Even with Memorial Day around the corner, it doesn’t feel like a time to celebrate for Virginia’s hotel operators.
Restaurants
New ABC program may eventually soften the hated 45% ratio
The often-ridiculed law that requires restaurants to sell a minimum dollar value of food based on liquor sales has shown extraordinary staying power, in part because a powerful beer and wine lobby opposes upsetting the status quo.
But one law based on House Bill 2293, could make things easier for restaurant owners who want to sell high-quality liquor by allowing restaurants to calculate their ratio based on the volume of liquor sold, not by the dollar figure as is currently done.
Virginia Beach restaurant coming to Gayton Crossing
An acclaimed Virginia Beach restaurant is opening a second location at the Gayton Crossing shopping center in Western Henrico. Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar plans to open on May 12 and will offer lunch and dinner service Monday through Saturday. Co-owner David Edelen said the restaurant will serve Asian, American, and European inspired cuisine with… Read more »
Pub owners hesitant to build segregated smoking areas
When the state ban on smoking goes into effect Dec. 1, don’t expect to find too many restaurants where smoking is still allowed.
Garnetts Cafe coming to The Fan
A new restaurant is in the works at the corner of Park and Meadow, with a veteran of vegetarian cuisine at the helm. The restaurant, Garnetts Cafe, will be at 2001 Park Ave. The business is registered to Kendra Feather, owner and operator of Ipanema Cafe. The new restaurant applied last week for wine, beer… Read more »
Richmond consumers shopping less but still dining out
Shoppers in Richmond cut back spending at a surprising clip in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to recently released tax data. But restaurants, long thought to bear the brunt of new-found thriftiness, didn’t see an across-the-board hit to their revenue.
100-proof doesn’t mean recession-proof
The state-run business of selling liquor is showing signs of a hangover. Sales to bars and restaurants for January were down 3 percent compared with the previous year. For the fiscal year that began in July, year-to-date sales at Virginia ABC stores were still up 6.3 percent from the previous year. But the size of… Read more »
The business of accessibility
Kevin Mak remembers the day a man in a wheelchair entered his restaurant with a few friends, ate some sushi and left without incident. A few weeks later, Mak, who owns Carytown Sushi, received a lawsuit in the mail. The man in the wheelchair, Craig Fabian of Midlothian, alleged that the restaurant was in violation of… Read more »
Café Gutenberg reloaded
European-styled Café Gutenberg in Shockoe Bottom is under new management. The restaurant’s chefs, Jen Mindell and Garrett Barry, purchased the restaurant from the previous owner last month. The restaurant is closed while Mindell and Barry refine the menu and revamp the interior.
Pizza turnover in Short Pump
There are two new pizza joints on scene in Short Pump. This past week, eco-friendly chain Pizza Fusion opened a location at Short Pump Station near Trader Joe’s. The company prides itself on using organic ingredients and earth-friendly suppliers. Meanwhile, the Bottom’s Up on Nuckols Road changed hands.