Celebrity Picks October 1 - 7
Ajay with his son, Parker
Despite a name that would suggest otherwise, Ajay Brewer didn't always know he was destined for the coffee business. Instead, the Richmond native spent his twenties buying and selling stocks, first with a firm in Washington, DC then with TD Ameritrade back home in Richmond. But the birth of his son, waning passion for the work, and late-night questions about what his legacy would be got him hankering for a new kind of grind. That's when Brewer's was born. Brewer's Cafe opened on Bainbridge Street in the Manchester neighborhood in October of 2015. There, Ajay, and friend Adam (who developed a love for coffee while in Australia) opened to serve up coffee and eats that are sophisticated, but never snobbish. From the beginning their goal has been to make the cafe a snapshot of what makes Richmond special: talent, diversity, and a welcoming, down-to-earth vibe. Brewer’s Cafe is also host to Manchester Manifest First Fridays.
To kick off the first week of artoberVA, Ajay’s family-friendly picks are
Manchester Manifest First Fridays at Brewer’s Cafe
RVA Makerfest at the Science Museum
2nd Street Festival in Jackson Ward
Joseph Papa is a best-selling author and communications professional highlighting organizations, people, and brands. He is the former communications director for Equality Virginia and currently serves on the board of directors for Studio Two Three, TheatreLAB, and The Library of Virginia Foundation. A Richmond area native, he returned in 2016 after a decade in New York where he was a publicity director at HarperCollins Publishers working on over 50 New York Times bestselling books. He is the author of the national bestseller Elizabeth Taylor: A Passion for Life (HarperDesign, 2011).
Joseph’s pick of the week for artoberVA is
There’s Just Us at the Virginia Holocaust Museum
The Laramie Project at Richmond Triangle Players
True Sons of Freedom at the Library of Virginia
Photo credit: Alanna Wilson