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Meet the folks behind And Dim Sum
12/23/2014 7:31 AM by John M
Richmond BizSense has a nice profile of the folks behind the planned And Dim Sum restaurant slated for Union Hill:
Matt Jarreau, a local real estate agent, plans to build a three-story, 6,600-square-foot building at 718 N. 23rd St. Its top two floors will have four apartments, and a deal is in the works to lease the 2,100-square-foot ground floor commercial space to And Dim Sum.
The restaurant is being launched by Liz Kincaid and Sean Rapoza and will serve Chinese food and dim sum, and it will also have a full bar and will do catering, takeout and delivery.
[…]
Construction is planned to begin in April 2015 and completed in October.
Would love that!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope the triangle shape is taken advantage of for the design but what will it look like? Where are the drawings submitted to the C.A.R. for approval?
#4 – CAR reviewed conceptual review at October 28, 2014 meeting. I’m sure a call to them can net you those drawings. Don’t know when an actual application’s scheduled for review.
ann.. that has always been a problem. C.A.R. is supposed to have those plans available and a notice sent out that they are open for review by the locals “before” construction. Seems like more so than not we learn about these projects “after” they have been approved by C.A.R. John use to be on top of these plans years ago posting them here on CHPN the minute they were offered but not sure if they are not notifying him any longer or what?
Eric – info about CAR meetings with links to agendas and info /tag/car/
@Eric
The drawing, as shown, gives a pretty good idea of shape/form – just not material/color/texture.
Try: https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=347302&GUID=1CEF59ED-B982-4A97-8F70-D4A5E32B9122&Options=info%7C&Search
Should be the very last one on the list. Includes blueprints, drawings, etc.
Looks great! The CAR review was back in October. It was announced here as well.
#8 – thanks John. Anything on CAR’s agenda is easily and readily available online.
Plus, once a CAR meeting is announced you can access agenda and entire applications on the city’s ‘legistar’ calendar site, as here, for CAR and other committees: https://richmondva.legistar.com/Calendar.aspxhttps://richmondva.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Folks we made some changes to our plans and concepts after hearing CAR’s comments and meeting with the Union Hill Civic Association. The BizSense Article has the updated rendering from the corner “the point of the lot”. We should be on January’s CAR docket for approval. See link below.
http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2014/12/22/dim-sum-spot-pairs-with-church-hill-development/
@ Eric, yes this building will have the foot print of the lot and will flare out away from the point. It should look/feel very cool once completed.
Way to go Matt!
Not so fast there’s significant opposition to this project. A petition was submitted toCAR with all but one of the surrounding neighbors in opposition.Now that is a bar also I feel like that will change. We objected primarily to the top two floors that will bury the small historic working class homes across the street from it. In addition there’s parking issues. The pettion was basically ignored No sense in going back.I rode the elevator down with Matt Jarreau who stated he appreciated our input and would send revised plans within a couple of weeks.Matt lied.Now having read this my personal feelings are hold them to the master plan and that’s not a bar or restaurant
@15 RP: I don’t live near this so I don’t have a dog in this show, but am curious. You and others nearby are against a restaurant with a bar at this location? Do I have that right? (Virginia ABC rules say that any place serving alcohol has to serve a certain amount of food, so in my mind there are no places that are just bars, they have to also have a restaurant function).
I get the parking issues, a lot of us have parking issues up here, and can see that it’s three stories if the near houses are two stories (although I think that’s a stretch – proposed five or six stories might be a problem, but unless you can explain three being a problem I don’t get it), but why not a Chinese restaurant with a bar inside? Did you (or do you) have similar objections to Union Market?
And what exactly does the master plan depict for this piece of land? It is my understanding that Union Hill supported urban business zoning, which includes corner restaurants and similar businesses. This is a corner, and the parcel doesn’t seem to me to be much different from Union Market in shape. Union Market sells wine and beer on premises, I was there for lunch recently, and it felt like a restaurant/bar to me. There were a bunch of folks drinking wine at noon. But I understand that Union Hill strongly supports it – so why not this? As I see it, the only difference is that the proposed restaurant will serve Dim Sum instead of soup, salads and sandwiches with beer and wine.
If you could explain more, you would be enlightening me and possibly others, thanks.
