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Bursting at the Seams, Need Supply Co. Makes Move to Scott’s Addition

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Well-loved Carytown staple Need Supply Co. is expanding its footprint in Richmond, moving its headquarters to a much larger spot in the bustling Scott’s Addition neighborhood.

While the store’s longtime Carytown retail location at 3100 W. Cary St. will remain open, the headquarters shift is a response to the company’s substantial growth in recent years.

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“Richmond has an amazing and ever-growing creative community that has been important to our growth over the years,” said Nora Morris, Need Supply Co. special projects manager. “As our business expands, we look forward to continuing to welcome more of those innovators, creators, developers, disruptors and strategic thinkers into each department within the company.”

The esteemed apparel company opened its doors in Richmond back in 1996, selling nothing but vintage Levi’s. Since the launch of its online store in 2008, Need Supply Co. has transformed into a global e-commerce business, offering a variety of clothing, accessories, and home goods for men and women.

While the fashion company is expanding in Richmond, it isn’t the first time its experienced a growth spurt. The company has also expanded with locations in Los Angeles and New York.

The 20,700 square-foot space in Scott’s Addition is located in the former Evatran Group Inc. office, a manufacturer of wireless charging stations for electric motor vehicles, within the HandCraft Cleaners Building at 3301 W. Moore St.

Need Supply’s new spot will allow for more office space and a photo studio, which are being moved from a smaller spot in the neighborhood.

“Although we’ve outgrown our existing Scott’s Addition [office] location, we’re looking forward to continuing to be part of the evolution and revitalization of this neighborhood,” said Christopher Bossola, CEO of Need Supply Co.

Tripling the size of its previous headquarters above its flagship retail shop in Carytown, Need Supply Co. will use the new location to satisfy the company’s increased staff and existing e-commerce photo studio. Finding property large enough to meet Need Supply Co.’s demand for space, however, was not an easy task.

“We had some unusual requirements, such as finding traditional ‘Class A’ office space alongside unfinished warehouse-type space for our photo studio,” Morris said. “The property search, which led us around the city and into surrounding counties, was extensive.”

While the company expands its office and studio teams — including its operations, information technology, human resources, customer service, and photography —  the retail operations will not change.

“The relocation was imperative to accommodate additional, planned growth over the next few years,” Bossola said. “While also providing more modern and collaborative workspaces, lounge areas and a substantially larger photo studio for our current teams.”

Need Supply Co. plans to have the new headquarters up and running by the fall.

 

With Club Infuzion Closure, Is Hip-Hop out of Scott’s Addition?

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A quadruple shooting in the parking lot at Club Infuzion last Friday, which left one dead and three injured, forced the Scott’s Addition nightclub and restaurant to shut down operations this week. But is this the last we’ve seen of the popular hip hop venue?

According to the Richmond Police Department, around 2:00 a.m., officers were called to the 1400 block of Roseneath Road after a report of random gunfire where one male victim, later identified as Terrance C. Peters, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were taken to a nearby hospital. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The incident reportedly started with a dispute over a cell phone. One day after the shooting, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control revoked the club’s liquor license and a summary suspension was issued against owner David Wheeler, who voluntarily surrendered the license according to a recent WTVR article. Building owner Bill Fields released a statement Thursday officially confirming the club’s closure.

“We took over possession of the space today and currently trying to re-lease the space now. We are looking for something that complements the neighborhood and works for us,” Fields told WTVR.

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Infuzion, which opened in 2008, has been everything from an ice bar, where patrons could rent a parka and red gloves while hanging out in an ice-filled freezer with vodka shots, to a dance club and music venue, to a café. The current incarnation was popular both for its entertainment, which included DJs and live music, comedy, and karaoke, and for its restaurant Taste, serving seafood, pasta, and other American dishes.

In the aftermath of the closure, however, several prominent figures in the hip-hop community are wondering what will become of a space that catered to a black audience in the rapidly transforming Scott’s Addition neighborhood, where breweries and many of the restaurants mostly cater to white customers.

