RVA music venue, bar and restaurant The Camel has made it to one year.
RVA music venue, bar and restaurant The Camel has made it to one year.
One year being employee-owned and operated that is. Better yet, they’re commemorating this one-year anniversary with a week filled of concerts, the launch of a new menu and half-off prices for all food until July 24th.
Owners Xavier Beverly, Georgia Thornburg, Matt Hansen and Lucas Fritz have been running the show for a little over a year and have had to adjust to suddenly being their own bosses. But according to the group, there’s been little to no adversity and a steady pace of growth.
“Its great to be honest, we’re responsible for everything… we’ve all watched this place grow and contributed to it,” Thornburg said in an interview with RVAMag alongside Hansen and Beverly. “So now we can make the appropriate changes to make it even better.”
Thornburg mentioned she’s been employed as a bartender for five years, Beverly a chef for six years, Hansen for three years while Fritz was an intern then booking manager for seven years.
“For me personally, it’s been great being employee-owned and operated because, like she said we’ve put so much work before and it feels like a big payoff,” Beverly said. “I never imagined us owning this place.”
That payoff has led to improvements across the board as the quartet have steadily contributed to making The Camel better than ever before. “It’s been a year and if you look at statistics, most restaurants and bars, the first year is that determining year. We’ve made it through the year,” Beverly said.
As Beverly put it, they are fulfilling the potential the venue had and more. With a renewed focus on branding itself as a great dining location and connecting with the community, the owners have extended their reach past the music that has been their defining feature thus far.
With minimal setbacks in the first year, mainly from an organizational standpoint and divvying up responsibilities, the owners have had to adjust to taking on so much responsibility that has been a difficult but rewarding process.
Hansen described having less time with loved ones and hobbies, saying “A lot of things have changed but I used to be in a band and play shows but don’t have much time for that these days.” He jokingly added they work “like eight days a week.”
Despite less personal time, Hansen insisted that all of them are grateful for the once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I think all of us had the mindset that was if I owned this place, I would do ABC then it actually happened,” Hansen said. “It’s a complete role reversal but I think we’ve all grown from it. Running this place has tested our limits but helped us break them.”
Not only are they grateful for the opportunity, but soon they want to offer the same opportunity to other veteran employees of The Camel to keep it going. As the only employee owned and operated venue, bar and restaurant in Richmond, they are all proud of that fact and hope to make it a defining feature.
With that being said, they are using this one-year benchmark as a celebration of sorts while also unveiling a new menu they hope can catapult their dining services.
Beverly, who is also the head chef has had the opportunity to get creative and implement creative dining options such as house smoked pork BBQ and homemade key lime pie.
They’ve also kept mainstays such as sausage stars, a highly recommended dish that I happened to try.
With about 10 sausage-filled fried shell-stars, each one sprinkled with veggies and a side of sriracha, the dish packs a punch and left me full.
“My side of it, being a chef, I’m very creative,” Beverly said. “I’m very lucky to have people on the other side of me who can see my creativity and also structure it to be financially stable.”
As Beverley put it, the goal is to have the food as recognizable and praised as the live music offering.
The crew hasn’t rested on their laurels yet and aims to keep the triple threat alive.
With community catering efforts such as RVA Biscuit Love, feeding the homeless, Virginia Green and collaborating with the West Grace Association, the long-term goal is to become a staple in the region.
Acts such as Rikki Shay, Paperhaus, and Manatree headline the week-long live music offerings along with bands such as Sam Reed, The Schooley Mountain Band, Haint Blue and The Folly.
With a brand new menu, new community endeavors and a week filled with great music and half-off food, The Camel is hitting it’s stride and looks to reach new heights in the years to come.
The rest of this week’s lineup –
July 21 90’s Night! Featuring The Sweater Band, Geek RVA, Party of One. 9pm, $7
July 22 Rikki Shay, Paperhaus, Manatree. 9pm, $5
July 23 Sam Reed, The Schooley Mountain Band, Haint Blue, The Folly. 9pm, $6-$8
July 24 Mingus Awareness Project (celebrating the music of jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus). 9pm, $10 ($7 with student ID)
