Bar Manager Jess Gonzalez is among the team making the transition from Cocodrilo to Bar West. Cocodrilo worked with Yebo on the rebrand of the concept. (Photo courtesy Bar West)
Knowing when a plan isn’t working, and pinpointing the reasons why, can be challenging. Oftentimes there’s an internal debate of “Keep going, you’ve put so much time into this,” joined by a dash of uncertainty and that underlying fear of post-decision remorse.
But after less than a year operating Cocodrilo, owners Rob Long, Brad Slemaker and Brandon MacConnell are eighty-sixing the Latin-tinged concept and shifting gears. On Jan. 20, the trio will introduce Bar West, describing it as a classic neighborhood bar.
“The gut feeling was, we know that lowering the barriers to entry and being more approachable is the right thing; how do we get there?” asks Long, also owner of boutique bowling alley River City Roll. “The ‘food for everybody, every day’ mantra became what we wanted to be.”
Wanting to shed Cocodrilo’s special-occasion skin, the Bar West team will take it back to basics, with a menu of casual eats, cocktails under $10 and a crisp, affordable house beer.
After opening Cocodrilo’s doors at 5811 Grove Ave. in March of last year, the owners say the restaurant quickly gained a reputation as a date-night venue rather than a refuge for regulars. And while executive chefs MacConnell and Slemaker both have backgrounds in fine dining — the duo first met while working at Lemaire — they came to realize that it’s all about serving the food they want to eat.
“You won’t see us sitting at the bar at Lemaire every night, but you will probably catch us at Bamboo two to three times a week,” MacConnell says. “That’s the kind of feeling we want to embrace here and put that food in front of you at a price point you’re not worried about, or not have to worry about not understanding a dish, things like that.”
Special-occasion restaurants often come with a special-occasion price tag. Prior to the reboot, entrees at Cocodrilo ranged from $22 to $32. It was during a Day of the Dead menu takeover in November, while offering a three-course dinner for $35, that the trio of restaurateurs had their “aha” moment. Not only were guests coming in to dine, they were expressing a desire to dine frequently.
“People were really excited to have what they deemed a value price-wise, but still getting access to stuff made by [MacConnell and Slemaker],” Long says. “A lot of them were like, ‘Hey, we’re really excited with those menus. … We’ll come a lot for this.”
The prix fixe menu was such a success, they served it again before the end of the year, followed by a similar event in late December, and those experiences served as unofficial tests of the new concept. Last week, the team brought in a panel of local food bloggers to gain feedback on future offerings for Bar West.
The fresh concept will be joined by a made-over restaurant space, making use of both front and back patios, switching out tables for high-tops near the bar, and adding eight flat-screen TVs. The goal is to move beyond the once narrowly focused menu and open things up a bit — a little less upscale, a lot more laid-back.
“We want to learn people’s names and see the same people every weekend, … be that 9 p.m. snack and a last drink kind of food,” says Ben Quade, director of operations for both Bar West and River City Roll.
The entire kitchen staff from Cocodrilo has been retained — and paid for their time off during the remodel — in addition to much of the front-of-house crew, easing the transition. For Slemaker, elevated bar fare is nothing new; the chef is also responsible for the menu at River City Roll, which marks five years in April.
Shareable plates at Bar West will include cast-iron shrimp with garlic butter and sherry, deviled eggs with caviar and smoked prosciutto, and grilled confit chicken wings. Among the sandwich selections are a burrata muffuletta and a fried oyster po’boy, with mains featuring a wood-grilled house burger, salmon and steak frites.
On Saturdays and Sundays, Bar West will offer a traditional brunch complete with mimosa, bloody mary and espresso martini flights, the latter featuring classic, anejo tequila-spiked, vanilla chai and whiskey-amaretto iterations. Bar Manager Jess Gonzalez says she is aiming to create a cocktail menu with staple sips, such as the Rose Gold, made with reposado, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and orange bitters, along with a frozen penicillin.
As the local dining community ushers in the era of approachable, familiar fare and witnesses the gradual decline of high-end dining, the shift is a mark of the times.
“The conversation of fine dining going out of the picture has been a conversation for a while now,” MacConnell says. And while the choice to shift gears from Cocodrilo to Bar West wasn’t made lightly, it’s one they feel is necessary, and one they’re looking forward to unveiling.
“I think when you look ... at the world and outside of Richmond, and the restaurant space and the economy, … the greater picture helped us make this decision,” Long says. “The direction we want to be in, is to be able to give people a super quality meal for any budget.”
Bar West will be open Tuesday through Friday from noon to midnight, Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The grand-opening weekend will be Jan. 27, with a live performance from the Bart Chucker Band.