Thanks, @crd. I’m also interested in the answers to your questions.
@RP / #15
What did you expect the space to become? A shoe store? Or did you want another beer/lotto/cigarettes type place? My point being: without the restaurants and/or restaurant traffic, there won’t ever be enough demand for actual retail. Any storefront in the neighborhood is, more likely than not, going to become a restaurant or coffee shop. Restaurants rely heavily on alcohol to stay afloat. Also, as stated in the previous post, there are no “Bars” in Virginia – only “bar and grill” or “bar and restaurant” type establishments. So what, exactly, is the problem?
@MATT / #13 – I’m sure it will look great. The second rendering seems sort of boxy/less interesting compared to the first. But maybe the lot is more rectangular than it looks? Anywho – the Balconies along the side/over the sidewalk = keep those, if you can – those are awesome.
(Balconies/oriels/bay windows over the street seem to be MIA from the streetscape in Richmond. There are some, but it seems like not many compared to other cities. Any insight, anyone?)
“Not so fast!” – the mantra of so many on the hill. Seems like a great concept. I look forward to trying them out. Happy Holidays, all.
Church Hill should be happy to have restaurants and coffee shops. Oregon Hill has nothing thanks to the nimbys.
My problem with “bar and grill” is that such places tend to be more of the former than the latter. I like a nice, quiet place to eat decent food, not a restaurant where survival is predicated on booze profits alone.
@21 K, actually in Virginia survival cannot be predicated on booze profits alone, because restaurants that sell alcohol have to also sell a certain percentage of food or they will have to stop selling booze. BTW to you and everyone who claims that all food places have to serve booze to make ends meet, Alamo doesn’t serve any booze and they’re doing fine.
K, Just how did you make the jump from a Dim Sum place to a bar and grill? How do you categorize Union Market? As a nice quiet place, or a bar and grill?
I’m still waiting to hear from RP who posted @15, but it’s the holidays and that person might be traveling today.
@20 – MamaZu is nothing? I wouldn’t write it off that fast!
@CRD/#22 – I think K/#21 made that jump based on the fact that the article clearly states that the place will have a full bar, and one of the co-owners was involved with the bartending/mixology side of Balliceaux (over in the fan).
I just don’t understand the opposition to having both food and alcohol available. The Hill Cafe and Anthony’s, for example, are both perfectly family friendly, but have alcohol. I have been in the Hill Cafe later at night and on a weekend, and found an atmosphere that was less family friendly and a little louder – but it wasn’t a nuisance to the neighborhood and kids should have been in bed at that hour anyway. Balliceaux has, in my experience, a similar atmosphere – more upscale/fine dining earlier in the evening, more of a bar/party atmosphere after nine or ten – though I haven’t eaten there as much as gone there for drinks in the last few months.
In any event, there are noise ordinances, strict rules on how alcohol can be advertised and sold, and all sorts of ABC laws on over serving and managing drinking that I don’t see how having a place in the neighborhood serve alcohol should pose a problem.
ALSO – every restaurant I have ever worked has dependably heavily on alcohol sales to pad their budget – and I have worked in ethnic restaurants, fast casual, fine dining, counter service and in a resort/upscale hotel. Those alcohol sales helped pad the budget so we could stay open during slow periods, keep the kitchen open longer hours, and helped ensure the employees got paid and made good tips, etc. It’s great that a place like the Alamo can manage without alcohol, but counter service is a different game!
@23 Lee – I hear you, and I agree with you about most of what you posted. (Probably all except I haven’t been in Balliceaux). My issue with K’s post is how does one get from dim sum and full service Chinese to “bar and grill” which sounds to me more like the former OMG Cafe? I understand this place will have a full bar. I just don’t get the comparison to a “bar and grill” which sounds to me like a small, dark, dingy place with nothing but a grill for burgers and maybe a fry basket. These folks are talking small plates, that’s what dim sum is, and other Chinese. In my reading of the post, K wasn’t condemning this place for not being family friendly, K was condemning it for being “bar and grill” hence loud and full of a bunch of drunks with little or no attention to food. This place is proposing to be a restaurant, albeit one with a bar. This one would serve Chinese; Metzger’s serves more German. What’s the diff?