Marc Cheatham of The Cheats Movement shared his thoughts on the incident, wondering if the venue would be treated differently or become a target once the dust settles.

“Will they now become a target of the high-level scrutiny that only a club with majority black patrons can be subject too?” Cheatham wrote in his post. “Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t know Infuzion to have a track record of this type of violence, so I’m really curious what will happen over the next few weeks and months?”

His post went on to question if neighborhood residents would embrace this venue the same way it has the many breweries that have cropped up in recent years.

“When I heard the news, my thoughts turned to: Will Infuzion be subject to some sort of forced evacuation? Let’s face it, Scott’s Addition, “the upcoming neighborhood” that is a hub for new breweries and an influx of young professional patrons – I don’t know any of those breweries to be black-owned and the majority of their patrons who visit them are not black – may not want a hip-hop club and lounge in their “up and coming” mix.”

Douglas C. Powell/Roscoe Burnems of The Writer’s Den Poetry Slam, took to Facebook to inform his audience of the closure and express regrets at losing a venue he called “a staple” of the local arts scene.

The collective has held poetry slams and spoken-word competitions at various venues around town for the last four years, and even competes in national tournaments. For the last year, the Writer’s Den has called Infuzion RVA home.

“They’ve always been amazing. Jeremy [Knapp, General Manager] has always been very supportive of the arts and bringing in events like ours, poetry or whatever. “They were even one of our sponsors this year when we went to [a] competition in San Antonio,” he said in an interview. “I’ve always had a great experience.”

And while he was hurt to hear the news of the club shutting down after the incident, Burnems said it didn’t come as a surprise.

“I was very frustrated, Scott’s Addition is changing a lot, and a building that pretty much has defined itself as a nightclub mostly, it doesn’t fit in with what I think the area is trying to turn Scott’s Addition into, so it didn’t come as a shock, but I felt like it happened very sudden,” he said. “It’s gotten to a point where the main demographic that Infuzion pulls in via the club nights or other events does not look the same and I think there’s a level of gentrification there.”

And similar sentiments were shared by many individuals in the local arts and music scene according to Burnems.

“All the artists, and they’re mostly hip hop artists and poets, are very saddened to lose such a great event space,” he said.

He echoed a few of Cheatham’s points, stating that residents may not be comfortable with a nightclub such as Infuzion in their neighborhood.

“As far as I know, there’s no other nightclubs like Infuzion in that area, and I don’t think its fitting in with the changing demographics in Scott’s Addition so I think it’s very convenient as well in a way to push Infuzion out,” he said. “The residents will not fight to keep Infuzion, they were looking for a reason to get rid of Infuzion, that place will probably become a brewery tomorrow.”

Prior to Infuzion getting shut down, Burnems had plans to launch a weekly open mic there in August. For now, the open mic nights and haiku battles have been postponed, but Burnems said his collective has been scouting a few places around town to hold them, including Addis Ethiopian restaurant, where he also hosts Tuesday Verses, an open mic night.

“It’s been running there for almost 10 years so we considered moving our night there, but we’re also on the hunt,” he said.

Comedian Steve Hofstetter was scheduled to perform to a sold-out crowd at the venue tonight. He took to social media Wednesday to find another event space and vent his frustrations.

“Unfortunately, the owner of the building just closed the doors on Club Infuzion. I do not know if this is permanent or not, but they’ve cancelled all future events with no notice (unless you count less than three days to be notice). Legal? Nope! Shitty? Yep!” “People booked babysitters, out of town guests booked hotel rooms. But none of that mattered because there was a shooting a week ago NEAR the club (outside, in a car) and the landlord was clearly looking for an excuse to boot the club. So we were pretty fucked.”

Thursday morning, Hofstetter announced he had secured a spot at Comedy Sportz Theatre for his show, now scheduled for Saturday.

According to a Richmond BizSense article in November 2017, Chesterfield’s Blackwood Development purchased Infuzion Dance Club that September for $1.6 million with plans to transform it into a brewery, office space, or restaurant.

The club’s lease on the building was good through July of next year and according to the article, Infuzion planned to relocate once their lease was up.

