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Matthew and Nafis Narsinghani, spouses and owners of Gold Lion Community Cafe
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Gold Lion is located at 1012 Hull St. in Manchester in the former Brewer’s Cafe space.
When Matthew and Nafis Narsinghani relocated to Richmond from Tennessee, the semi-newlyweds in their early 30s were in search of a place that they could settle in, somewhere that felt accepting.
Before moving from East Nashville, Matthew says the couple watched as signs that read “This House Doesn’t Tolerate Hate,” and “You Belong,” symbols of allyship and support, slowly disappeared from lawns in their neighborhood. The defining moment came in February after Tennessee passed a law (since declared unconstitutional, though the state attorney general has filed an appeal) restricting public drag show performances.
“We weren’t feeling safe anymore,” says Matthew, who has a tattoo of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson on his arm. “We spent the last year trying to decide where we wanted to go, and we rolled out the map and we’re like, which states have LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws? And thank you, Virginia.”
After the couple landed in Richmond, Matthew was unexpectedly laid off from his long-term job. “When that happened to me, things started to crack in my life,” he says. As for what he would do next, “It started with the thought of opening a coffee shop where we could start doing volunteer activities and finding ways to work in the community.”
One day when driving down Hull Street, he spotted a for-rent sign in the window of a vacant storefront, and the thought started becoming a reality.
With a projected opening in early October, Gold Lion Community Cafe will bring a new, LGBTQ-friendly presence to the former Brewer’s Cafe space at 1012 Hull St. in Manchester (that coffee shop closed in the fall of 2022 after moving from its original Bainbridge Street location the year before). The Narsinghanis’ hope is for the cafe to serve as a safe space where guests can experience everything from a local cup of coffee and Indian-tinged, plant-powered fare to craft cocktails and vegan bar nosh. The second phase of Gold Lion, expected to debut in November, will be Duke’s Den, an in-house bar connected to the cafe and named for the owners’ 15-year-old beagle.
Matthew says this venture feels like an organic progression.
“I was a closeted gay kid who grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, so I never went to school, ... and I was very quiet and just kind of kept to myself,” he says. “Coffee is how I got into working in hospitality. I got my kind of upstart when I was 18; I moved out of my mom’s house before graduation and started working at a coffee shop.”
From that first gig, Matthew went on to serve former President and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama cappuccino while working at Fleet Street Kitchen in Baltimore, join the teams at various Nashville restaurants, manage venues from a night club to a trendy steak and oyster bar, and even briefly attend pastry school.
“When I kind of step back and took a look at what makes me happy, it’s standing over there and talking to someone,” Matthew says, pointing to the cafe counter. “I would rather do it in a more meaningful way and help my team members and enrich the community.”
Nafis grew up in Memphis and is currently a realtor for River Fox Realty. His parents immigrated from Hyderabad, India, in the 1980s. A graduate of the University of Miami, he is also a yogi, with a focus on decolonizing the practice and bringing it back to Eastern traditions.
“This space is something the community needs. There is nothing like this anymore here [in Manchester], and we’re just trying to find ways to make it accessible to people,” he says.
Still looking to fill a few positions, one of Gold Lion’s first hires was community coordinator Meg McDermott, a longtime friend of Matthew’s and his onetime prom date. Her goal is to host intentional, cover-free events that range from drag queen story hours to seminars on resume-building.
The inside of Gold Lion has been bedecked in a bright yet understated shade of yellow. A wall near the front window provides a dedicated space for local artists, with the intent to highlight creatives who are LGBTQ, Black, Indigenous and other people of color. Matthew, a self-described “plant girlie,” will also sell the ceramic pots he makes filled with houseplants, noting that they will be very affordable. On the other side of the dining room is a stage for performances.
Looking to forge bonds with local purveyors, Gold Lion has partnered with Afterglow Coffee Cooperative, Richland Dairy Farms for milk and ice cream, and Cupertino’s for bagels. They are also working to establish relationships with an area farm to source eggs and an area baker for pastries.
Entirely vegetarian or vegan, as well as nut-free, the menu at Gold Lion is a blend of Matthew’s meat-free upbringing — which started with the practices of his Wiccan mother and continued due to his love for animals — along with Nafis’ Indian heritage and college years spent in Miami. Reflecting on the coffee-empanada combo that is ubiquitous in the Florida metropolis, the duo looked to another hand-held savory snack: samosas.
“Having that Indian influence in the cuisine brings me back to what I loved in my childhood,” Nafis says. “I have those core memories of literally making the samosa fillings with my family; it was very communal. I feel like that’s the kind of essence I want to bring to this cafe, that sense of well-being, community and coming together over food.”
A popular Indian street food, the flaky and fried triangles, traditionally stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices, will be available, plus a handful of playful variations including cheese pizza, vegetable lo mein and taco.
“Our staple is what we want to be known for, and it’s our samosas,” Matthew says. “We want to be able to make things a bit more accessible and introduce something that perhaps is new, in a familiar way.”
Other menu items at the cafe include smoothies and acai bowls, sandwiches such as Worthington’s turkey with vegan or dairy cheese on a hoagie or baguette; the Powerhouse Veggie, with avocado, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, carrots and miso vinaigrette; vegan barbecue served on a Hawaiian bun with vegan slaw and housemade sauce; and a samosa-filling base topped with tamarind chutney on a bun.
Lighter options range from a classic Greek salad to a spring mix with mangoes, crispy chickpeas, diced cucumbers and avocado tossed in a garam masala vinaigrette, and the Rozina, an ode to Nafis’ mother and her signature cucumber-tomato salad. Breakfast will balance between sweet and savory — chai French toast, a tofu breakfast burrito, and avocado toast with mango and a dash of Old Bay, like a true Eastern Shore native, Matthew says with a laugh.
Narsinghani translates to “man lion,” and the spouses share an affinity that dates back to childhood for the powerful feline. Wanting to add a regal touch and a bit of shimmer, they settled on the name Gold Lion Community Cafe.
“I loved going to cafes, that’s where you met people and share a lot of stories,” Nafis says. “I didn’t realize how important it was in my life until we started thinking about the cafe. With my background and just what we want to share with people in Richmond, especially after coming here and feeling super safe and welcomed, it’s kind of our way to give back. We definitely feel like this is home now.”
Projected hours for Gold Lion Community Cafe are Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
