CASE STUDY
Sheppard Street Tavern
Caliente was a restaurant located in the “Devil’s Triangle” in Richmond, VA. In 2016, David Bender wanted to rebrand and renovate the restaurant and bring a new yet familiar approach to the neighborhood. Feel free to check out a fantastic article from Style Weekly, circa 1980, here.
Caliente, Photo credit: Wyatt G. Yelp
Sheppard Street Tavern, Photo credit: SheppardStreetTavern.com
Caliente had an extremely large menu with a huge variety of items including famous Texas Wisconsin Border Cafe chili, mussels, seasoned fries, to massive salads, classic and “extra” burger options like the Luther Burger (Two 1/4 lb burger patties on a Krispy Kreme donut). The restaurant was not shy of spicy foods, including the Stupid Wings Challenge featured on Man Vs. Food. And yes, I have tasted a teensy bit of the sauce when I worked there as a server and yes it is stupid. My favorite phrase was “What did we learn after I warned you?” The goal was to not only pare down the menu, keep a few of the favorites but stay consistent with updated pub food.
Imagery notes: Local RVA street signs, dogs (specifically his dog, Gumbo, a Blue Heeler), beer/pubs, grill, family, friendly, creative, fun and the Devil’s Triangle.