I’m still waiting to hear from RP @15 who said there was organized opposition and why they aren’t also opposed to Union Market, or Metzger’s, both of which are close (within a block or so). The latter offers full bar, too, but I haven’t heard anyone come out against it.
@23 Lee, I was trying to find similar places closer to this proposed restaurant, hence Union Market (block and a half or two blocks away, serves beer and wine on/off) and Metzger (a half block away) with full bar. I’d be interested to hear if someone comes on here and complains about those establishments.
I know I’m repeating myself, but last I heard, Union Hill really wanted that urban business zoning that allows for corner restaurants and other such places, and no off street parking is needed. So what gives with any opposition to this place?
My name is Ross and I live at 708 N 23 St.,about 50 feet from this project.The first thing I would like to point out is that my house and the 700 block on N 23rd St. are not shown in any rendering. As a matter of fact I have seen no renderings of this project from the North looking South.There’s a reason for this.It towers over these little houses and looks totally out of context,deceitful.Secondly, ABC permits are important for two reasons.First, they transfer so every time the business changes hands the rules can change.Secondly, too often the permit is used to prop up a failing business and and a restaurant becomes more bar than restaurant.I didn’t move into a bar district nor do I want to live in one. Two bars within two blocks is plenty. Around this property are 11 houses and only 3 have access to off street parking. 8 houses will lose their parking for one greedy developer’s pocketbook.This proposed project started with a restaurant, I would love Chinese takeout and will probably be one of their biggest customers.Now it’s also become delivery,catering and they are courting people for a bar business.The restaurant employees alone guarantee that I will never come home from work and park within eyesight of my house and that doesn’t address the 10+ parking spaces needed for the apartments and houses. I would suggest putting the Chinese restaurant into the old market at 24th and Jefferson Ave. Not only does it save an old building they won’t have the parking issues.As to what I would like.To be able to get donuts and a big cup of coffee at 7:00 AM we need early morning choices The last point I want to make is that we currently have 3 over built, infrastructure hogging projects looking for approval, so this is becoming a trend and we need stop it now.It starts with OUR parking. What happens when people stop driving up here because they don’t have convenient parking for dinner.That’s my rant and I’m sticking to it.I’m well aware I won’t win this argument here so I hope to make this my last post.
Uhh…Ross – you rent, correct? You don’t actually own the property at 708 N. 23rd? Who forced you to move into a rental with no offstreet parking?
Do us all a favor – when you actually invest at least a penny into this community like this “greedy developer”, then come back to us with your input.
People in this neighborhood (other than you) want amenities they can walk to. We want choices. If all we cared about was parking, we’d move to glen allen.
I love suggestions like “putting the Chinese restaurant into the old market at 24th and Jeffeson”. Let’s just waive a magic wand…..
I’m going to remind everyone that it would be awesome if we can discuss this without unnecessary rancor going forward.
@RP and @Union Hill Resident – I think you both have a point about the parking. But I would point out that renters are, arguably, the ones who really pay their landlord’s property tax! Regardless, that’s not the issue: Free parking is not a right – in fact, in the long run, it probably does more harm than good. Maybe I’m crazy – but I recommend Donald Shoup’s “The High Cost of Free Parking” to anyone who goes on a rant about parking spaces. Probably won’t make you feel any better when you can’t find a parking space, admittedly, but he makes a pretty strong argument against the notion that everyone deserves or needs a free parking space.
@RP – oh, the and building and Jefferson and 24th is probably a goner. Which I hate/is a shame. But the place is visibly collapsing/leaning, and taking the sidewalk with it. I imagine if anyone ever buys it, they would tear it down and combine the land with the larger lot behind it for a bigger building – or tear it down and rebuild it.
Also, I don’t understand why catering and delivery pose a problem. (I’ve already said I don’t understand why alcohol poses a problem, but let’s table that). I mean, most Chinese places in bigger cities deliver. That’s pretty standard. In my experience, most restaurants will cater as well, even if catering isn’t something they advertise. These are activities which should require LESS space and/or LESS parking by virtue of the fact that they can be done efficiently out of the same kitchen. I’m not trying to shoot you down or anything, just wondering – am I missing something?
@30… L–you’re wrong. Tenants do not pay the Landlord’s property tax…the landlord pays the tax.