 

 

Sound of Music Studios Owner & Longtime Producer John Morand Debuts Solo Album Tonight

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John Morand has been making punk records since the 80s. The longtime producer and co-founder of Scott’s Addition’s Sound of Music Studios has worked his magic for countless bands from local groups like GWAR and Lamb of God to bigger names like D’Angelo and Cracker and even Hanson.

But tonight, he will release his debut solo record, Scott’s Addiction, material that the sound engineer’s been working on for the last three years and for the first time in a long time, he’ll be at the front of the stage instead of at the drum set or behind a control booth.

“It’s been really good for me as a producer to do a record, because you kind of forget about everything involved in it, you can tell someone to go out there and sing that song, but it’s hard being a performer and you kind of take that for granted when you work with really good people that it’s going to be easy,” said Morand.

The show tonight will be the first time in quite awhile that the producer has stepped onto a stage. The last time Morand played in a band was in the late 90s when he played drums for Burst Into Flames. He was also the drummer for other longtime local acts The Future Neighbors and Mutilating Mummies.

“The difference between being behind the drums and having to stand up front and play the guitar and look at people and sing is really scary,” he said.

The album actually spurred out of necessity when Morand broke his arm two years ago.

“It was sort of a form of therapy and part of my arm getting better was learning to play guitar. I’d only ever been able to play guitar kind of enough to make my way through a song,” he said.

Busy spending 12-hour days editing, recording, and tinkering with other people’s music, there wasn’t much time to focus on his own. But, Morand said he’d go back to it here and there and once things at the Altamont Avenue studio calmed down, he could start to focus on his personal project again.

“Over the years, as things got more established, I realized I could do both,” he said. “In November, we were having a meeting about the {Richmond International} film festival, and I was like ‘oh, we’ll release my record this week, but it wasn’t close to being mixed. Literally, we just put the band together within the last few weeks, but it’s been really fun playing.”

And to bring this 10-track lo-fi poppy punk record to life, Morand recruited a cadre of local musicians who are featured throughout including Séyla Hossaini (bass/vocals) and David Pahtoon from Toward Space, Callie Addison from The Smirks, James Toth from One Eleven Heavy, Tommy Crisafulli of Imaginary Sons, and David Lowery, Morand’s former Sound of Music partner and co-founder of Cracker along with a few others.

“I don’t have to have like the biggest record in the world it was just sort of a way of getting my thoughts down and having fun with my friends. So, it was a way to get back in touch with some people that I hadn’t worked with in a long time or I hadn’t seen in a long time and do some parts,” he said of the album.

Morand wrote all of the songs except for one and sings, plays guitar, and drums on Scott’s Addiction. Rounding out his backing band are Mike Linn from punk rock band Deprogrammers on drums, Doc Thomas on bass, Nick Wisher on keys, and Charles Nill on guitar.

He’s dropped a video ahead of the album release party for garage pop-rock single, “Needs of the Narcissist” which pokes some fun at our current political situation.

“It was about this time last year, this was just after Trump got elected and we were all sort of really stunned still, and then Charlottesville happened, and that ‘narcissist’ word kept getting batted around, and then Kellyann Conway having to get up there and say the alternative facts line and the whole idea of fake news was so intriguing,” Morand said of the video.

But Morand said Scott’s Addiction isn’t political, but rather an “ode to the rock and roll lifestyle and feel good songs,” along with a cover of Cracker’s “Darlin, We’re Out of Time”, a few songs about his 11-year-old daughter, Aurora, and the studio’s neighborhood home, which they moved into in 2015.

“I’ve always loved this neighborhood since the Pyramid Club in the early 80s all kinds of great bands played there,” he said. Some metaphors to addiction also make their way into the record, from not being able to leave music to friends and fellow musicians that have battled with addiction.

“It’s also the idea of addiction when you’re working on a song, it’s the thing at the forefront of your mind, even though you’re trying to have a conversation with somebody really what you’re thinking about is getting back to that song,” Morand said.

