Restaurant(s) On The Road To Ruin…. Part #2
Author: Bookstore Piet // Category: Sensi, restaurants, richmondI had said last week that ‘the restaurant that shall not be named’ was being kept afloat by banquets and large parties. Seems the situation is a bit more dire. They’ve been able to snag all that business this holiday season by offering the party coordinators a ‘double your dollar’ promotion. Hey, I’d eat there if it was 50% off. OK, I wouldn’t… but I would definitely walk out with a case or two of wine. The normal next steps in the death spiral would be early bird specials, kids eat free, and finally an all-you-can eat buffet. Last person to leave the building please blow out the candles….
In slightly more sad news we may be losing a real gem on the local scene. Sources tell me that unless business significantly improves or a white-knight investor steps in Sensi may be closing their doors in the first quarter of 2009. That would be a real shame. The food is excellent and may be some of the most creative we have here in RVA. Millie’s, Lu-Lu’s, and deLux are all good, but like so many other places in RVA, there is a distinct sameness to their dishes. Sensi uses a whole different taste palate and really raised the bar for food here. My only real complaint with Sensi would be the dining room seems a bit like they never finished the space. Regardless, here’s to hoping they survive.
It’s even possible we could see the closing of a third restaurant in that area. Morton’s is considering going through a contraction in 2009 and the Richmond location is under preforming. While I’m not a huge fan of chains all this does not bode well for the Richmond dining scene. Unless you are looking for a new space… Then there may be some nice pre-outfitted spaces coming available….
December 27th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
We love Sensi and would hate to see it close! It is a bit “tucked away” and without a website, so perhaps they don’t get the advertisement they need. We’ve had great food and service each time we’ve gone and love the fact that it’s non-smoking.
December 29th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I am very sorry (but sadly not surprised) to read this….we had dinner with 12 friends there Friday night and everything was spot on…Sensi truly is one of Richmond’s unsung heroes. It pisses me off that they have great food and service and it goes unappreciated.
January 2nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Part of it is their own fault. It’s absolutely ridiculous for a restaurant like that to have no website. There’s just NOTHING out there about it. Some restaurants get away with that (Edo’s), but it’s just dumb to have no easy way for people to see what your establishment looks like and serves.
The 1 time I have been there, it was just shy of terrific. No one I know has been there because they have never heard of it, or drove by and didn’t know what it was. It would be a shame for them to close.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:25 am
So sad that sensi is in trouble. I think it’s their tucked away location. If they were closer and easier to get to we would go there whenever we get the chance.