Lester Johnson
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m the owner of Mama J’s and Vagabond restaurants here in Richmond. I run the day to day for both, and I’ve been in Richmond pretty much all of my life.
Describe Richmond.
Up and coming.
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From sun up to sun down, what’s your ideal day in RVA?
I wake up at 5:30am and go to the gym until around 7:30. I come home and have breakfast with my daughter and get her situated for her day, and then I’m in my home office or over at Mama J’s by 9 or 9:30am. I spend the bulk of my day doing backend office business for my restaurants, and pop my head in to check on the customers, make sure all of our customers are happy. I usually have a few meetings here and there, and I’m done at 5pm. Every night, I head home to spend time with my daughter. That’s my usual day-to-day, but when I have free time, I’m always going over to Croaker’s Spot or Big Herm’s Kitchen.
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What would you say is Richmond’s best kept secret?
Richmond’s best kept secret is the Jackson Ward neighborhood. The Maggie Walker House, the Hippodrome… there’s just so much history there. People kind of know about certain names, but people don’t really know the deep-down history of Richmond. So much stuff has happened in this region as well as the state of Virginia, and people haven’t really taken the time to learn about it.
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BLK RVA is all about supporting the thriving Black businesses and culture in the Richmond region and encouraging tourists to do the same. What’s one thing every visitor MUST do/see when they come to our region?
Check out the Black History Museum. I always see people go around and visit the other landmarks that the city has tried to highlight, and we’ve made them more easily accessible, but there are lots of things at the Black History Museum that people can see to learn about their history. Also—and thanks to what Black Restaurant Experience is doing—you have to go around and experience some of the local places instead of sticking with the chain stores and restaurants. Get outside of your comfort zone and experience the things that make this city special.
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You’re originally from Richmond. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re staying close to home?
Since I grew up in the West End, I love going to Byrd Park & Maymont Park to walk around. With the daily stress that comes with owning two restaurants, I love to go there and decompress. It’s where I grew up, so it’s an area of comfort for me. I also love to go down to the Shiplock Park and walk the trail. Really, I enjoy any opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and slow my mind down.
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When we say the name BLK RVA, what does that mean to you?
Black Excellence. It’s a community of people putting our best foot forward as it pertains to our business. It’s not necessary to say we’re strictly Black restaurants. If you go to a chain restaurant, you don’t call it a “white restaurant”. BLK RVA is establishing ourselves as part of the regular rotation of in this city.