The space next to West Elm was once the home to Weezie’s Kitchen. (Mike Platania photo)
A veteran Richmond bartender is stepping out on her own with a spot in Carytown.
Katie Jarvis is preparing to open Ripple Ray’s at 3123 W. Cary St. The new Southern-style bar and restaurant will be replacing Town Hall, which ended a roughly three-year run earlier this year.
Jarvis is taking over the spot after acquiring Town Hall’s assets for an undisclosed amount last month. Rich Holden of Holden Realty worked the deal.
For much of the last 15 years, the Cary Street space had been home to Weezie’s Kitchen. In early 2020 Weezie’s closed, and the space was picked up by Belmont Food Shop owner Mike Yavorsky, who opened Town Hall. While Belmont Food Shop offers an upscale, chef-driven menu, Town Hall was more of a neighborhood dive serving traditional bar fare.
The space in the heart of Carytown is familiar ground for Jarvis, who said she tended bar at Town Hall for about two years after stints at Fan bars like F.W. Sullivan’s, Lady N’awlins and Pik Nik. When she heard Yavorsky was looking to sell, Jarvis said she felt she had to jump on it.
“I loved Town Hall and all the regulars that came in,” Jarvis said. “I just thought it would be a great opportunity to open a place of my own.”
Yavorsky couldn’t be reached for comment.
Jarvis said basically everything at Ripple Ray’s will be different from Town Hall, and one change she’s planning is the addition of a retractable stage in the rear of the dining room.
“During restaurant dining hours, we’re going to be lifting the stage and it’s going to become an art piece on the wall. Then when dinner service hours are over, we’ll adjust that down and have local musicians come in,” Jarvis said. “I’m hoping to bring in a lot of local artists to perform.”
Ripple Ray’s menu will include Southern-style, upscale bar food, Jarvis said, noting that she’s working on a cocktail menu as well.
Jarvis is leasing the roughly 2,000-square-foot space from the Chiocca family, who has owned the building since the late 1990s when they bought it for $150,000, city records show.
Ripple Ray’s is named after one of Jarvis’ favorite songs by the Grateful Dead, “Ripple,” as well as her late father.
“My father, who passed away when I was little, his name was Ray and he was a scuba diver,” she said. “So ‘Ripple’ kind of ties in that too. It’s very symbolic.”
Ripple Ray’s will be at least the second Grateful Dead-inspired spot in the region: Crazy Rooster Brewing Co. in Powhatan is named after a song by the prolific jam band.
Jarvis said she’s hoping to open Ripple Ray’s in the spring.
“As a bartender, this is what you kind of like always dream of: having a place of your own. And I’m making that a reality,” she said. “It’s crazy but I’m very excited.”
A few doors down from Ripple Ray’s is Anthony’s Pizza Carytown, another new restaurant that opened earlier this year.
The space next to West Elm was once the home to Weezie’s Kitchen. (Mike Platania photo)
A veteran Richmond bartender is stepping out on her own with a spot in Carytown.
Katie Jarvis is preparing to open Ripple Ray’s at 3123 W. Cary St. The new Southern-style bar and restaurant will be replacing Town Hall, which ended a roughly three-year run earlier this year.
Jarvis is taking over the spot after acquiring Town Hall’s assets for an undisclosed amount last month. Rich Holden of Holden Realty worked the deal.
For much of the last 15 years, the Cary Street space had been home to Weezie’s Kitchen. In early 2020 Weezie’s closed, and the space was picked up by Belmont Food Shop owner Mike Yavorsky, who opened Town Hall. While Belmont Food Shop offers an upscale, chef-driven menu, Town Hall was more of a neighborhood dive serving traditional bar fare.
The space in the heart of Carytown is familiar ground for Jarvis, who said she tended bar at Town Hall for about two years after stints at Fan bars like F.W. Sullivan’s, Lady N’awlins and Pik Nik. When she heard Yavorsky was looking to sell, Jarvis said she felt she had to jump on it.
“I loved Town Hall and all the regulars that came in,” Jarvis said. “I just thought it would be a great opportunity to open a place of my own.”
Yavorsky couldn’t be reached for comment.
Jarvis said basically everything at Ripple Ray’s will be different from Town Hall, and one change she’s planning is the addition of a retractable stage in the rear of the dining room.
“During restaurant dining hours, we’re going to be lifting the stage and it’s going to become an art piece on the wall. Then when dinner service hours are over, we’ll adjust that down and have local musicians come in,” Jarvis said. “I’m hoping to bring in a lot of local artists to perform.”
Ripple Ray’s menu will include Southern-style, upscale bar food, Jarvis said, noting that she’s working on a cocktail menu as well.
Jarvis is leasing the roughly 2,000-square-foot space from the Chiocca family, who has owned the building since the late 1990s when they bought it for $150,000, city records show.
Ripple Ray’s is named after one of Jarvis’ favorite songs by the Grateful Dead, “Ripple,” as well as her late father.
“My father, who passed away when I was little, his name was Ray and he was a scuba diver,” she said. “So ‘Ripple’ kind of ties in that too. It’s very symbolic.”
Ripple Ray’s will be at least the second Grateful Dead-inspired spot in the region: Crazy Rooster Brewing Co. in Powhatan is named after a song by the prolific jam band.
Jarvis said she’s hoping to open Ripple Ray’s in the spring.
“As a bartender, this is what you kind of like always dream of: having a place of your own. And I’m making that a reality,” she said. “It’s crazy but I’m very excited.”
A few doors down from Ripple Ray’s is Anthony’s Pizza Carytown, another new restaurant that opened earlier this year.
I like the sound of this. It could be a good replacement for Antebellum and Lady Nawlins.
Sounds awesome. Look forward to checking it out.
Little confused the stage will lift up when serving food and after dinner hours the stage will come back down??? So the kitchen will stop making food??? DId I miss a change in state law since bars are illegal and we only have restaurants with liquor licenses but still have to continue to serve food with all alcohol.
It doesn’t say anything about the kitchen closing. “…when dinner service hours are over…” Once they’ve served their dinner “rush” they can eliminate a couple of tables and set up the stage for after dinner entertainment.
Exactly. In other words exactly what every suburban restaurant that hosts music in the weekend does. Don’t seat an area after a certain time, move a few tables and you have your stage area.
I think she may have meant the “dinner rush.” Some hours are higher volume and require more seating. When the demand for seating slows, the stage can be deployed.
That is what I was thinking. I just hope he knows what he is in for as a stage could also mean a nightclub permit with the City of Richmond along with tougher ABC rules. All that messy zoning and special use permits and rules did a number on the Camel and Strange Matter/Twisters. Make sure if you have live music no more that 10% of the usable floor space has anyone dancing. I wish him well just hope he know the ride he is in for…RVA zoning and permits ain’t Chesterfield.
The article clearly states that the owner is a woman…
Minglewood Bake Shop in Carytown is also named after a Grateful Dead song (New Minglewood Blues). Best of luck to Katie!