Updated 1/6/2020
Growing up in a restaurant family since I was 13 (Richmond Restaurant Group) I’ve had the pleasure to get to know many other restaurateurs in this city. Often times I’ll be having a conversation about a new restaurant that’s opening and someone will ask “who owns that?” This post is a list of restaurateurs in Richmond, Virginia that got their start here. They can expand outside of the area, but they must have started in Richmond. No chains, no outsiders, all local. I’ve put family-owned restaurants at the bottom since they are not one group, but many different family members.
I’m sure there are more that didn’t make the list or I’ve left off a partner so please let me know in the comments below.
14 Establishments
- Johnny & Katrina Giavos
- Sidewalk Cafe / Kitchen 64 – with Ernest von Ofenheim
- Kuba Kuba – with Manual Mendez
- Kuba Kuba Dos – with Manual Mendez & Hugo Jordan
- Galley / Galley Market / Little Nickel – with Manny Mendez & Chris DiLauro
- Perly’s Delicatessen — with Kevin Roberts & Scott Coleman
- The Continental / Stella’s: Richmond, Charleston / Stella’s Grocery: Lafayette St, Scott’s Addition, Grace St. – Independent
- EAT Restaurant Partners (Chris Tsui & Ren Mefford) – Osaka / Wild Ginger / Fat Dragon / Foo Dog / Boulevard Burger and Brew / Wong Gonzalez / Wong’s Tacos / Beijing on Grove (Rebranded from The Blue Goat) / Red Salt / Pizza & Beer of Richmond: Fan, Hanover (Coming Soon) / Hot Chick (Old River City Diner), Ashland / Fatty Smokes
12 Establishments
- Travis Croxton
- Rappahannock Restaurant / Merroir / Rapp Session / Rappahannock Oyster Bar: Union Market–DC, Charleston, DC Wharf , LA – with Ryan Croxton
- GWARbar – with Hilda Staples & GWAR
- Eat the Rich / Brine / Rock Salt: Charlottesville, Charlotte – Independent
8 Establishments
- Richmond Restaurant Group (Michelle Williams, Jared Golden & Ted Wallof) – Barrio Taqueria & Tequila (Coming Soon) / The Daily Kitchen & Bar: Carytown, Short Pump / East Coast Provisions / West Coast Provisions / The Hard Shell: Downtown, Bellgrade / The Hill Cafe
- HOUSEpitality Family (Kevin Healy) – The Boathouse: Sunday Park, Rocketts Landing, Short Pump, City Point / Casa del Barco: Canal Walk, Short Pump Town Center, Chesterfield Town Center / Island Shrimp Co.
7 Establishments
- Ryan Croxton – Rappahannock Restaurant / Merroir / Rapp Session / Rappahannock Oyster Bar: Union Market–DC, Charleston, DC Wharf, LA – with Travis Croxton
6 Establishments
- Rueger Restaurant Group (Herb Reuger) – Lunch / Supper / Brunch / The Grill / City Diner / The Village Cafe
5 Establishments
- Eddie & Sidney Padow – Padow’s Hams & Deli: Downtown City Hall, Downtown Ironfronts, Midlothian, Brandermill, Glen Allen
- Matt Simmons & Chris Holder – Capital Ale House: Downtown, Midlothian, Innsbrook, Harrisonburg, Fredericksburg
- Angela Whitley & Dan Brantingham – Burger Bach: Carytown, Short Pump, Raleigh, Midlothian, Charlottesville
- Manny Mendez
- Kuba Kuba – with Johnny Giavos
- Kuba Kuba Dos – with Johnny Giavos & Hugo Jordan
- Galley / Galley Market / Little Nickel – with Johnny Giavos & Chris DiLauro
- Ed Vasaio – Mamma ‘Zu / Edo’s Squid / 8 1/2: The Fan, Church Hill / Dinamo
- Kevin McGrath & Steve Rogge
- Wood & Iron Game Day Restaurant: Midlothian, Scott’s Addition (Coming Soon)
- Asado Wing & Taco Company: VCU, Charlottesville / The Flyin’ Pig – with Ian Anderson
