Shockoe Slip was once the bustling headquarters of tobacco and cotton barons who traded daily in the cobblestoned port below the falls of the James River. Tragically, this vital business district was reduced to rubble during the Civil War. The building we know and love today underwent numerous changes and housed various businesses after this period, including a tobacco manufacturer (1877), a grocery company (1906), a paint and oil company (1921), a hardware warehouse (1957) and many more.
Shockoe Slip was once the bustling headquarters of tobacco and cotton barons who traded daily in the cobblestoned port below the falls of the James River. Tragically, this vital business district was reduced to rubble during the Civil War. The building we know and love today underwent numerous changes and housed various businesses after this period, including a tobacco manufacturer (1877), a grocery company (1906), a paint and oil company (1921), a hardware warehouse (1957) and many more.
In 1973, Jearald Cable saw the potential of the Shockoe Slip as a major restaurant and retail district. He took a chance on this vision by purchasing two, three story warehouses and proceeded to design what is now known as The Tobacco Company Restaurant; named after the building’s initial purpose. Dr. Cable envisioned a restaurant that captured the essence of the Victorian era, drawing inspiration from a time in Richmond's history when tobacco reigned supreme. The interior focal point was to be a three-story atrium with an exposed antique elevator to carry guests from the first-floor cocktail lounge to the two dining floors above.
Once construction was completed, the search began throughout the country for unique furnishings to fill the restaurant. The antique brass elevator was made by Otis Elevator Company for the Con Edison building in New York City. The grand walnut staircase was salvaged from the old St. Luke’s Hospital in Richmond. The bronze chandelier came from the Federal Reserve Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio. The hostess desk on the first floor is a train ticket booth purchased at an Atlanta auction. All brickwork, heavy beams, and columns are original to the building. Lastly, the addition of hundreds of lush plants and fresh flowers breathed life into the entirety of the building.
The Tobacco Company Restaurant is now a multifaceted dining and entertainment showplace. The four-story establishment boasts a cocktail lounge with live music on the first floor, two distinct upper-level fine dining floors, and a popular nightclub with a dance floor on the lowest level. With all of these options in one place, you never even have to leave the building!