Bob Strickler, a Richmond-based tour manager for major acts like AWOLNATION, Logic, and Avenged Sevenfold helped with the mixing of Morand’s album along with Wayne Pooley, a partner at Sound of Music Studios. Having that extra set of hands and ears was a refreshing change according to the producer who is usually the one calling the shots.

“It was nice to have at least some input from somebody from the outside,” he said.

Morand will release his album Scott’s Addiction tonight at Sound of Music Studios of course. The show starts at 8 PM. And be on the lookout for his upcoming projects including a True Crime podcast on the Southside Strangler, a new Grim Smiley record, and several new video projects.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmon

Good Eats RVA: Shockoe Bottom’s Lower 48, Salt & Forge Opens, & Four Forks

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These blurbs originally appeared in the Good EATS RVA section of RVA #32 Spring 2018. You can check out the issue HERE or pick it up around Richmond now. 

Lower 48

A former Food Network competitor has returned to Richmond to open a new restaurant in Shockoe Bottom. Malcolm Mitchell, longtime personal chef, restaurateur, and Season 8 finalist on Food Network Star, opened Lower 48 in September in the old Shockoe Valley Pizza space.

“It’s basically rustic regional American food, going back to the old school way of cooking… a scratch kitchen,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my interpretation.” Serving dinner and brunch, the chef is whipping up his take on American classics such as shrimp and grits, crab cakes, Texas-style barbecue, burgers, and wings, along with craft beer and cocktails.  

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Competing on Food Network Star wasn’t the chef’s first taste of fame. Mitchell also competed on Beat Bobby Flay. Likewise, Lower 48 isn’t Mitchell’s first dabble in the Richmond restaurant scene. Along with Julep’s owner Amy Ayers, he opened Mint Gastropub in the Fan, which operated for two years before moving, and eventually closing, in Petersburg in 2014.

Originally from New York, the chef grew up in Maryland, where he learned the culinary basics from his mother, and from working at local greasy spoons. He left his hometown to spend four years in the Navy, where he didn’t cook, but his passion still flourished.

“When we would go to these different ports — Spain, Portugal, Denmark, all over the world — the first place I would go was try to find somewhere nice to eat,” he said. “So, I got really into food when I started traveling. That developed my international palate.”

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Pictured Right: Malcolm Mitchell

He honed his skills cooking for small parties and friends’ events, but decided he needed to fine tune his craft a bit more before stepping out on his own. Mitchell earned his culinary degree from Stratford University and worked his way up the ranks. “I worked all over the place — chain hotels, little bistros. I worked in school lunch programs with Compass Group, the world’s largest food company. And then I had an opportunity between 2005 and 2007 working for this sports and management company.” Through that gig, he eventually became a personal chef for athletes and musicians like actor/comedian Chris Tucker, singer Mary J. Blige, and the NBA’s Washington Wizards.

Mitchell has since opened concepts in Los Angeles, as well as three in Baltimore, including wine bar Butchers Hill Society; Kitchen Market, a specialty foods and grab and go station; and gastropub Ryder’s.

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While jumpstarting restaurants and moving to his next inspiration are Mitchell’s bread and butter, the chef wanted to return to Richmond to make his mark again on the local scene. “I think four years ago when I was there, it was getting there, but everybody was kind of doing the same style. But now it’s changed,” he said. “The fact that it was starting to grow into a big food town and a big beer town, and you can get better rent than in a lot of these big tier cities, it’s a good place to start a new brand.”

Mitchell plans to expand Lower 48 with other locations within Richmond. 423 N. 18th St.

Editor’s Note: As of April 8, Lower 48 has closed. The following is a statement from the restaurant’s Facebook page: “Lower 48 by Malcolm Mitchell would like to thank everyone for their patronage and all our staff for their hard work. Unfortunately, we were unable to get the traction that we needed to keep our doors open. At this time Chef Mitchell and his team are in the process of looking for other opportunities for the brand. Stay tuned for what’s in store! Once again, thank you for all your support!”

Four Forks

“One dessert to share please” is a strange concept to me. I share most things, but my dessert? Not likely. Yet that’s the motto behind Jess Widener’s forthcoming business, Four Forks.

