Richmond restaurant closings mount, but a few openings are on the way

A rash of closings has recently hit Richmond's dining scene.

Why it matters: Local restaurant owners have been telling Axios for months that the future is bleak for independent restaurant owners.

The latest:🚨On Wednesday, two more Richmond restaurants announced they're closing on Dec. 12: Saison and Saison Market. Read more.

🥄 Spoonbread Bistro Deux, the Short Pump outpost of the Fan restaurant that closed during the pandemic, is closed after four years, and all the furniture has been removed from the restaurant.

• Celebrated chef Michael Hall opened both restaurants, but said in 2020 that investors took back both locations from him.

🍕 Pies and Pints Pizzeria on Broad in the Fan closed abruptly yesterday after four years in business. The location has been removed from the pizza chain's website, and staffers at the restaurant confirmed the closing to Axios.

🍺 23rd & Main Taproom in Shockoe Bottom closed at the beginning of the month after more than a decade in business.

Yes, but: Despite the closings, new options are here or on the way to keep us sated.

🥩 Rio Brazil Steak House — a high-end steakhouse — is now open nightly for dinner and weekend lunch on Washington Highway in Glen Allen.

🌮 Juan More Taco — a Fredericksburg Honduran and Latin American restaurant — is opening a Richmond location at 304 N. Robinson St. in the Fan.

🍷 Penny's, a wine and tapas spot from the founders of RichWine, is in the works for a February opening at 405 Brook Road in Jackson Ward, Richmond Magazine reports.

And we're still waiting on opening dates for a slew of coming-this-fall spots, including: The Park at RVA, Brick House Diner in the Kitchen 64 space, Sprezza, Botanya Restaurant, Eazzy Burger, Kismet Modern Indian and Acacia.

Editor's note: This post was updated to show that Saison and Saison Market on Wednesday announced that they will be closing.