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Eating Dessert for Breakfast at Brewer’s Waffles

Brea Hill | September 3, 2019

Topics: Ajay Brewer, black business, black owned business, black restaurants, Blackwell, Brewer's Cafe, brewers waffles, food, James Harris, josh reed, local food, manchester, the well, waffles

The folks behind Brewer’s cafe are serving up something sweet in their hometown Richmond neighborhood.

The sweeter things in life belong together, and sometimes that means having your breakfast with your dessert. 

Brewer’s Waffles, the latest addition to Manchester, is serving up homemade waffles and milkshakes from the people who brought you Brewer’s Cafe. Ajay Brewer teamed up with a high school friend, James Harris, and chef Josh Reed to bring this black-owned business to life. A native to the neighborhood, Brewer and the team knew Manchester — or as they know it, Blackwell — was the perfect place to open the restaurant this summer. 

“We wanted to cater to the area where we’re from, and what we know,” Harris said. 

Within the community of Blackwell, and throughout Richmond, the team behind Brewer’s Waffles wants to uplift the black community in all that they do. They do this by connecting with the local community in many different ways. For example, attached to Brewer’s Waffles is The Well, an art gallery featuring pieces that highlight black artists in the Richmond area. Currently, the art along the walls was created by Justice Dwight. 

“Manchester was Blackwell when we grew up, so we wanted to bring back what was already instilled in the community and keep it as traditional spots,” Harris said. “So that’s why this is The Well.”

Photo by Brea Hill

“The name of the art gallery is The Well, and that’s the name of the neighborhood — Blackwell,” Brewer added. “The experience over here is just as important as over there. A lot of people aren’t aware that there’s something like this in their neighborhood, so getting the point across — that we stand out like a sore thumb, that we are creative, with the art gallery delivering both great art and waffles — that needs to be highlighted.” 

The genius behind the menu, Chef Reed, met Brewer four years ago. Brewer knew back then that if he ever created a business like this, the well-respected Reed, who had worked in the kitchen at Max’s On Broad and helped manage Lunch and Supper, had to be a part of it.  

“He really came up with an unbelievable menu for us,” Brewer said. 

At Brewer’s Waffles, the names of the menu items pay tribute to various Richmond public schools. 

“We grew up going to the schools here,” Brewer said. “We originally thought about doing streets over here, but after researching some of those people, I just wasn’t comfortable, so we thought about school names.” 

Photo courtesy Brewer’s Waffles

Brewer’s girlfriend went to work researching Richmond Public Schools, and came up with six people whose names currently grace schools in Richmond. They weren’t all black, all white, all rich, or all poor, but they were all good people that had made the school system better. Wanting to pay homage to them, Brewer named menu items after the various schools. 

“The common theme you’ll hear from all of us is that it’s not just about us; it’s the folks that are around us, helping build this business,” Brewer said. “The realization of business is that you can do cool shit all the time, and people love to see cool stuff. Anytime you can come across as authentic is always great.” 

“My hat goes off to these two for making me think outside of myself,” Reed said. 

With their breakfast-dessert infusions, the owners call Brewer’s Waffles the “treat shop.” Despite his longtime love for waffles, Reed had always worked on the more savory side of things. Creating for the new menu was a bit of a challenge, but he soon warmed to it.

“It all made sense once I realized that it had to be more geared towards desserts,” Reed said. “You know, breakfast desserts — so I went back to childhood, and all the little things that I liked.” 

The strawberry streusel waffle, “The Holton,” was inspired by his childhood love for strawberry shortcake ice cream; the banana and Nutella waffle, “The Carver,” is almost like a peanut butter and banana sandwich. “The Blackwell” is more like a parfait, built upon layers of yogurt, then fruit and granola. Brewer’s Waffles also has savory options, like “The Overby,” a bacon egg and cheese waffle, and “The Henderson,” a biscuits and gravy waffle. 

Photo by Brewer’s Waffles

Compared with competitors like Capitol Waffle Shop, Reed’s homemade waffles stand out in part due to his detail-oriented approach. Rather than the traditional pre-made “just add water” powdered batter mix, Reed uses pearled sugar and egg whites to get a lighter, fluffier texture to his waffles. 

