By Josh Epperson
The path to success in RVA is paved with community spirit. Need a reason to believe? Head up to Church Hill and you’ll find the proof is in the pastries.
Three new businesses have recently opened their doors to a Greater Richmond public hungry for honest food made with them in mind. After receiving grants from Bon Secours’ “Supporting East End Development” program, Proper Pie Co., Sub Rosa, and WPA Bakery are defining a movement across the River City where people are making their own success with their own hands. It is a movement defined by the spirit of mutual benefit and dedication to authenticity. It is marked by a command of creativity and a confidence in vision. It is made up of individuals following a dream, with a little help from their friends.Presented here – in alphabetical order – are three businesses that buck the idea of competition with each other, and put their hands to
Presented here – in alphabetical order – are three businesses that buck the idea of competition with each other, and put their hands to dough to create baked goods worthy of their beloved Greater Richmond.
Proper Pie Co.
Started by husband and wife team Nikki Price and Neil Smith, Proper Pie is bringing the New Zealand-style savory hand-pie to RVA. The shop is conveniently located near the corner of Broad Street and 25th. If you happen to stroll by on a Sunday afternoon, take a look through their windowed storefront. You’ll see a hoard of Richmonders clamoring to get their pie fix. “Personally, we both just want to do it proper,” says Price, discussing their approach to opening the shop. “There are tons of great restaurants; we just wanted to do things different. We didn’t want to be another restaurant, and we just want it to come through that we care. We’re not a restaurant; we’re a pie shop. For some reason, that’s different for me.”
After spending years in Richmond, Price and Smith knew what they loved about the local food scene, but they also saw some gaps. After receiving a grant from Bon Secours, they knew how they were going to fill at least one: handmade pies in Church Hill. “Something about it just drew us back here. This place was just speaking to us, and after everything, we feel like we made the right choice,” says Price.
And how do they feel about their other baking neighbors? Price doesn’t once mention competition. Confident in each of their unique approaches, she’s genuinely excited. “I just get the awesome chills! It feels like it’s all really working.”
Sub Rosa
Evrim Dogu is a purist when it comes to making bread. His approach is marked not so much by a snobby, holier-than-thou vibe, but more so by an obsession for tradition and a willingness to suffer. After spending nearly two years baking bread at his father’s restaurant in Northern Virginia and sharing the resulting bounty with Charlottesville and RVA, Dogu found himself in a position to open up a real home for his bread baking craft. “Really the idea was to recreate a vision of the old world. That’s what we wanted the space to be. Just what we would want in our own lives as the ideal; we wanted to create this little experimental place where we were just doing it old school,” says Dogu about the thinking behind the bakery.
The grant from Bon Secours gave Dogu an opportunity to execute his dream in the most authentic, self-sufficient way he knew how. He bought a stone mill. “We mill two breads with 100 percent stone-ground flour and then we mill the rye and the corn for our other breads. With the mill we have so much creative control over this part of the process, and everything we mill is used in 24 hours and, I mean, you can’t get fresher than that.” Sub Rosa, a Latin phrase that denotes secrecy or confidentiality, is anything but cloistered and hidden. The beautiful space resides literally on the corner of 25
Sub Rosa, a Latin phrase that denotes secrecy or confidentiality, is anything but cloistered and hidden. The beautiful space resides literally on the corner of 25th and Jefferson Avenue and is awash in a feeling of openness and comfort. When you make the trip, check out the oven made from 400 bricks salvaged from an old chimney in the building, and if you get a chance, ask Dogu about the process of making bread. He had to buy quality industrial baking equipment to cater for the large quantities of bread he makes every day and it’s amazing to learn about the whole process. The bread tastes great too! It’s clear that he could talk about his love for the craft for hours. “I throw wood in the oven every day and light it on fire to make bread by hand. Nothing can recreate that process. It’s just one of the good things in life.”
WPA Bakery
What was once a Laundromat is now a cozy bakery on 27th and Marshall Street. WPA (Well-made Bakery Alliance) combines the business savvy of Kendra Feather, owner of Ipanema Cafe, Garnett’s Cafe, and the Roosevelt, and David Rohrer, the long-time baking master behind Feather’s restaurants. While the two enjoy several wholesale clients through the shop, they want it to be a perfect third space between work and home. “I just want it to be a place where you feel comfortable, where you can come in and drink a cup of tea or coffee and catch up with the neighbors,” says Rohrer. For
For Rohrer it’s an opportunity to more directly share his passion for baking with the Richmond community. The craftsmanship of handmade pastries has become a defining aspect of Rohrer’s character. “I was an art student, you know. I still paint, and I end up using a lot of my artist’s sensibilities in everything I do in the kitchen. There’s such creativity to it, and I’m always learning.”
The bakery doesn’t have a set menu, but instead offers the pies and pastries they happen to be making that day. The environment is comfy and casual. Just the way they want it. And the neighborhood is helping to shape the way for them. According to Rohrer, “We’re still woring out what we are, but the regulars help you figure out what they want, and that helps us figure out what we’ll become.”