4 Establishments
- RVA Hospitality (Frances Santerella & Liz Kincade)
- Tarrant’s / Tarrant’s West / Max’s on Broad / Bar Solita
- Ron Morse
- Station 2 / Postbellum / Root Stock Provisions / Oak & Apple — with Historic Restaurant Concepts
- Josh & Jessica Bufford
- Toast: Henrico, Powhatan / Hutch Bar & Eatery + Mix
- Shouk — with Ran Nussbächer
- Rob Jones – Sportspage Bar & Grille: Midlothian, Mechanicsville, West End, Ashland
- Neverett Eggleston Jr.– Croaker’s Spot: Manchester, Petersburg, Norfolk / Sugar’s Crab Shack
- Chris DiLauro
- Bacchus — with Nancy Fisher
- Galley / Galley Market / Little Nickel – with Johnny Giavos & Manny Mendez
- Paul Keevil – Millie’s / LuLu’s / Tio Pablo / Cafe Clang
- Historical Restaurant Concepts (Ryan Koontz, Jeb White, Ron Morse, & Paul Kostandin) — Station 2 / Postbellum / Root Stock Provisions / Oak & Apple
- Joe & Whitney Kiatsuranon
- My Noodle Bar / YaYa’s Cookbook
- Sabai / Temple — with Brandon Pearson
- Craig Brosius and Kevin Urbanowski — The Pit and The Peel: The Fan, Carytown, James Center, Short Pump Town Center
- Hani Atallah
- District 5 / Annex — with Gary Wenzel and Roland West
- Southern Railway Taphouse / Shiplock Brewing — with Chris Farag
3 Establishments
- Kendra Feather
- Laura Lee’s / Garnett’s
- The Roosevelt – with Mark Herndon
- Zach Archibald, Noelle Archibald and Jennifer Rawlings – Lamplighter Roasting Co: Summit Ave, Morris St and Addison St
- Chris Farag
- Southern Railway Taphouse / Shiplock Brewing — with a Hani Atallah
- Great American Ranch — with a partner
- Jay Bayer
- Saison / Saison Market
- Bingo — with Jason Alley & Michelle Jones
- William McCormack – McCormack’s Irish Pub / McCormack’s Whisky Grill / McCormack’s Big Whisky Grill
- Karen Verdisco – Pie Hole Pizza: Ashland, Midlothian (Coming Soon) / Brew
- Mike Barber – Carytown Burgers & Fries: Carytown, Lakeside, Short Pump
- Brittanny Anderson, Nathan Conway & Brad Hemp
- Metzger
- Brenner Pass / Chairlift – with James Kohler & Olivia Wilson
- Brandon Pearson
- Sabai / Temple / Alio
- Carlos Londoño — Margarita’s Cantina / Mijas / La Bodega (Coming Soon)
- Michael Cohen & Justin McDonald — Riverbound Cafe / Marty’s Grill / Crafted
- Kathleen Richardson — The Urban Farmhouse Market & Cafe: Shockoe Slip, Midlothian, Scott’s Addition
- Salvatore “Sal” Anthony Nuara & Krystina Nuara
- Bel Cibo Pizzeria / Capital Burger and Dogs (Coming Soon)
- Belmont Pizzeria — with Melinda and Victor Guevara
2 Establishments
- FWS Group (Jake Crocker & Hayden Fisher)
- F.W. Sullivan’s Fan Bar & Grill – with Evan Dority & Joe Carter
- Lady N’awlins – with Wendell Sprouse
- Wendell Sprouse
- Lady N’awlins – with Jake Crocker & Hayden Fisher
- Izzy’s Kitchen – with Joe Carter
- Joe Carter
- F.W. Sullivan’s Fan Bar & Grill — with Jake Crocker, Hayden Fisher & Evan Dority
- Izzy’s Kitchen – with Sharron Carter
- Jason Alley & Michelle Jones
- Comfort
- Bingo — with Jay Bayer
- Jay Ko
- J Kogi: Jackson Ward — with Michael Ng
- Fighting Fish
- Melinda and Victor Guevara
- Carmela’s
- Belmont Pizzeria — with Salvatore “Sal” Anthony Nuara & Krystina Nuara
- Jimmy Tsamouras — Dot’s Back Inn / Demi’s Mediterranean Kitchen
- Chris Davis
- Alamo BBQ — with Paul Hubbard
- Frontier by Alamo — with Juliette Highland (wife)
Restaurant Families
These restaurants are owned by different family members of the same last name.
