Order Up: Richmond restaurant industry recap for 2023

Wishbone Food Shop owners Ginny Sowers and Justin Cropper took over the former Cafe Ole in 2023. (BizSense file photos)

Familiar grounds

Multiple spaces in the city that have long histories in the restaurant industry were picked up by new opeartors this year. 

Wishbone Food Shop is now open on Sixth Street downtown, having taken over a space that Cafe Ole had called home for over 20 years. 

In the Fan, Philly cheesesteak spot Stanley’s is now open in the old Robin Inn, and 203 N. Lombardy St., which has housed at least five restaurants over the years including Balliceaux and Flora, is being taken over by former Shaved Duck owner Joe Kmetz. 

After being sold in 2021, the old Mojo’s Philadeli building near Oregon Hill landed a pair of concepts from the Padilla family, known primarily for their Amigos Family Restaurant near Willow Lawn. 

Deeper into Oregon Hill is the old Mamma Zu space that was sold to mystery buyers last year, who turned out to be Lyne and Randall Doetzer. The couple are renovating the building at the corner of Spring and South Pine streets as a new home for their acclaimed Spanish restaurant Adarra. 

Scott’s Addition

A rendering of Ballast, the new market and restaurant heading to the old Blue Bee Cider space in Scott’s Addition.

Scott’s Addition was at the center of plenty of food-and-beverage news in 2023, including both openings and closings. 

A pair of entertainment-focused spots, arcade-bar The Circuit and shuffleboard bar Tang & Biscuit, closed. Tang & Biscuit’s building is being teed up for redevelopment, and more news is in store early 2024 regarding what’s next for The Circuit’s building. 

The owners of West End seafood market Yellow Umbrella are working on Ballast, a restaurant and market that’s taking over the one-time horse stables property that had most recently been home to Blue Bee Cider. Around the corner from that is a one-story former yoga studio that Nate’s Bagels owner Nate Mathews bought for a second location of his popular Fan bakery.

The owners of the Hofheimer Building switched up the concept at their historic building, going from a German beer garden to speakeasy-style cocktail bar Harry’s. Scott’s Shawarma is making the jump from a deli counter on Roseneath Road in favor of its own space in the Fan, and Big Wife’s Mac n’ Cheese opened in the old Growlers To Go on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. 

Some of the new-construction mixed-use buildings in the neighborhood also started to fill out their commercial space with new restaurant concepts. The Benavides brothers, whose holdings include Y Tu Mamá within The Veil Brewing Co.’s Forest Hill taproom and VCU takeout spot Hibachi Box, signed on to open Cochiloco in Capital Square’s block-sized development The Otis.

Capital Square also landed some tenants for its multi-building Scott’s Collection project with Parousia Coffee, which is making the jump from food trailer to cafe, and Lillian Oyster Hall, from Megan Fitzroy Phelan and Patrick Phelan. The Phelans became known in the neighborhood for their high-end restaurant Longoven, which they closed to make way for Lost Letter, an Italian concept they also operate. 

First-time operators

Karen Negveskey and Alex Bobadilla in Sincero’s new space in Jackson Ward.

The pop-up to permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant model continued to be a trend this year, with Daniel Harthausen’s Korean and Japanese concept Young Mother signing on to open in Carytown Cupcakes’ space sometime in 2024. Michael Marshall brought his burger pop-up, Smashed RVA, to Northside with a space off Brook Road, while Sincero, a Mexican-American spot from Karen Negveskey and Alex Bobadilla, opened in Jackson Ward after years as a pop-up and vendor in the Hatch Local food hall in Manchester.

The food hall quickly picked up two experienced operators in TBT El Gallo and Greek on Cary to come in after Sincero departed. 

The year also brought a change of ownership to two established local eateries. Ginger Juice Co. founder Erin Powell sold her juice bar business to employee Chelsea Binder this year. Carrie Walker and Laura Hinkle bought milkshake shop Coco + Hazel, which has locations in Tuckahoe and Bon Air, in September.

Expansions

Goatocado expanded its footprint with a farm-to-table spot in rural Varina.

In just three years Lindsey Food Group has gone from a start-up with just one restaurant – downtown’s Lillie Pearl – to perhaps the largest restaurant group in the region. 

This year marked its busiest year yet, as the group, led by wife-and-husband duo Kimberly Love-Lindsey and Mike Lindsey, signed on for multiple restaurants in Chesterfield Towne Center, bought a long-time Short Pump bakery, opened a VCU-themed sports bar on Broad Street, and has an event space heading to the Hotel John Marshall downtown. 

The team behind Carver’s Cobra Cabana and Hot For Pizza are also growing within the neighborhood with Space Mountain Hi-Fi, a “listening bar” that’s heading to a vacant building off Goshen Street. 

Over in the Fan, Three Monkeys owner Ramy Yacoub now owns a second restaurant on West Main Street following a deal for Barrio Taqueria & Tequila. And Goatocado owner Ian Newell also grew his operations, albeit in a rather different locale. Over the summer Newell debuted Celeste Farms, a dinner series on a 4-acre farm in rural Varina. 

Husband-and-wife duo David and Brittany Dunlap set the stage for their next culinary venture in Midlothian when they bought Jewett-Bass Hall in October. The 19th century building on Midlothian Turnpike is planned to serve as the home of an upcoming steak-and-seafood concept called 1870. The Dunlaps, who also own Midlothian Chef’s Kitchen, plan to open the new restaurant in early 2024.

Bell Greek owner Ibo Pinar expanded his Greek-restaurant empire in early 2023 when he bought More Than Greek in Mechanicsville. Eggs Up Grill franchisee Rob Thompson also increased his holdings in 2023, with the opening of his third breakfast restaurant under that brand in Chesterfield in May.

Rivers Edge Coffee Co., formerly known as Little Bean Coffee Co., opened its first franchised location this year as part of an expansion of the brand that got started as a coffee cart in 2018.

Three Ironclad Coffee Roasters-branded cafes opened at Richmond International Airport in early 2023 after Ironclad owner Ryan O’Rourke licensed the concept to the company that operates eateries at the airport. Local roastery Reviresco Coffee Co. expanded its operations with a new cafe near the Museum District this year.

Restaurants that opened in 2023

Coming soon: Restaurants announced in 2023 and set to open in 2024

BizSense reporter Jack Jacobs contributed to this report.