“It takes a little longer to make our waffles, but it’s the way they’re supposed to be made, and it shows,” Reed said. “It’s just what I wanted. Everyone does the traditional round Belgian waffles in the city, so why not change it up and make it my own?” 

Reed prides himself on what he calls the “Black Waffle,” which he considers distinct from the Belgian origins of the dish.

“You can change a recipe by simply changing a teaspoon of something,” Reed said. “Once I started tweaking things into something of my own, it’s no longer the Belgians’. We can create anything we want; I’m not giving credit to other people.” 

So why did the owners choose to pair their waffles with milkshakes? The answer is simple: because of Brewer’s son, Parker. 

“He likes milkshakes, and I wouldn’t make anything he doesn’t like,” Brewer said. 

Photo by Brea Hill

Parker is four years old, and already he’s the owner of multiple businesses… candy stands, in particular. Brewer and Parker work as a father-son duo. In fact, earlier this summer, the duo even biked 53 miles, from Jamestown to Blackwell, as a fundraiser for the Blackwell Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). Their journey raised close to four thousand dollars for the program. 

“Every time I have an opportunity to do something, I make sure he does, too,” Brewer said. 

On the horizon for Brewer’s Waffles could be a bar featuring alcohol-infused milkshakes. A food truck is also in the works. Catering services are coming soon, too — instead of ordering a dozen donuts for the office, you’ll be able to order mini-waffles.

Above all, Brewer wants this to be a place people are excited to visit, and it shows in his careful choices. Scoop RVA provides the ice cream for the milkshakes, with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and even vegan options available. For the waffles, options include the traditional waffle batter base, a cornbread waffle, waffle cones, and a gluten-free vegan option to top off the list. Our recommendation: “The Holton” strawberry streusel waffle and the chocolate Snickers milkshake are to die for. They are both absolutely delicious! 

Photo by Brea Hill

Surrounded by eight other black-owned businesses on their block alone, Brewer’s Waffles, located at 1311 Hull St, are excited to be an active part of the neighborhood they grew up in — and to bring a little something sweet to their hometown. 

Top Photo courtesy Brewer’s Waffles

Black Artists Claim Their Own Creative Space in Manchester

Chelsea Higgs Wise | August 14, 2018

Topics: Ajay Brewer, black artists, Brand New Wave barbershop, Brewer's Cafe, First Fridays, J. Bizz, Jay Bordeaux, Justice Dwight, manchester, Manchester Manifest, murals, RVA ARt, rva creatives, Silly Genius

For black creatives living in Richmond, it’s not enough to follow the trends and changes in our ever-shifting city. While all artists have to stay relevant and engaged with the broader culture, there are extra challenges black artists face. A partial list of the extra barriers black artists face includes racism, both implicit and intentional, gentrification in their communities, and the appropriation that happens when white communities step in to fill the gentrified spaces.

This article originally appeared in RVA #33 Summer 2018, you can check out the issue here, or pick it up around Richmond now. 

The aesthetic and look of Richmond are part of a rising popularity that’s sparked infatuation with our collective creative energy. But what about the people who have been here, made it ripe for the picking, and who now struggle to get by? For black folks, organizing isn’t just for marches and confronting white supremacy on Monument Avenue, but an everyday practice to ensure economic justice when threatened by local government and corporate entities. Sometimes, it’s about establishing new spaces for black art, after gentrification and white angst have pushed us out of the neighborhoods where we once lived and worked.

Work by Justice Dwight

On Southside, in the Manchester neighborhood, community boosters formed the Manchester Manifest group to support and build up black art. Working with AJ Brewer at Brewer’s Cafe, they’ve brought back the First Friday Art Walk, an event which first began in Jackson Ward, to celebrate black music and visual arts from the local community.

Black artists in Richmond are used to facing extraordinary challenges. When 6th District City Councilwoman Ellen Robertson proposed using city funds for public art to balance the budget, a measure that passed by a majority council despite opposition from Mayor Levar Stoney, it shocked Richmond’s white art community. For black artists, it was just another day of being undervalued and silenced.

