The building with the red door backs up to Cobra Cabana and its patio, pictured right. (Mike Platania photo)
Herbie Abernethy and Josh Novicki are dialing up their presence in Carver.
The duo, who own neighborhood restaurants Cobra Cabana on Marshall Street and Hot For Pizza on Leigh Street, have a “listening bar” in the works at 312 Goshen St.
Dubbed Space Mountain Hi-Fi, the new spot will be equipped with high-quality audio equipment for playing music on vinyl records, along with a full bar.
Also known as “audiophile bars,” the concept dates back over a century to Japan, where people would go to intimate cafes to drink cocktails and listen to rare records. In recent years these bars have seen a resurgence domestically, primarily in major cities including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. Space Mountain will be the first such venue in Richmond.
Abernethy and Novicki’s love for music is well documented. Abernethy, who’s also the lead singer for rock band Valient Thorr, said he “buys records like people buy cigarettes.” After he and Novicki opened Cobra Cabana in the former Black Sheep space in 2018, they doubled down in Carver with their Van Halen-themed pizzeria Hot For Pizza, which opened in 2020.
Herbie Abernethy and Josh Novicki
Space Mountain is planned to occupy the ground floor of a roughly 1,000-square-foot, two-story building that backs up to Cobra Cabana and its patio at 901 W. Marshall St.
“This small space is begging people to come drink liquor and swim into the sounds,” Novicki said. “Having a bar that plays, promotes, specializes and revolves around all things audio justifies all the money we spend on records. Additionally, we want to be able to listen to our favorite records on a killer sound system.”
He added that Space Mountain also will be a venue where artists and musicians could debut their work and have it played in a space specifically designed for listening.
“Over the years tons of music has been created and recorded to be listened to in a curated space such as this, but most of us don’t have the means or a place to hear it this way,” Novicki said.
“It’ll have an incredible sound system where people will want to go have their (album) release parties,” Abernethy added.
Novicki declined to disclose details on the specs of the audio equipment they’ll be using, or how much they intend to invest in it.
Space Mountain’s menu will include cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer and snacks.
The bar’s 123-year-old building, which Novicki owns, is zoned residential, so Abernethy and Novicki are applying for a special-use permit to green light the project.
In their SUP application, Novicki and Abernethy write that Space Mountain’s capacity would be capped at around 15 people and while the audio quality would be high, the music would be played at a “very low decibel rate.”
“It’s all about the clarity of the audio, not the volume,” Novicki said.
Space Mountain is one of multiple projects Abernethy and Novicki have taken on in recent months. The duo also expanded into North Carolina this summer, opening beachfront bar The Sandspur in Carolina Beach and purchasing longtime Raleigh music venue Kings. Novicki said the pair are working on another to-be-announced project, and with so many irons in the fire, Space Mountain’s opening timeline is unclear.
“We’ll have some interior construction/build out, but we are making moves and everything’s coming up Milhouse,” Novicki said. “We’re super stoked for this project to come alive and can’t wait for everyone to take a ride on Space Mountain.”
Another audio-focused business arrived in the city earlier this summer, when Carytown Sound opened at 3101 Ellwood Ave., offering stereos, turntables and more.
The building with the red door backs up to Cobra Cabana and its patio, pictured right. (Mike Platania photo)
Herbie Abernethy and Josh Novicki are dialing up their presence in Carver.
The duo, who own neighborhood restaurants Cobra Cabana on Marshall Street and Hot For Pizza on Leigh Street, have a “listening bar” in the works at 312 Goshen St.
Dubbed Space Mountain Hi-Fi, the new spot will be equipped with high-quality audio equipment for playing music on vinyl records, along with a full bar.
Also known as “audiophile bars,” the concept dates back over a century to Japan, where people would go to intimate cafes to drink cocktails and listen to rare records. In recent years these bars have seen a resurgence domestically, primarily in major cities including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. Space Mountain will be the first such venue in Richmond.
Abernethy and Novicki’s love for music is well documented. Abernethy, who’s also the lead singer for rock band Valient Thorr, said he “buys records like people buy cigarettes.” After he and Novicki opened Cobra Cabana in the former Black Sheep space in 2018, they doubled down in Carver with their Van Halen-themed pizzeria Hot For Pizza, which opened in 2020.
Herbie Abernethy and Josh Novicki
Space Mountain is planned to occupy the ground floor of a roughly 1,000-square-foot, two-story building that backs up to Cobra Cabana and its patio at 901 W. Marshall St.
“This small space is begging people to come drink liquor and swim into the sounds,” Novicki said. “Having a bar that plays, promotes, specializes and revolves around all things audio justifies all the money we spend on records. Additionally, we want to be able to listen to our favorite records on a killer sound system.”
He added that Space Mountain also will be a venue where artists and musicians could debut their work and have it played in a space specifically designed for listening.
“Over the years tons of music has been created and recorded to be listened to in a curated space such as this, but most of us don’t have the means or a place to hear it this way,” Novicki said.
“It’ll have an incredible sound system where people will want to go have their (album) release parties,” Abernethy added.
Novicki declined to disclose details on the specs of the audio equipment they’ll be using, or how much they intend to invest in it.
Space Mountain’s menu will include cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer and snacks.
The bar’s 123-year-old building, which Novicki owns, is zoned residential, so Abernethy and Novicki are applying for a special-use permit to green light the project.
In their SUP application, Novicki and Abernethy write that Space Mountain’s capacity would be capped at around 15 people and while the audio quality would be high, the music would be played at a “very low decibel rate.”
“It’s all about the clarity of the audio, not the volume,” Novicki said.
Space Mountain is one of multiple projects Abernethy and Novicki have taken on in recent months. The duo also expanded into North Carolina this summer, opening beachfront bar The Sandspur in Carolina Beach and purchasing longtime Raleigh music venue Kings. Novicki said the pair are working on another to-be-announced project, and with so many irons in the fire, Space Mountain’s opening timeline is unclear.
“We’ll have some interior construction/build out, but we are making moves and everything’s coming up Milhouse,” Novicki said. “We’re super stoked for this project to come alive and can’t wait for everyone to take a ride on Space Mountain.”
Another audio-focused business arrived in the city earlier this summer, when Carytown Sound opened at 3101 Ellwood Ave., offering stereos, turntables and more.
My favorite bar in Richmond just keeps getting better. These guys never stop innovating. Everything is indeed coming up Milhouse! 😄
“Snacks” doesn’t qualify for a “full bar”. “Substantial entrees” is the ABC threshold.
I imagine “substantial entree” includes some pretty paltry stuff… a single slice of ham or a single slice of cheese in one folded over slice of Wonderbread probably qualifies, even though it’s barely a sandwich. Better question: is this something you’re actually concerned about? If so, why?
I want to clarify something here: I’m not criticizing this business. My intent was primarily to ask the previous commenter, Mr. Mcgrann, if there was something he was actually concerned about with regards to ABC rules enforcement or… I don’t know… public safety… or whatever. Does anyone think the food/beverage ratio is a good law? Does it accomplish it’s intended goals? Anything evidence based to back up any claims one way or the other? To reiterate: I think the prior comment that “‘snacks’ doesn’t qualify for a ‘full bar'” misses the point that something like a slice of deli meat… Read more »