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The Lunch/Supper pastry chef serves desserts from the restaurant’s event venue, Urban Roost, and at local farmers’ markets, but is planning to sweeten up Richmond with a spot of her own. The idea is a three-course dessert bar, with special pairings.  Widener’s been testing her concept out recently, with pop-ups at The Urban Roost and The Broken Tulip.

“We did a three-course dessert menu and the courses were sent out with the intention to share with whoever you came with, and that’s where the idea is going,” she said. “I would like to have a small intimate restaurant where we could do private events, but also we would do beverage pairings with each course like wine, coffee, tea, and maybe some curated cocktails.”  

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Before baking at Lunch and Supper, Widener started as a hostess at Brio, working up the corporate ladder to become a sous chef and manager at the restaurant. She also pursued her culinary arts degree at J. Sargeant Reynolds, which she completed in 2013.

Widener baked desserts at Shagbark for a year before returning to Lunch and Supper, where she decided to dip into her creative side and play around with her own recipes. “They had the event space and were looking to expand their pastry department,” she said. “Part of the reason I went back was because I asked them if I could have my own freedom if I was starting my own business in the future, [and] if they would help me brand myself, and they’ve been really helpful.”  

Widener said she bases her desserts around one key ingredient. Some of her past pop-ups have featured a blood orange and olive oil cake, bourbon crème Brulee tarts, and dark chocolate toffee pudding.

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Blood orange and olive oil cake

The baking gene actually runs in her family. Widener’s dad and uncle were both in the restaurant industry. Her father, from whom she learned to bake growing up, owned Sunday’s before it was The Boathouse, and ran wholesale bakery Ellie’s for years. Widener’s uncle is helping get Four Forks off the ground.

Besides monthly pop-ups, Widener will be selling macaroons and bonbons at the spring farmers’ markets, as well as cookies and brownies for the forthcoming Jackson Ward restaurant Salt & Forge, and packaged treats for Richmond Triangle Players.

And while there’s no official brick and mortar location yet, she hopes to have her dessert bar open in Carytown by the end of the year.

“I love the idea of Carytown, when you have somewhere that features dessert,” she said. “I think you kind of want it to be somewhere that people stumble in after eating dinner.” Widener’s next Four Forks pop-up dinner will be held at Blue Bee Cider April 11. 

Photos By: Four Forks 

Salt & Forge

A dilapidated historic building in Jackson Ward will transform into fast-casual sandwich and breakfast spot Salt & Forge in March. Restoring the North 2nd Street property is former Chipotle executive David Hahn, who has plans for a quick neighborhood spot where busy professionals and area residents can pop in to grab a breakfast biscuit or salad and sandwich for lunch.

“I think there’s an opportunity for fast, tasty breakfast in the area, people coming and going from work,” Hahn said. “I’ve always been on the go, and I’ve always liked eating with my hands, and I think people do.”

Hahn, a Colorado native, has been on the corporate side of the industry for 15 years. He’s worked for Chipotle in operations and development, and helped DC restaurateurs expand the Philly-style hoagie chain Taylor Gourmet from four to nine locations. He first thought of his River City restaurant after a trip here from Florida, where he was helping launch a startup.

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“I visited Richmond for the UCI World Championship Bike Race,” he said. “While I was here, I heard a lot of great things about Richmond’s restaurant scene and started asking for restaurant recommendations.” Hahn soon met Melissa, his future fiancé, and once his contract in Florida was up in early 2016, he moved to Richmond to pursue his dream.

Salt & Forge will be a from-scratch kitchen with most ingredients made in-house. “We’ll roast our own meat, grind our own corned beef, make our own pickles, jams, dressings, sauces,” Hahn said.

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The menu offers Ruebens, grilled cheeses, Cubanos, as well as brisket and an Italian sandwich for lunch, and on the lighter side, a beet salad; Mediterranean salad; and a superfood salad with kale, cabbage, bok choy and pickled apples; along with potato salad, fruit, and soups as sides.

