When Sticky Rice Richmond opened it’s doors for the first time thirteen years ago, we thought we would last about three years. Jason Henry and I got the keys to the old Gumbo Ya Ya’s Creole Cafe on Maine St. in the Fan. We were so excited, but we were also filled with fear. Restaurants in Richmond come and go quickly, and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to hang in there.
Turns out, we didn’t need to worry. These past thirteen years have flown by, and been more successful than we could have imagined. We have had some of the best times and met some of the best people, both coworkers and customers. Many of these individuals still work with us, and most frequent the restaurant on a regular basis. Sticky Rice is more like a club or family then a business, but we like it that way.
Soon, we started some awesome events to get our name out in the community. Our first thought, naturally, was karaoke. All good faux-Asian places need lots of awkwardness and bad singing. On other nights, we dabbled in video djing, gong banging, and dance parties.
Then we got even more creative with Piko trivia, a game that includes extreme challenges as well as mental exercise, and Blingo, a faster, more hectic version of regular Blingo. Soon, Sticky Rice was known for its awesome theme nights and killer musical repertoire.
Seven years later, we opened Cous Cous and Sticky Togogo in Richmond, and watched with pride as those businesses grew. Two years later still, we opened a Sticky Rice in DC, and two years after that, we opened one in Baltimore. We plan on opening a fourth restaurant as well, as soon as we settle on a location.
We have done a lot of amazing things over the years, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of our friends and family, and of course, our loyal employees and customers. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of our Sticky adventure. We can’t wait to see what kind of surprises 2013 will bring!
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