Meet the folks behind And Dim Sum

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.

@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.

#8 – thanks John. Anything on CAR’s agenda is easily and readily available online.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

@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 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?

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…..

@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?

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!

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.

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. 🙂

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.

So what happened to this?