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(From left) Marcella Lee; her husband and Smoky Mug co-owner Dan Lee; co-owner Ryan Maynes; and his fiancee, Bethany Dunbar (Photo courtesy The Smoky Mug)
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Doubling as a cafe and barbecue spot, The Smoky Mug is set to host its grand opening on Nov. 17. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The Smoky Mug is located at 15 E. Brookland Park Blvd. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Outdoor patio space at The Smoky Mug (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
“Neighborhood” is a word Dan Lee uses often. The Richmond native can walk to work at Savage Apparel Co. on Brookland Park Boulevard, he is on a first-name basis with business owners along the corridor, and he has the scoop on upcoming North Side ventures.
And while brisket and lattes may seem like an uncommon combo, Lee and co-owner Ryan Maynes plan to bring the two together in harmony when they debut their cafe-meets-Texas-craft-barbecue concept, The Smoky Mug, at 15 E. Brookland Park Blvd. on Nov. 17.
“We didn’t see any reason why a coffee shop and barbecue restaurant can’t coexist in the same building,” Lee says.
A North Side resident and vice president at Savage, Lee was a regular at the former business in the space, Black Hand Coffee’s Cafe Nostra. When the pandemic struck, he noticed the coffee shop struggle to maintain regular hours. (An October article in Richmond BizSense reports that Black Hand moved its production operations to Charlottesville and no longer needed the building.)
“Knowing a little about their history and their presence on the street, I didn’t want to see businesses start closing,” he says. “That’s when the conversation started.”
In August, Lee took over the shuttered building with one goal in mind: continuing to foster a sense of community. So how did barbecue, including a 500-gallon custom-built smoker, come into play?
Months ago, Maynes, who also calls North Side home, invited Lee and his wife over for an outdoor dinner — brisket was on the menu.
“It was pretty darn good,” Lee says with a laugh about the melt-in-your-mouth meat. Throughout the evening, Maynes, a Texas native, revealed his passion for barbecue and smokers, also sharing that he’d always dreamed of owning a food truck or a pop-up concept.
“We decided to go for it,” Lee says, adding that the duality of the space allows them to utilize the shop to its fullest potential.
Although the smoky half of the venture isn’t expected to debut until early 2021, being patient is something that those in the barbecue world are accustomed to. It also grants Lee and Maynes time to complete the restaurant's crown jewel, a decommissioned propane tank and future smoker.
“It’s the perfect shape and size for a large-format smoker,” Lee says of the 500-gallon vessel.
Over the years, smokers made by recycling the enormous steel containers, usually found at scrap yards, have risen in popularity, particularly in Texas-style barbecue.
While the heart of the menu will celebrate the Lone Star State, it will also integrate other barbecue styles and influences, ranging from New Mexico to other parts of the Southwest and farther afield to Korea, a nod to Lee's heritage.
Despite the coffee shop and restaurant operating mostly as individual concepts, there should be opportunities for crossover in the future.
“With the kitchen availability from the barbecue restaurant, we can definitely offer a broader breakfast offering than was there before and have some items from the barbecue side as breakfast options,” Lee says, noting that brisket may make its way onto a breakfast sandwich, and coffee into a dry rub.
Aiding in the opening process are Lee's wife, Marcella, and Maynes' fiancee, Bethany Dunbar; the two are leading the design efforts at the restaurant.
"She’s a long-term service industry veteran,” Lee says of his wife, noting that she previously worked for the almost 70-year-old Fan institution Joe's Inn. “They’re kind of a model of that neighborhood place, that 'Cheers' type of vibe we’re going for.”
When The Smoky Mug first opens there will be limited indoor dining, the focus being on takeout and service on the sizable outdoor patio. Featured local purveyors include Dayum This Is My Jam and Chewy’s Bagels. Lee says they plan to apply for an ABC license in the future.
“We’re trying to build something in the neighborhood we live in,” he says. “The neighborhood has been really supportive, and we're really excited about that."
The Smoky Mug will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hours changing when the barbecue side of the business debuts.
