Richmond LGBTQ+ bar Papi's fights to reopen after city "raid"
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A snapshot of the sign by the DJ booth inside of Papi's in August 2024. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
The fate of Papi's, one of Richmond's only LGBTQ+ clubs, is in the hands of City Council — nearly a year after the owner says a city "raid" forced it to close.
Why it matters: It's highlighting tensions over how Richmond balances zoning enforcement, neighborhood concerns and its commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ spaces.
State of play: The Planning Commission on Tuesday night recommended the Council approve the Shockoe Slip bar's nightclub license, which would let it to stay open until 2am, for 18 months.
- This type of license is required under Richmond's zoning code for any restaurant that serves alcohol and plays music after midnight.
- Without it, owner Adrienne Londoño tells Axios, Papi's would have to change its business model — because most of its sales occur between 11pm and 1am.
Context: Papi's opened in 2022 as a Latin-inspired bar built around drag shows — the same year Richmond ramped up enforcement of nightclub regulations after "associated homicides," per a city spokesperson.
- Londoño was forced to close the club in January after inspectors cited Papi's for since-fixed code issues, like a broken fridge door, unfinished ceiling hole and outdated occupancy paperwork.
- Her staff lost their incomes overnight and have had to look for other jobs, she tells Axios.
- And she was unaware of how long the nightclub license process would take.
What they're saying: Londoño says she feels other late-night venues haven't received the same level of scrutiny.
- In over 30 pages of public comment to the commission, supporters claimed Papi's was targeted for catering to LGBTQ+ people.
- They also called the bar an essential, safe and inclusive place for the city's queer community.
Mayor Avula told Axios that "the back-and-forth has nothing to do [with] Richmond's commitment to being an LGBTQ+ friendly city" but code compliance.
- He said he's asked city teams to balance nightlife growth and safety downtown.
The other side: Opponents, including the Shockoe Partnership and nearby property owners, say the club's late-night activity harms residents — which Londoño countered by noting that Siné's and Southern Railway Taphouse are both a block away.
- Spencer Grice of the Shockoe Partnership told Axios that its opposition is "solely based on the operator and their recent past issues," not Papi's clientele.
- Opponents also took issue with alleged ABC violations.
Londoño told Axios that Papi's chose not to renew its ABC license while closed.
- A separate ABC license suspension at another restaurant she owned stemmed from not meeting the state's food-to-alcohol sales ratio — not violence or illegal activity, she says.
The property owners, Richmond Police and Virginia ABC didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment.
The bottom line: "Hopefully there's something good that comes out of [this]," Londoño says.
- "And we can, a year from now, be like, 'Remember the time we were talking about Papi's being closed?'"
What's next: City Council will take up Papi's nightclub license next Tuesday, and hold a vote on Nov. 10.