RICHMOND, Va. — The family behind Stella's, Little Nickel and The Continental has announced the newest addition to its Richmond restaurant empire and the Giavos family did not have to go far to find it. Lafayette Tavern will open on Lafayette Street, across from Stella's in Richmond's West End, later this year.
Constantine Giavos, son of Katrina and Johnny Giavos and grandson to the late Stella Dikos, has been working to create the look and feel of the new restaurant that he calls "a tribute to the classic American restaurant."
"I’ve had the idea to do a place like this for a while, but the opportunity never fully presented itself. I’d sit at the window at Stella’s, looking across the street, admiring how amazing that black glass looked—they just don’t make buildings like that anymore," Constantine Giavos said about the space that once housed a 1940s-area pharmacy. "When we bought 1011 Lafayette St., we initially considered expanding the Stella’s brand, but then the eureka moment happened. I went and mocked up the idea, presented it to everyone, and really told the full story of why Lafayette Tavern needed to be in that space. In my mind, you just couldn’t do this concept in a place that was new construction. It needed to feel authentic to really capture the essence of what this place will be. That’s something my dad and I talk about all the time — how important it is to let a building’s history help shape what it should become. We really try to adhere to this idea — I think Perly’s and Little Nickel are good examples of that. You take in the building and let it guide the concept, finding a way to honor its character and evoke a specific feeling, but you also add your own twist to make it something special and new."
Giavos said he was most excited about the restaurant's rich wood tones, checkerboard marble floors, leather banquettes, and intimate bar.
"I’ve been quietly working on the creative for a while, and we’re excited that construction is finally underway,” Giavos said.
As for the food, he shared the menu would attempt to offer "refined takes on long-standing American fare."
"I think when people see themes like this, their minds immediately go to ‘steakhouse,’ but there’s such a rich tradition of the classic American tavern that’s alive and well, especially in cities like Chicago and New York. The key for us is dressing it up a bit—executing each dish with care and doing service with purpose," he said. "Sure, we’ve got a couple steaks on the menu, but we’re also working within the lexicon of classic American fare. The goal is more like, okay, let’s make the best Caesar salad we can. Let’s make a couple tweaks here and there to make things our own, but it’s less about being original and more about being good in my mind. It’s about taking timeless dishes and making them the best versions they can be, with a few signature items we can have fun with. And it’s not just the food; it’s how everything’s presented—down to the plateware and glassware—it all plays a part in creating that experience. I mean, I don’t know, how cool would it be to do prime rib on Sunday nights? That would be pretty cool to me."
Other Giavos owned and/or included restaurants include: Sidewalk Cafe, Galley, Kuba Kuba and Perly’s.
The Giavos family hopes to have Lafayette Tavern open this fall.
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