By paying rent, the tenant has the pleasure of living on the landlords premises and using the amenities provided…that’s it…nothing more.
Using your analogy, I suppose your employer purchased all of the Christmas gifts for your kids?
I live on 27th street – very near the Dutch & Co and WPA corners. When we first moved up here, parking was not a problem.Now, with wonderful neighbors and two thriving businesses on the corners, parking can be a little challenging. Do I care? NO! Yes, sometimes I have to circle the block to find a parking place but I don’t care. I am so happy to have these businesses on my little block!
Laura – that’s not a good comparison at all. Taxes and fees tend to get passed on to end users. In a rental market with strong demand, property taxes will get passed on to the renters. I am a landlord, and if my property taxes go up, my tenant’s rent will be going up shortly afterward. There is no analogy here – it’s basic pass through. Doesn’t always work – depends on market conditions.
I really don’t think your comparison to christmas gifts fits at all, but lets pretend it does: In the current (national) job market, most people are in no position to demand more compensation from their employers to purchase more/better/more expensive christmas gifts for their children. But in Church Hill, most landlords are certainly going to be able to increase rents to offset any increase in property taxes. Which raises the question: Who is really paying?
I agree with L on parking. I think as soon as the project is done the parking issue will be forgotten. A little perspective might be in order, it’s Union Hill not NYC. Let’s say there are 10 tables in the restaurant even if everyone drove (which I hope will not be the case). I think that the neighborhood could easily absorb 10 additional parked vehicles. Is anyone here in urban planning? There must be a formula on parking space density. There’s no need to guess on the impact.
Happy Holidays everyone.
Yay for more food and More beer ! Maybe the folks at dim sum can talk to the folks at cedar st .church for access to parking 6 1/2 days a week .
We all deal. I live on the same block as Proper Pie and and if I can live through the street-parking situation, I think the folks around And Dim Sum will survive unscathed as well. 🙂
@27, please don’t beat up on tenants.The many people I know who rent also add to the community. While I don’t totally agree with Ross, I don’t see the need to beat up on him due to the fact that he doesn’t own his house and yet wants to have a voice in the area. He deserves to have a voice.
A number of years ago, rezoning went on in two areas: Union Hill and Church Hill North. Union Hill, by way of their civic association, strongly supported the urban business zoning that encourages corner development and does not require off street parking. Church Hill North, on the other hand, did not want that zoning with the exception of the area around 27th and Marshall. What we’re seeing now is somewhat partially a result of that rezoning. (At least that’s my memory of what happened, helped along by a neighbor who also remembers it).
#38, agreed. I live in that same block.
What a comment string! We will have off street parking in the parking lot right across the street from the site courtesy of Cedar St Baptist Church OR we have some other options if we can’t finalize all of the details with them.
I think what makes our neighborhood one of the best places to live is the walkability of it. There is no other neighborhood quite like ours in Richmond. I live 3 blocks from here and am totally syked about walking to get some dumplings or some sake pretty much any night of the week. Its these corner stores, businesses and interesting architecture that gives us the flare and dynamic that other neighborhoods lack making Church Hill all the cooler.
The menu price points will under $20 per entrée and more around the $10 price point. Dumplings (chicken, shrimp, pork, spicy beef…), Noodle Bowls… etc. This is going to be a really neat concept and the price point should be very appropriate for the neighborhood. It should be well received and would be another unique addition to the area.
Thanks for all of the posts and comments. It is very exciting to hear everyone’s thoughts and feelings on the restaurant and building. We are going in front of CAR later this month and will be submitting to the Union Hill Civic Association at their next meeting.
I live on 26th and M, a block away from The Roosevelt, and yes, the addition of the restaurant has added some parking issues at night. Mostly when I watch West Enders try to parallel park. That’s it. So there will be some extra cars on your block, and you will have to park a little further away from your home.
The good news is that a well lit restaurant and more pedestrians on the street will make that half a block walk feel slightly safer than it would have 10 years ago.
I also know Matt. Not as the Donald Trump of Church Hill; a greedy developer as he has been portrayed, but as a friendly guy who likes to walk his dog while drinking a beer in the evenings. Talk to him sometime while giving George a scratch behind the ears, and you will see he loves this neighborhood. And a really good Chinese place that delivers? Yes please
So what happened to this?