Nile & Avalon look to relaunch, Bogarts for sale, and Estilo coming to the Village Shopping Center

Summertime is when restaurants open, close, or relaunch. Tons of that going on in this week’s food news!

June 20, 2013; 9:06 AM • by Ross Catrow

Well RVA, it’s official: y’all love doughnuts. After opening up shop just last week and quickly getting inundated by hungry Richmonders, Sugar Shack doughnuts took a quick hiatus to get the “house in order, stock back up, and make a new plan to better serve everyone.” They’re opening back up today, so doughnuts for lunch is definitely an option. Along with their new game plan they’ve got new staff and some new hours:

• Monday – Friday • 6:30 AM – 3:30 PM
• Saturday • 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

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Earlier this month Avalon announced that they would be closing for two months for some major renovations. Important context for this bit of news: in March the restaurant was bought from long time owner Peter Harahan by Walied Sanie and James Baldwin. They’ve been planning on doing some renovations since taking ownership, so the news that Avalon’s temporarily closed shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’ll be interesting to see how much of “the old Avalon” (their words) sticks around and how much is reborn in the new owners’ vision.

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Speaking of temporary closings, Nile Ethiopian Restaurant will also close until August to make “some exciting changes.” They’ll be headed down the small plate route to make things a bit more affordable for VCU students. They will also diversify the menu and look to have a Middle Eastern, not just Ethiopian, focus.

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The award for ‘Best #Realtalk about owning a Restaurant in The Fan’ goes to Jim Bacas of Bogarts: “I’m going on 70 years old. I don’t need this shit,” he told Style Weekly. If your memory stretches all the way back to the previous decade, you’ll remember that Bogarts was once located in the current Balliceaux spot before moving down to Meadow and Cary. He’ll sell you the place for $225,000, if you’ve got some cash burning a hole in your pocket.

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Yeah strip malls are a thing us city dwellers like to look down on, but you know what? There are a ton of these things scattered about the periphery of our town, and the law of averages says that at least some of them will have great tenants.¹ Here’s proof! Patrons of the near West End Village Shopping Center, who already nosh at gastropub Toast, are getting new dinning spot: Estilo. Richmond.com reports that Toast’s owners, Jessica Fulbright Bufford and Josh Bufford, have purchased a neighboring location in the same strip and will be opening up Estilo in August.

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The Tobacco Co. has launched some new, fishy summer menu items–wait I mean that in the best of ways! These new dishes aren’t plotting your demise or destruction while casting furtive glances with their shifty, shifty eyes. Nope, they’re just actual fish plated up for your consumption. Check out the menu here (PDF).

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June 20, 2013 9:06 AM 0