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Urban Farmhouse is now open!

Nine months after popping up on the radar, the Urban Farmhouse at Lava Lofts opened for business today.

This is the 3rd location for the Richmond-based collection of restaurants, with owner Kathleen Richardson also working to open a fourth at 3031 Norfolk Street in Scott’s Addition:

With two locations added this year, she said the region should prepare itself for more Urban Farmhouses.

“It’s always been part of the plan to have Richmond as our core and go the [interstates] 95 and 64 route,” Richardson said.

Urban Farmhouse
310 North 33rd Street
(804)222-4700
theurbanfarmhouse.net | Facebook | @urbanfarmhouse

74 comments

quantious08 01/08/2014 at 2:23 PM

are they hiring at all?

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Alli Alligood 01/08/2014 at 4:58 PM

I was just told that they will be open until 8 pm tonight and have a full menu — and some minor construction going on.

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crd 01/08/2014 at 7:33 PM

Anyone know when they open in the morning, and the planned regular hours?

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Amy N-B 01/08/2014 at 9:19 PM

6am-9pm

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Frank Pichel 01/09/2014 at 5:27 PM

oh yes.

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Lucky Canine 01/09/2014 at 8:56 PM

Went in for lunch today. It was good, fast and friendly. They told me they got their beer and wine approval yesterday. 🙂

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Elaine Odell 01/09/2014 at 10:14 PM

Yup–picked up a couple nice bottles of wine and a snack tonight on the way home. Love the layout; great use of the space. Looking forward to going back for a meal.

Feel a tad bad about taking a resident parking space for my quick visit. Maybe GRTC could give up some of that uber-huge (half a block!) no-parking zone across the street for a 15-minute parking zone?

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Michelle 01/10/2014 at 7:17 AM

Great idea Elaine.

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Cristina 01/10/2014 at 1:26 PM

I’m just gonna go ahead and say this even though so far everyone on this post loves this new spot….
I went and checked it out myself and found the sandwiches to be overpriced (given how SMALL they are) and the market items to be luxury/expensive items that I probably wont really shell out for. It’s disappointing because this neighborhood is mixed income meaning the folks who can pay the couple grand for an apartment upstairs and the people down the street in Section 8 housing and/or wouldn’t be able to make it without food stamps. If we are going to get a new market in the neighborhood, I would really hope that they would cater to the actual community that’s around them and not contribute to social stratification. I hope the upcoming Union Market is more suited for the REAL Church Hill community and if they are, I will support them generously.

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Justin 01/10/2014 at 2:57 PM

@12 Would you say the same about Dutch & Co and Roosevelt?

It’s locally sourced ingredients, farm-to-table, etc – so that’s probably why it seems overpriced.

I don’t think they should be faulted for offering healthier and more sustainable foods than can be found at McDonald’s.

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Cristina 01/10/2014 at 3:29 PM

Justin, wouldn’t it be great if our low income neighbors could enjoy healthy options and locally sourced ingredients at price they could afford? This type of lifestyle should not be limited to our middle and upper middle class community members. And yes, I don’t support the Roosevelt and Dutch & Co for the same reasons. Last I checked, it didn’t cost $10 to make a vegetable sandwich between two pieces of toast. No wonder there is such an epidemic of heart disease and obesity in the low income community- a burger at McDonald’s is only $2!

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Nbd 01/10/2014 at 4:01 PM

Are you sure it’s locally sourced? Farm to table? Etc… or perhaps just good marketing allowing you to believe your dollar is being well spent. Im sure lava loft and broad st residents are quite satisfied. Also, yes its true that this food quality stands high above companies such as McDonalds but the intentions behinde it may be all to similar. Owner kathleen richardson has worked at the corporate level for mcdonalds, starbucks, and panera bread just to name a few. Welcome to the neighborhood!

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Just sayin 01/10/2014 at 4:25 PM

Wayyyy to expensive for this neighborhood. Are yall actively trying to gentrify Church Hill or are you trying to “sustain” this “local” neighborhood? Those words yall are using are political, you know that right?

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DA 01/10/2014 at 4:32 PM

It takes all kinds to have a diverse, healthy neighborhood. I’m glad to see them make a go at this.