In addition to lunch, the 42-seat restaurant will be open for breakfast, serving biscuits and gravy, chicken biscuits, egg sandwiches, and biscuits with jam, along with cold-brew coffee. Locally-sourced desserts, beer, and wine will also be on the menu at the restaurant.

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Hahn plans to offer delivery as well as catering to local companies when he’s up and running. Salt & Forge is still undergoing construction, but Hahn plans to be open by mid to late March. 312 N. 2nd St.

Editor’s Note: Since the version of this story ran in print, Salt & Forge has opened in Jackson Ward.  

 

The Circuit Arcade Bar’s Mural Whitewashed Days After Going Up

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Wednesday in Scott’s Addition, a new mural commissioned by The Circuit Arcade Bar on the side of a neighboring building was whitewashed overnight. The mural was a massive explosion of 80s and 90s art and iconography, from C3PO playing a vintage game to the female robot from Terminator 3, and most notably, a grinning image of a young Will Smith reprising his infamous role as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Photo Credit: @thenightowl

The mural, painted by local artist Mickael Broth, was completed Sunday and painted over by Wednesday, sparking outrage on various social media platforms, including one colorful Reddit thread. The Circuit marketing manager Justin Cole said he was not expecting such an explosive reaction from the community. Though theories and conspiracies ran rampant, the full story remained largely unclear.

Photo Credit: @thenightowl

Cole said he woke up to a call from his mom telling him that the mural was on the news. He was barraged by Facebook messages from friends he hadn’t heard from in years asking what had happened, “Everyone’s coming out of the woodwork to ask me what’s going on,” he said.  

Photo Credit: Sarah Honosky

According to Cole and The Circuit owner Robert (who asked that we leave out his last name), The Circuit was given permission to commission a mural on a wall adjacent to their vintage arcade and bar at 3105 W.Leigh St. by the building’s landlord in October.

“It wasn’t until he {Broth} was basically 75 percent done, that someone–we didn’t know who at this point in the story because we weren’t there, but walked up to the artist and said, ‘what are you doing?’ and he said ‘I’m painting this wall,’ and they said ‘you don’t have permission to do this’,” said Cole.

Photo Credit: @thenightowl

That’s when The Circuit owner began to get texts and complaints from the tenant of the building. “After it gets painted he sends a text saying ‘[the mural] is hideous, I’m going to cover this up, this is ridiculous’,” said the owner. “Supposedly, he wants to put cohesive artwork around the whole building. I wish he would have told me this before I got approval, and before I spent thousands of dollars.”

The tenant in 3103 who had complaints about The Circuit’s mural is Richmond restaurateur Brandon Pearson, co-owner of Sabai and Aloi, a Thai food truck. Aloi was often parked in the same lot as the building, which houses Pearson’s furniture company, Pearson Furnishings according to a Richmond BizSense article. 

Photo Credit: Sarah Honosky

“I disagree with the decision,” said Cole. “But I don’t dislike the individual because of the decision they made.”

In what seemed to be a miscommunication, Pearson later said he had also obtained permission from the landlord to paint a mural on the wall. “I don’t know what that conversation was, but somewhere in that conversation the landlord did, I guess, end up promising the same thing he promised us,” said Cole.

The Circuit owner said he tried to contact the landlord of the building housing both 3103 and 3105 W Leigh St., which WTVR reports has been occupied by Pearson for 4 years, to clear up the confusion. He said he offered to pay rent per month for the wall and the mural. “He never got back to me, and all of sudden, overnight, somebody paints the wall over,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to get my attorney involved yet.”

Cole said that the mural had the potential to become a staple of the neighborhood. The community is noticeably frustrated by the unauthorized removal of the artwork, many of the service staff at The Circuit among them.

Photo Credit: @thenightowl

“Richmond is very proud of their art and their artists,” said Cole. “Everyone around here, especially, really likes to cherish the artists and keep Richmond on the map as a centralized art enthusiast type of city. I think that’s why people are a little upset about it…Also for a mural to go up and then come right back down, there’s some suspicion when you see that happen when you’re an outside person.”

