How Richmond restaurant openings are changing post-pandemic
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Slurp Ramen at 2416 Jefferson Ave. in Church Hill will open... eventually. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
Slurp Ramen — the Church Hill restaurant from the guys behind The Jasper — doesn't want to tell you when it's opening. Hell, the owners don't want to tell us when it's opening.
- That's because Slurp is trying to do a genuine soft opening and open slowly for a few weeks to give itself time to work out the kinks before the restaurant gets slammed.
Why it matters: Restaurants used to get crushed with diners when they opened with glitzy parties to encourage buzz.
- Now they're going with softer and slower openings to present their most polished version to the dining public, something especially critical as the industry continues to rebound from the pandemic.
"There are a lot of good restaurants at the moment … and if you don't open with something that's awesome and unique, folks are going to rely on their standbys," Slurp co-owner Kevin Liu tells Axios.
What's happening: Slurp will likely open within a week, but the owners are planning to only give about 30 minutes of notice before it happens, Liu said.
- They're also likely to run on limited hours and with a limited menu for a few weeks.
They're planning to do the same with Emerald Lounge, their next-door cocktail bar, which should open about a month after Slurp.
It's similar to how Uliveto opened last fall. Acacia midtown started with reservations only, three days a week when it opened in January. Odyssey, which opened last month, is still only open three nights a week with a pared down menu.
What they're saying: "We're just a little more cautious" post-COVID, said Odyssey co-owner Lee Gregory.
Staffing is a big part of the slower opening, Gregory said. Post-pandemic, restaurant owners are pulling from a smaller labor pool that can be a little choosier with jobs.
- With limited hours and menus, the kitchen staff can have time to learn the ropes, and owners can figure out what tips look like to attract new waitstaff.
- "There's more demand from every partner in business, including staff," Gregory said.
Pre-pandemic those glitzy opening parties were shared all over social media, "and then you're slammed, and it's your third day," Gregory recalled of the opening of Southbound, his South Richmond restaurant. Now, with a slower roll out, "it can only get so bad," he joked.
- Liu recalled that the 2015 opening of Tin Pan, his Henrico restaurant and music hall, was so busy that one server just melted down and walked out in the middle of service.
The bottom line: Odyssey will expand its hours soon, and they're almost ready after a month. And Slurp will open soon, and they owners will tell you when they're ready…