CHARLOTTESVILLE VA –If there are any silver linings in the loss of Charlottesville’s most prolific restaurateur, one may be that Wilson Richey’s modus operandi when he was alive eases his restaurants’ transitions now that he’s gone. Richey’s passion to create new experiences drove him so much that once one of his creations was running well, he felt free to start the next. So long as he had team members to whom he could safely divest ownership, he would turn his focus to his new idea. Four of his creations – The Wine Guild, The Alley Light, The Bebedero, and Cafe Frank – Richey no longer owned at the time of his December 2023 death. The rest, thanks to his planning, had leaders in place ready to take the reins. Meet the new owners charged with carrying the legacy of Wilson Richey.

Chris Hartwell, The Whiskey Jar
“I will never be able to fill Wilson’s shoes, but I hope to make him proud.” Opened in 2012, The Whiskey Jar was Richey’s baby. He spent more time there than anywhere else, setting up his laptop on his favorite table in the back and doing business. Richey’s aim was a restaurant with a sense of place, serving traditional food of our region. Fried chicken. Ham biscuits. Barbecue. “Nothing fancy,” he said. “The joy of live music, BBQ, whiskey, friends and being loud.” Chris Hartwell is an industry veteran who has been at The Whiskey Jar since 2014, mostly as General Manager. Becoming owner the way he has is bittersweet, Hartwell said. On the one hand, there is no replacing Richey in his life. “I owe everything to Will,” Hartwell said. “I never truly loved any career until I started working side-by-side with Will.” On the other hand, Hartwell now takes over a place that has meant so much to him. Much like Richey’s family did, Hartwell’s family considers The Whiskey Jar a second home. Daughter Kennedy (10) already has her eyes set on working there, while son Hayes (7) has figured out how to finagle free lemonade from the bartenders. Asked what lessons he absorbed from a decade with Richey, Hartwell listed many. For one, the love and hospitality Richey exuded in everything he did. “Every holiday, every gathering, and every festivity was about bringing people together and creating joy,” Hartwell said. Another was assuring that guests’ experiences are memorable. “It’s not always about making money,” Richey would preach. “It’s about people remembering you.” Hartwell also took to heart Richey’s focus on a restaurant’s entire ambience, especially first impressions. If details as small as lighting or music weren’t quite right, Richey would warn: “People are going to taste that in their food!” And finally, Hartwell named Richey’s emphasis on teamwork and respect. He constantly quoted Star Trek: “Failure to communicate is inherently hostile.” Surrounding himself with great people, Richey would say, was the only reason for his success. As for what’s next, Hartwell says to expect more of the same. After a decade at The Whiskey Jar, Hartwell had earned the trust of Richey for decisions big and small. “I want people to know that the love and joy they have experienced here will continue,” Hartwell. “I will never be able to fill Wilson’s shoes, but I hope to make him proud.”

Tres Pittard, Revolutionary Soup
“I’d like to carry on his commitment to hospitality.” The first restaurant Richey ever owned was Revolutionary Soup, which he bought in 2005. It was his only restaurant that he didn’t create himself. But, as an early champion of local sourcing, once Richey purchased it, he elevated and sustained the quality of the downtown fixture’s food — soups, salads, and sandwiches made from local, nutritious, and delicious ingredients. For years, Tres Pittard was Richey’s fix-it man. Whenever he had a kitchen emergency, and needed to fill it with someone reliable, he would call on Pittard, who has cooked at The Whiskey Jar, South & Central, Kama, Commonwealth, and Brasserie Saison. Richey valued Pittard so much that they would meet almost daily to discuss the day’s events. 4 pm at The Whiskey Jar. That was their thing. In 2022, Richey made Pittard co-owner of Revolutionary Soup, and now Pittard has become full owner. “I just want to honor his legacy and passion for simple food done exceptionally well,” said Pittard. “I’d like to continue to respect his vision and carry on his commitment to hospitality.”

Christian Kelly, Duner’s
“An unanticipated and enormous honor” How Christian Kelly came to own one of Charlottesville’s most iconic restaurants is a story of life coming at you fast. Kelly is among Charlottesville’s most accomplished chefs. After helping Clifton Inn earn Relais & Chateaux status in the early 2000s, Kelly co-founded Maya in 2006, which he helped make one of Charlottesville’s most popular restaurants, even a Tony Bennett favorite. Kelly left Maya early last year, and in October accepted Richey’s offer to become head chef of Duner’s. Kelly’s family lives just down the street from Duner’s, and has eaten there for decades. “It was unexpected and yet felt so obvious,” Kelly said, about joining the kitchen in October. Two months later, Richey was gone. Duner’s is an institution. For more than thirty years, owner Bob Caldwell made it so. And upon retiring last year, Caldwell placed it in the hands of the person he thought best prepared to carry its legacy: Wilson Richey. That responsibility now falls on the shoulders of Kelly, who bought Duner’s this month. The venerable restaurant has seen a lot in its four decade history, but never a chef-owner. Until now. “I find meaning in understanding my place in the next chapter of Duner’s,” said Kelly. “Being asked to take over the ownership role was an unanticipated and enormous honor.” Not only would Richey have approved of the transition, so does Alice Tor, the widow of Duner himself, who founded the restaurant in 1983. “Christian knows the business, is a great chef,  and as a bonus, he is a very nice person,” said Tor. “I look forward to this new phase.” As for what lies ahead, Kelly knows to tread carefully with a restaurant that has been beloved as long as Duner’s has. For the most part, he says, guests can expect more of the same. And yet, even Richey was making enhancements in the two years he owned it, and Kelly says he will continue to do the same. Duner’s GM Matt Blaszak is a Richey protege, and he and Kelly have been working on their own improvements, as well as continuing the ones Richey began. The wine list and bar program are elevated. Porch construction is complete, expanding capacity, and providing new event space. And, as for the food, Duner’s first chef-owner expects tweaks there as well.  “I want to honor the history of the menu’s concept, keeping Duner’s gems,” said Kelly. “And, I trust the public will allow me to play and offer some new items in the future.” A chef’s gonna chef.

Article courtesy of  The Charlottesville 29.

Hear full interviews with Simon Davidson of The Charlottesville 29 here and here on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now.