Broth said he was not notified when the mural would be painted over, but declined to get involved.  “All I know for sure is that I was commissioned by The Circuit to paint the mural. I did my job and was paid on schedule. A few days after the mural was finished, someone painted the wall white,” said Broth.

Though according to one Instagram post, Broth caught word of the intention to remove the mural before it happened, and after the fact he took the development in stride. “Well, that didn’t last long.”

In a brief Facebook post memorializing the mural, The Circuit said “Welp, it was fun while it lasted…” followed by a video documenting the transformation from a building-length mural to a whitewashed wall.  

Efforts to reach Aloi for comment were unsuccessful.

This story has been updated to reflect additional reporting which determined that Pearson is the tenant of the building which was painted on; we missed that he had a lease to the space in our original report.

Photos By: @thenightowl and Sarah Honosky

Scott’s Addition Coffee Roaster Brews Up Plans For Expansion in Shockoe Bottom

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A local coffee roaster has been brewing up plans for expansion-and with the help of an Indiegogo campaign, the company will serve up a cafe and coffee bar to residents in Shockoe Bottom this spring.

It’s been two years since Ironclad Coffee Roasters stirred the community awake with their West Moore Street facility in Scott’s Addition, and have since been roasting small batch specialty-grade coffees and distributing them to local bakeries and markets like Red Cap Patisserie, Craft Kolache, Union Market, Urban Farmhouse, Ellwood Thompson’s, and Stir Crazy Cafe.

Founder Ryan O’Rourke has launched a $25,000 campaign to help fund their cafe in a historic firehouse building on East Grace Street, slated to open this May.

O’Rourke and family

O’Rouke, who hails from Ireland, was inspired to open Ironclad here after spending five years in Europe, where he was impressed with the values of the country, yet recognized their flaws.

O’Rourke reflects on the Ironclad website on how there was an obvious lack of great customer service, which lit a flame inside of him to provide that for Richmond.

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“People assume that Richmond is a big coffee city but it’s more of a baby one,” said O’Rourke.

This, however, is not the first crowdfunding campaign that the company has started.

In 2015, O’Rourke started the first campaign, also for $25,000, in order to establish the official Ironclad Coffee Roastery, which has been popular with the local community as well as locations in town that sell their coffee.

“There are two big reasons why we picked Ironclad coffee,” said John Wladar, owner of Red Cap Patisserie with his wife Martine. “Out of all the coffee we sampled, we simply liked Ironclad the most. Ironclad is also an up and coming roastery and we wanted to differentiate ourselves from the rest.”

O’Rourke said the crowdfunding will be crucial for buildout and equipment, but it is only a small fraction of the cost and that whether the goal is met or not, they will continue to move forward with the startup in May.

With the first campaign raising $5,724 and the second one raising $7,067, there’s still a month left to donate.

The campaigns offer different perks and incentives to draw support. Ranging from a t-shirt and coffee mug package to the contributor receiving free coffee for a whole year, Ironclad seems to be pulling out all of the stops in order to please the local coffee-fanatics.

“Crowdfunding is an accessible way to get the community involved,” said O’Rourke.

The couple, who now live in Shockoe Bottom and has been eyeing the building, located at 1805 E.Grace St. for about two years for their forthcoming cafe.

According to O’Rourke, this is the prime location for the cafe because of the amount of foot traffic it produces.

“My wife and I watch the location all the time. People park and walk to the VCU bus and then back to their cars. We see hundreds of people passing the location,” said O’Rourke.

But the foot traffic is not the only reason Ironclad wants to start brewing there.

“It [Shockoe Bottom] has a certain grit to it–and I mean that in a good way,” said O’Rourke.

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The cafe will serve and showcase “some of the more rare and exquisite single-origin coffees…from around the world” that includes coffee beans farmed from Honduras, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Guatemala. The cafe will have fruity blends and their usual popular blends that you can find on their site here. 

The goal is that Ironclad will be able to open its doors in May, with still one month left to donate to their campaign.

Photos By: Ironclad