If they are too expensive then the market will get them in the long run, right? Or are they just too expensive for you?

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Justin 01/10/2014 at 4:39 PM

@14 A burger at McDonald’s is hardly a burger. Your issue here is that soda, fast food, etc are cheaper and more easily found than the healthier options. And that the portion sizes that can be had for cheap are larger than what we really need.

It sucks that healthier food is more expensive – I agree. But we need the demand for healthier food to rise before we’ll see change. More demand for healthier food will bring more competition. And that will lower prices. So yes, I think we need more places like Urban, even if you find the prices “wrong”.

And I don’t know Urban’s cost for ingredients – but I’ll bet its a lot more than what can be purchased from PFG in bulk.

@15 Are you saying their food is not locally sourced?

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laura 01/10/2014 at 7:07 PM

Cristina…Blue Wheeler is across the street and Clay St Market is pretty close.

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Camille 01/10/2014 at 8:13 PM

Yay Cristina! I can’t deal when restaurants put their twee little chalkboards out trumpeting “community” and “local” ingredients while serving food half the real actual living breathing community can’t afford. Here’s a good site on fighting gentrification: http://mountpleasant.mysite.com/blank.html. I wonder what other projects are being planned right now for church hill?

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ann 01/10/2014 at 8:30 PM

And for those who might complain about having to pay for someone else to make a sandwich, head a couple of blocks to 501 N. 30th for fresh vegetables and a loaf of bread: /2013/07/16/get-fresh-east-end_28220/

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Shawn Stone 01/11/2014 at 1:56 AM

I can’t understand why someone would fault a business for starting in a neighborhood where it can and will be successful. If the neighborhood doesn’t have enough residents interested in and willing to support the business, it will fail. Otherwise, if there are in fact enough people to sustain it…why would you fault it? Members of the community deserve and demand the business for whatever it is they provide. People don’t commute across town to a low-class neighborhood to support an upper-class restaurant; the restaurant exists because locals are supporting it. It’s ridiculous to avoid business catering to the local population based purely on the fact that it is only catering to a portion of the population. If you apply the logic against ductch & co., urban farmhouse, etc. to another local business catering to a different crowd like str8 out of philly or whatever, it would be absolutely classist and unacceptable. If a business has willing and grateful customers, it has a right and justification to exist.

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Lucky Canine 01/11/2014 at 9:00 AM

I am glad to have a market close by that has items I’ve needed in the past and had to leave CH to purchase, such as: organic milk, bread, coffee, butter, ice cream and local craft beer. I do NOT need 40s, md 20/20, cigarettes, blunts or bowls, but there are many places in CH where I could purchase those items. The fact that UF is a restaurant as well is a bonus. The food is pricey but the neighborhood can support it, as evidenced by Dutch and Co., Roosevelt, Hill Cafe, WPA, Sub Rosa, etc. My one time at UF (so far), my food was good and fresh. It’s a great place for people in CH to get together to share a beer, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. Not everyone in CH wants to socialize by loitering in front of the Blue Wheeler.

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clay st resident 01/11/2014 at 11:46 AM

So the REAL Churchill is opposed to Urban Farmhouse?

Does that make me imaginary then? Guess I better go break the news to my family. Not sure how they are going to feel about this disturbing news 😉

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Diana 01/11/2014 at 1:49 PM

Tried lunch there today. Really disappointing! I mean bad. They need to dress up the place too. Stark.

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Lucky Canine 01/11/2014 at 3:04 PM

I guess I’m not “real” either. And maybe I am also not part of “the actual community that surrounds” UF even though I live right next door to them?? Huh.

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Amy N-B 01/11/2014 at 5:25 PM

I think it looks gorgeous and am I thrilled to have UF near my house.

I recognize the negatives of gentrification, but I also appreciate having diverse businesses (and for that matter diverse neighbors). I’m going to continue to get my beer at the Wheeler, while grabbing a sandwich at UF. Sub Rosa has my heart when it comes to croissants, Dutch and Co for a fancy dinner, Anthony’s for pizza to go, and Proper Pie for comfort food.

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