Silly Genius

One of these artists, who goes by the name Silly Genius, said the “lack of support does not feel new.” He links the sprouting of the RVA brand with new challenges to black artists in Richmond; starting with First Friday, which began in Jackson Ward as a civic boost for black residents and businesses owners.

Genius said that event has changed, in tone and audience, due to efforts by the city and Virginia Commonwealth University to create a more mainstream, trendy space for white outsiders. As First Friday became centered on a part of Broad Street that was eventually officially classified as “the Arts District,” police presence increased, the area became viewed as more dangerous, and the original art walk was shut down.

Silly Genius

Genius said First Friday may have become “easier to swallow” for the city, but “the shift left an impact on local artists.” It’s just another example of a city that uses the energy of its black population to appeal to white visitors.

Artist Justice Dwight said the problem also happened with individual galleries not taking an intentional approach to include local artists. “Spaces are almost like a secret. There’s no info out there [about] where to find these spaces for artists. While some spaces are obviously moving forward, some still seem to have quotas. Meet those, and move on,” Dwight said.

Creative Bordeaux

Muralist Creative Bordeaux has his own story of facing racism as an artist in Richmond. After being hired for a mural, he saw it pulled down almost as quickly as it went up. The problem: The work depicted a black man.

“I was doing a nautical theme mural, I wasn’t specifically asked to do anything that was cartoony. When [the client] initially viewed the work, and said it scared him, I was confused at his fear because the sketch was a man in a field with butterflies,” Bordeaux said. Despite the beauty of his work, the man said he “didn’t want any Nelson Mandela faces or black power fists on the piece. But I wasn’t drawing Nelson Mandela, I was drawing a man, who was black. He had the full lips, wide nose and pronounced black features. The hand wasn’t closed, it was open and there were butterflies. It took a second to hear what he said… well, what he was really saying. He was saying that a black man, in any form, is scary. I am a black man, being told not to draw black men.”

Creative Bordeaux

These experience illustrate why organizing in black spaces is vital to the survival of black art as well as black creative minds. Receiving messages that your body invokes fear and is generally unaccepted in your own city is what keeps black folks in a silent rage. The cure for this rage is to enter a space made for black folks, by black folks, where the silence turns into the sounds of laughter and home.

J Bizz at Brand New Wave

Historically, one space that has supported the innovation of black events and culture free from gentrification is the barbershop. By the early 1900s, barbering and the men’s grooming industry became the hub of learning and produced unprecedented wealth and opportunities for black men during some of the toughest eras in modern history. If we are watching and listening carefully, we can see how this is manifesting in Richmond. Chatting with black artists, creatives, and go-getters, the Brand New Wave barbershop was a place continually mentioned as a place to get a haircut, but also to share ideas. Brand New Wave is a barbershop on Hull Street owned and operated by J. Bizz, who is also a musician who hosts events in the city. What happens in the shop is more than expression of hair and socializing of friends; it is also a place to organize the community.

When J. Bizz meets with clients, he hears their interests and what they want to see in their neighborhood, which is how the RVA Ball for a Cause Charity Basketball Game at the Ben Wallace Gym has come together. For two years, the event has raised funds for the youth of Richmond Public Schools.  J. Bizz uses a team approach, gathering clients, business owners, artists, and friends to play a pretty decent game of basketball. It provides a fun day for the community with food, entertainment, and resources, but also a stage for local musicians to promote their art. Brand New Wave gives more than hair; it gives hope of new pathways for creatives in the city.

That hope needs molding, planning, and execution to help artists overcome challenges that appear insurmountable. Alex Gwynn, a creative who has lived in Richmond since 2011 and works with J. Bizz, said that creating a team to showcase art for the world means creating a whole network of support within a community. The challenge is that everyone is working with limited resources of space, supplies, and promotion. But at the end of the day, the artistic community is coming together to make it happen. Through venues like Brewer’s Cafe and the Manchester Manifest group, the same energy that started First Friday in Jackson Ward is keeping spaces for black artists alive, long past the quota that limits our participation on Broad Street.

 

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