It’s well-known Richmonders love their coffee, food, and vinyl records. But it wasn’t until last week could you get all three at one location.
It’s well-known Richmonders love their coffee, food, and vinyl records. But it wasn’t until last week could you get all three at one location.
Monument City Coffee & Records just opened at 306 E. Grace St and has floors for both dining and records. Co-owner Eric Truitt said the idea came to him about a year ago.
“We started thinking of it last summer. Bobby Covert [the shop’s other owner] and I were both bartenders at Penny Lane at the time. We were thinking of ways to put music and food together in a way that worked for us,” Truitt said.
Keeping things local is a huge part of what Monument City Coffee & Records is doing — their coffee is from Lamplighter Roasting Co. and their donuts are from Sugar Shack. This doesn’t mean they’re not cooking up some awesome stuff of their own either. Truitt said their most popular entrée has been the Bomb Mi sandwich.
“It’s like a Thai [banh mi] sandwich with roasted pork or marinated tofu with pea chutes, pickled carrots and cilantro mayo. It’s a unique thing that we have that people have seemed to like,” Truitt said.
I walked into the smell of coffee brewing and The Clash’s Sandinista! playing in the background, completing a really low-key vibe for the shop. Their whole concept is really unique, but Truitt said they haven’t had to face an expectedly unique problem: sticky fingers touching the records.
“We’re not afraid to tell people to get their dirty hands off the records,” Truitt said with a laugh. “So far people will hang out downstairs and eat and drink, and then they’ll go upstairs. Most vinyl lovers know not to get records dirty anyway.”
