We were made aware of this post from the restaurant and wanted to lend our support. If you have any details that could assist, please step forward and notify the authorities. Additionally, there’s a GoFundMe campaign established to aid their recovery, which you can find HERE.
Dear Friends…we’re feeling pretty disheartened today. Over the years, having a restaurant in Shockoe Bottom and in the oldest commercial building in Richmond has posed its fair share of challenges. Among countless plumbing, HVAC and electrical issues, we have also dealt with windows being broken, the exterior of our building being vandalized, religious artifacts being stolen, a staff member being the victim of a hit and run, and the list goes ON. Each time something like this happened, we cleaned it up, brushed it off, turned the other cheek, and kept trucking, because as a business owner, our problems are our problems and aside from feeding people, our business is based on providing positive experiences.
After 2+ years of staying positive and rolling with the punches, today felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back. When we arrived to the restaurant this afternoon to prepare for dinner service, we found that the restaurant was broken into and robbed. Among other things, all of our liquor was taken and our bar was completely cleaned out.
Believe us… we know this isn’t the end of the world and we’re thankful that no one was hurt, but it’s time to be real and express our feelings.
We feel violated and betrayed. Owning a business is a grueling and expensive journey. Owning a restaurant – is all of that times 10. We feel angry that instead of being able to spend money on much needed upgrades and equipment, and staff bonuses we now have to buy liquor and repair the damage. We do what we do because we love make people happy. We involve ourselves in the community because it’s important to us to give back to the city and the people that support us. We try to to provide a safe space for everyone including our amazing staff and we put our heart and souls into our craft day in and day out because people rely on us. When the love isn’t felt on both sides, it hurts…
All that being said, we’re going to be okay. We ask that you show us some grace for the next few days while we get our liquor inventory back to where it needs to be and please consider paying us a visit (even if it’s just to say hello) because a smile and a kind word go a long way.
