Taste of Richmond revamped into weeklong celebration of food and community

Are you ready for a culinary adventure? Beginning Monday, Richmond’s Economic Development Commission is putting on the annual culinary fest “Taste of Richmond,” and the event is getting a makeover. 

In the past, Taste of Richmond invited restaurants to gather in a central location to present their food to the public — an undertaking that required restaurants to provide additional staff, ingredients, supplies, equipment and marketing. Some board members, like EDC Chair Diana Wear, questioned how effective this model was in increasing foot traffic and profits for the businesses. 

“A couple of issues have made us want to do something different this year,” Wear said. “We didn’t have any metrics to see how it was working for the restaurants to put this on because it was costing them money to come up with food for people to taste. And, after the pandemic, not enough restaurants have bounced back, so we wanted to further our reach.” 

After hearing from restaurateurs and community members, Wear and the board decided to make a few changes. 

This year, Taste of Richmond will expand to an entire week, through Oct. 13, and will also feature a restaurant-week format, as seen in other cities such as Oakland and San Francisco. Now in its fifth year, this citywide event will showcase exclusive menus, discounts, promotions, live music, five new participating restaurants and unique venues as part of the lineup. 

Richmond native and restaurateur Jonathan Bermudez is the owner of Johnny Boi, a smashburger restaurant that opened in Point Richmond three months ago. Despite being a newcomer to Taste of Richmond, Bermudez is no stranger to the flavors the city has to offer. He hopes the event will open the public’s eyes to how diverse its culinary scene is. 

“I feel like Richmond got a lot of flavor,” Bermudez said. “I think there’s a lot of diversity in the city, there’s especially a lot of Latinos here in this area of Richmond. I feel like there’s a lot of hidden gems in Richmond.” 

Along with Johnny Boi, Tacos El Tucan, I Love Granny’s Kitchen, CoBiz Richmond, The Factory Bar, Perfusion Vineyard, The Backyard and Assemble Kitchen will be participating. Rachel Hong, the owner of Assemble Kitchen in Marina Bay, believes this year’s event is not only an improvement, but also a step in the right direction for Richmond’s restaurant community. 

“I am a much bigger fan of how they’re doing it this year,” Hong said. 

As a business woman and longtime resident of the East Bay, Hong believes the new format will help connect the restaurant community in Richmond and highlight the city as a culinary hub. 

“I think there’s an opportunity to make Richmond a foodie mecca,” she said. 

With the hopes and growling stomachs of the Richmond community in mind, EDC Vice Chair Christina Kenney said the changes should not only increase foot traffic and profits for restaurants, but also allow residents and visitors to see Richmond as a thriving community. 

As far as short-term goals go, Kenney hopes the event will be a success. In the long term, she hopes it will be a first step in changing the negative perception that many people have of Richmond. She feels that highlighting local talent through events like the Taste of Richmond will help. 

“Nobody’s really telling the stories of the resilience of the small business owners, the advocates, the influencers, the creators, the doers and the overachievers who are really advocating for the health, wealth and vibrancy of the Bay,” Kenney said. “I think this is a crucial time, especially in economic development, to give those people their seats.” 

More information is on Taste or Richmond‘s website. You can stay up-to-date on the event on Instagram.

(Top photo shows diners at Assemble Kitchen, by Skylla Mumana)

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