The former Rocket Fizz building in Carytown has been claimed. (Mike Platania photo)
After more than a decade out of the game, Emilio Peiro is getting back into the Richmond restaurant scene.
In the early 2000s, Peiro owned Emilio’s, a local chain of Spanish restaurants, but closed or sold all three locations around 2012.
He’s now preparing to open Importante Bodega Bar, a new restaurant at 3031 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
Peiro said he’s excited to get back in the restaurant industry, but that he’s looking to be more on the front-of-house side of the business this time around.
Peiro once operated a restaurant at Towne Center West in Short Pump. (BizSense file)
“I’m looking forward to it. I think there’s demand and I have good partners. I told them I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen anymore,” Peiro said, laughing.
Importante is taking over a roughly 1,100-square-foot space that was vacated last year when candy shop Rocket Fizz closed after seven years in Carytown. Peiro said he’s in the process of having plans drawn up for the space now, and that the layout will include a bar and table seating.
Emilio’s debuted in 2003 at 1847 W. Broad St. in the Fan, and then added locations in Midlothian and Short Pump in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The Broad Street spot was eventually sold to new owners and the other two locations closed in 2012.
During his time out of the restaurant business, Peiro has been running a wine distribution company, Peiro International Wines. He said Importante’s menu will include plenty of tapas and other “wine-oriented” food.
“It’ll have wine tastings, cocktails, and a lot of Spanish tapas,” Peiro said, noting that it’ll be different from his past restaurants, which often offered multiple paella dishes.
“I don’t want to have paellas everyday, (Importante) will be more tapas. We will do maybe one paella a month,” he said.
Other new eateries in the works for Carytown include Anthony’s Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Dumpling & Noodle Cart.
The former Rocket Fizz building in Carytown has been claimed. (Mike Platania photo)
After more than a decade out of the game, Emilio Peiro is getting back into the Richmond restaurant scene.
In the early 2000s, Peiro owned Emilio’s, a local chain of Spanish restaurants, but closed or sold all three locations around 2012.
He’s now preparing to open Importante Bodega Bar, a new restaurant at 3031 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
Peiro said he’s excited to get back in the restaurant industry, but that he’s looking to be more on the front-of-house side of the business this time around.
Peiro once operated a restaurant at Towne Center West in Short Pump. (BizSense file)
“I’m looking forward to it. I think there’s demand and I have good partners. I told them I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen anymore,” Peiro said, laughing.
Importante is taking over a roughly 1,100-square-foot space that was vacated last year when candy shop Rocket Fizz closed after seven years in Carytown. Peiro said he’s in the process of having plans drawn up for the space now, and that the layout will include a bar and table seating.
Emilio’s debuted in 2003 at 1847 W. Broad St. in the Fan, and then added locations in Midlothian and Short Pump in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The Broad Street spot was eventually sold to new owners and the other two locations closed in 2012.
During his time out of the restaurant business, Peiro has been running a wine distribution company, Peiro International Wines. He said Importante’s menu will include plenty of tapas and other “wine-oriented” food.
“It’ll have wine tastings, cocktails, and a lot of Spanish tapas,” Peiro said, noting that it’ll be different from his past restaurants, which often offered multiple paella dishes.
“I don’t want to have paellas everyday, (Importante) will be more tapas. We will do maybe one paella a month,” he said.
Other new eateries in the works for Carytown include Anthony’s Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Dumpling & Noodle Cart.