- Garcia Family (8) – Mexico Restaurant – Ashland, Woodlake, Short Pump, Mechanicsville, Forest Hill, Innsbrook, Sandston and Little Mexico
- Lo Presti Family (7)
- Mario Lo Presti – Mary Angela’s
- Rick Lo Presti – Piccola’s
- Francesco Lo Presti – Maldini’s
- Joe Lo Presti – Mediterraneo
- Joe’s Wife & Son – Pronto
- Joe’s Son-in-Law – Arianna’s Fan and Arianna’s Lakeside
- Kiatsuranon Family (6)
- Sukanya Pala-art (Mother) – Mom’s Siam and Mom’s Siam 2
- Joe (Son) and Whitney Kiatsuranon – My Noodle Bar, Sabai, YaYa’s Cookbook, Temple
Dood! This is perfect! I get asked that question as well. I over hear people attaching random restaurants to the wrong restauranteurs all the time. I’ve stopped correcting them.
Sugar Shacks 🙂 2 open in Richmond with a third on the way plus several outside of Richmond.
You’re not a restaurant, Sugar Shack.
If I’m not mistaken, Chris DiLauro still owns half of Bacchus (with Nancy Fisher). Does he get bumped up to the 4-slot?
Yeah for sure. Can you confirm?
Should also include Brittanny Anderson, Nathan Conway, and Brad Hemp who all own Metzger as well as Brenner Pass/Chairlift(with James Kohler and Olivia Wilson) which are both opening in the next two months.
Thanks for sharing James. I’ve added it to the list.
Chad, I have dined at a few of the many fine restaurants you have compiled without knowing the interconnections. I found your list today looking for just this type of information. It is more important now as I start a new service business that will be calling on the food service industry.
Do you have any recommendations on the best way to approach these decision makers?
Thank you.
HI Mark – As a restaurateur, I would suggest that you dine or at least patronize the establishment before approaching the decision-maker. AND, determine who that decision-maker is (without calling and asking “who is the decision maker in your business”) – in many of these cases, there is a Director of Ops that primarily handles operational matters. After determining the correct person to contact AND pre-qualifying your match for the targeted business, you may have an insight as to how your service would be of benefit. Doing your homework and being a CUSTOMER first is a sure way to flatter the operator and get the meeting. FWIW – I don’t do business with anyone who doesn’t do business with me – it’s simple and a telling bit of loyalty that we should owe eachother.
Casa Del Barco Short Pump is now open – thanks so much for a great list!
Chad,
Thank you, this is nicely done. I visited Chicago recently and noticed how many of the best of the best big restaurants were interconnected and it’s well published. In case you’re looking for a challenge, you could layer in investors (silent and angle), developers, and landlords. Some provide the property, some the money, and some the advice.
For example, Johnny owns other restaurant properties as solely the landlord. I also found this recently: Howard and Karen Kellman, Feather’s landlords, are key to the development of Church Hill’s food scene. They own the buildings that house not only the Roosevelt but also Dutch & Co., WPA Bakery and another retail space on 27th Street. In Scott’s Addition, they own Rick Lyons’ Lunch and Supper properties. (Alewife too?)