The Padillas are leasing the entire 3,300-square-foot ground-floor space in the building. Sperity Real Estate Ventures’ Nathan Hughes represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
Padilla said he and his sister were each looking for a restaurant space to step out on their own, and the Mojo’s building was ideal for them to split.
“Moving in next to each other, we can help each other. We get along, so I think it’ll work,” he said.
Tito’s Taqueria & Bar and La Fe Cafe are expected to open sometime this summer. The Padillas’ plans were first reported by Richmond Magazine.
Just south of the restaurant building are a trio of townhomes that are nearing completion at 105-107 S. Laurel St. Formerly a vacant lot, the 3-story residences are being developed by local firm Canvas Development.
After sitting vacant for over two years, the VCU-area restaurant space has a pair of new tenants en route. (Mike Platania photo)
With members of a prolific local restaurant family moving in, a long-dormant VCU-area building is about to get its mojo back.
Tito and Estefani Padilla are preparing to open two restaurants – Tito’s Taqueria & Bar and La Fe Cafe – in the former Mojo’s Philadeli building at 733 W. Cary St.
The brother and sister duo are the children of Rudy Padilla, owner of Amigos Family Restaurant near Willow Lawn, and their other sibling, Iliana White, owns Kahlo’s Taqueria & Bar in Union Hill.
The Mojo’s building has sat empty at the corner of West Cary and South Laurel streets since late 2020 when Mojo’s closed after more than 20 years. It sold to a group of Fredericksburg-based doctors in 2021 who kicked off a renovation of the two-story structure.
Tito will be in charge of his namesake side of the restaurant, which he said will be an authentic taqueria and bar with an approachable menu.
“I’m trying to have things like alcoholic slushies and fresh homemade tortillas,” Padilla said. “We’ll have other stuff besides tacos but that’s going to be our main thing.”
One dish Padilla said he’s excited to offer is a twist on birria tacos.
“We’re gonna have birria tacos, but have it be like a pizza. With the VCU students, that might be good for them,” he said. “No one in Richmond, as far as I know, has that. Hopefully we’ll be the first ones to bring it.”
Next door, La Fe Cafe will be a breakfast and brunch spot helmed by Estefani, who wasn’t available for comment by press time.
The Padillas are leasing the entire 3,300-square-foot ground-floor space in the building. Sperity Real Estate Ventures’ Nathan Hughes represented the landlord in lease negotiations.
Padilla said he and his sister were each looking for a restaurant space to step out on their own, and the Mojo’s building was ideal for them to split.
“Moving in next to each other, we can help each other. We get along, so I think it’ll work,” he said.
Tito’s Taqueria & Bar and La Fe Cafe are expected to open sometime this summer. The Padillas’ plans were first reported by Richmond Magazine.
Just south of the restaurant building are a trio of townhomes that are nearing completion at 105-107 S. Laurel St. Formerly a vacant lot, the 3-story residences are being developed by local firm Canvas Development.
These two restaurants sound like great additions to the VCU area and I’m glad to hear this long vacant spot is going to see new life. It’ll be great to have one more option nearby before attending events at Altria.
E-Loteria on W. Broad does a birria pizza!