The latest addition to Richmond’s food and bar scene, Brave Captain, will officially open next week on the edge of Oregon Hill and the VCU campus. Co-owners Herbie Abernethy (read our interview HERE) and Josh Novicki — already known for popular Richmond spots Cobra Cabana and Hot For Pizza — have transformed the former Mojo’s side space into a fresh yet familiar hangout. With its history as a punk and metal watering hole, Brave Captain seems poised to continue its legacy while introducing something new to the neighborhood.
From Vans to Bars
Herbie and Josh are the kind of guys who seem born to own bars. They carry themselves with that weathered charisma you only get from years on the road. Herbie, a former sixth-grade teacher, quit his job in 2004 to live on tour. He played music, lived out of vans, and spent more time in dive bars than most of us will in a lifetime.
“I was literally on the road until 2013,” he tells me, leaning back as though the memories are playing in front of him.
Josh, quieter but no less intense, met Herbie in the late ‘90s at art school in Greenville, North Carolina. When Warped Tour dropped a show in 2016, the two reconnected at an impromptu gig, and a casual conversation about opening a bar turned into a real thing. That’s how it happens: over beers, late at night, in the kind of places where ideas feel tangible.
“The Wilmington Warped Tour stop we were supposed to play got canceled,” Herbie says, shrugging. “Our friend owns a bar down there — Reggie’s 42nd Street — and he’s now one of our partners at the beach spot. So we just threw together a last-minute show with some friends from the tour.”
It was there, in the chaos of an impromptu gig, that the idea sparked.
“He looked at me and said, ‘When are you gonna open a bar?’” Herbie recalls with a laugh. “I told him, ‘Someday, when I’m an old man.’ He didn’t miss a beat. ‘Get ready, old man,’ he said.”
And just like that, the seed was planted. From that off-hand remark, they started scouting Richmond for opportunities, eventually landing on what would become Cobra Cabana.
The Space & the Vision
When their broker called and said the old Mojo space was available, they weren’t looking for another project. They already had Cobra Cabana, Hot For Pizza, a music venue in Raleigh called Kings, and a future project called Space Mountain that was bleeding them dry. But the idea of reviving this spot — a place with history, stories, and scars — was irresistible.
“I threw out a ridiculous offer, just to see,” Josh admits, smiling. “They said yes.”
The space dictated the concept. A tiny kitchen, no walk-in fridge, and a structure that screamed “no frills.” They didn’t fight it. They leaned in. Herbie and Josh approached it like they approach everything — with a sense of realism and gut instinct.
“You base the concept around what’s possible,” Herbie explains. “What fits the room. What feels right.”
The answer for Brave Captain was a welcoming neighborhood bar modeled, in part, after their beach location in North Carolina. That beach inspiration, mixed with the gritty familiarity of Mojo’s, helped shape a vibe Herbie and Josh hope will resonate with locals, punks, students, and anyone else looking for cold drinks and great food.
Good Food, Cold Beer, and Staying Open Late
Brave Captain is built for the neighborhood, for the people who live on these streets, for the locals who used to stumble out of Mojo’s in a haze. Unlike other places that shut down early, they’ll stay open every night until 2 a.m.
“We want to be reliable,” Herbie says. “If someone wants one more drink at 1:30, we’re open.”
The food? It’s simple, honest, and built to survive. A small menu that plays to the strengths of their tiny kitchen.
“It doesn’t matter how cool your bar is,” Herbie tells me, matter-of-factly. “If the food isn’t good, they won’t come back. You’ve got to give people something they crave. Something that becomes part of their routine. Especially in this city.”
Running a Bar Like a Band
There’s an ethos to how they run their places. It’s like being in a band. Everyone has a role. Everyone pulls their weight. Nobody gets to be the asshole.
“If someone needs time off to tour, we work around it,” Herbie says. “It’s how we’ve always been. You carry the amps, you get the job done, and you have a beer after.”
The camaraderie extends to their staff, many of whom have been with them for years. There’s no bullshit. They treat their people well, and it shows. “You can’t run a place like this if your staff doesn’t trust you,” Josh adds. “It all falls apart otherwise.”
Community at the Core
Brave Captain feels like a place where stories will happen. The kind of spot where you’ll see old friends, meet strangers, and find yourself drunk at a table, halfway into a conversation about music, politics, or whatever nonsense feels important at the time.
Herbie and Josh get it. They’re the kind of owners who still deliver food when things get hectic. They remember what it’s like to be on the other side of the bar. They know this place — the spirit of it — matters to people.
“I didn’t move here until 2012,” Herbie admits. “But even then, this was a spot. People have memories here, and we’re giving them a place to make new ones. It’s neat to be bringing back a thing that people felt was their spot. Hopefully, Brave Captain becomes that again.”
Main photo Co-owners Herbie Abernethy (left) and Josh Novicki (right), photo by R. Anthony Harris
