Catching up with Richmond, Virginia’s Rogue Gentlemen

In our Sept/Oct 2013 issue, we wrote about one of Richmond’s most anticipated new spots, The Rogue Gentlemen. At the time we went to press, the bar was slated to open by early September, but as is often the case, chef/owner John Maher hit a few unforeseen speed bumps, and the opening has been delayed. To find out the latest, we checked in with Maher for an update on the schedule.

Why the delay?
Maher: In a nutshell, this being my first venture into restaurant ownership there were some things I didn’t plan for, the biggest being the fact that this is a historic renovation, and I’ve had to deal with the Commission of Architectural Review. This makes simple things like getting permits issued and even choosing paint colors pretty difficult. But we’ve made it through everything and will be restarting construction in the next few days!

Do you have an opening date?
Maher: That’s the million-dollar question. I would say 12 weeks. I’m working really hard to get us open as soon as possible.

In the meantime, how can Richmonders (and visitors) stay up to date with the Rogue Gentlemen’s progress?
Maher: People can stay up to date with us through Twitter and Facebook. I primarily use Facebook to post updates and press articles and use Twitter to interact with people. We do have plans for a pop-up or two, which we’ll announce via our social media outlets.