Six Burner to become Heritage under new ownership

A Richmond restaurant trio on the fast track will be taking over Main Street’s Six Burner. Joe Sparatta, and Emilia Sparatta announced today that they will be taking over the restaurant space for Heritage, with plans to be up and running by October 2nd.

August 17, 2012; 10:00 AM • by Fan of the Fan

ABOVE: Emilia Sparatta, Joe Sparatta, and Mattias Hagglund via SPEAKEASY DINING

A Richmond restaurant trio on the fast track will be taking over Main Street’s Six Burner. Putting some facts to the rumors that have been swirling recently, Mattias Hagglund, Joe Sparatta, and Emilia Sparatta announced today that they will be taking over the restaurant space for Heritage, with plans to be up and running by October 1.

Hagglund, Sparatta, & Sparatta have each made their mark in some of the city’s more high-profile restaurants, and will now be striking out on their own. The three recently made a splash with their launch of Speakeasy Dining, “a chef-bartender-sommelier service-for-hire that will come to your home and cater custom designed food and drink menus”. With Heritage, their combined approach to dining will have a home of it’s own.

Carrying an impressive resume in New York and New Jersey, Joe Sparatta moved to Richmond with his wife Emilia in 2011. Chef Sparatta led the kitchen reboot at LuLu’s after the departure of Neil Smith, and later became a force in the kitchen at the opening of Downtown’s Pasture. Emilia Sparatta brought her own stellar history and passion “for the business in the dining room” along to LuLu’s, helped open Pasture, and has most recently been at Bistro 27. Bartender Mattias Hagglund (brother to Emilia), having earned his industry stripes at Penny Lane Pub, Bistro 27, and New Jersey’s elements, returned to Richmond to upgrade the bar service at Comfort and has become one of RVA’s premier mixologists.

The corner of Main and Vine Streets has been a best of Richmond dining go-to for almost 9 years now. Six Burner was opened in early 2006 by Chef Dale Reitzer (of the award-winning Acacia Midtown). With Reitzer and Chef Lee Gregory (now of The Roosevelt) in the kitchen, the new eatery was an immediately appreciated upgrade on the The Lighthouse and The Trolley, the location’s two previous tenants. Reitzer sold Six Burner to Ry Marchant (also a partner in Pasture with Jason Alley) in 2005. After Gregory left to open Staunton’s Mockingbird, Chef Philip Denny came in to rave reviews. Six Burner briefly closed in June of this year for remodeling, reopening with a brighter look and new small plates menu.

Heritage immediately becomes one of the city’s most anticipated new restaurants, joining Church Hill’s Dutch and Company, Downtown’s Merroir RVA, the Near West End’s Toast, and Boulevard’s Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen on the list of new joints coming to Richmond over the next few months.

Keep up with Speakeasy and the rest: @SpeakeasyRVA @hagglundmn @jsparatta