Opening a restaurant in the middle of a recession didn’t seem like a good idea to his family, but Kevin Roberts, owner of The Black Sheep, had high hopes and a vision. In the heart of the carver neighborhood, The Black Sheep has become a staple of Richmond and a showcase of its very diverse inhabitants.
The Black Sheep has garnished so much recognition that it has been featured in the New York Time’s “36 hours in…” and in the Travel Channel show Man v. Food. Besides marking this exciting event for the restaurant, the date also marks the second year anniversary of the Black Sheep’s opening. Two years after its inauguration, Roberts says the restaurant has surpassed all his expectations.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I opened the restaurant,” said Roberts. “I could’ve never dreamed of managing 25 employees.”
Originally from Roanoke, Roberts attended Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988 seeking a degree in Painting and Printmaking. He dropped out of art school to work full time with food, which was increasingly becoming his passion. In his way to Arizona’s Scottsdale culinary school, Roberts made a stop in New Orleans and ended up staying there for over four years. This is where he met his business partner and girlfriend, Amy Hess. They came back to Richmond and began to work in fine food restaurants again. After working at many restaurants and traveling he returned to VCU once again and finished his degree in 2004. Roberts says that he simply took “a very long spring break.”
Roberts worked in many restaurants before landing a job as head Chef of the governor’s mansion of Virginia under ex-governor Mark Warner. Roberts says he learned everything he knows by observing and working in the profession. But more importantly, the connections he made in his 18-year-career in the Richmond restaurant business.
“I was hesitant at the beginning, it seemed a little too daunting and starting costs seemed unattainable,” said Roberts, “but we made a lot of contacts and friends.”
However, the DIY die-hard constructed the entire restaurant with some help from his family. From the interior of the restaurant to the fencing in the back area, it was all built by Roberts and although he doesn’t make the type of art he used to, Roberts says crafting food is not too far from crafting a painting.
“You get a feel for what works and what doesn’t,” said Roberts. “It’s just a different set of tools and materials.
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The Black Sheep is a display of Roberts’s artistic background. Every part of the restaurant’s décor and even the building’s façade exhumes a bohemian feel. The house where the restaurant is currently located used to be a confectionary. The walls are replete with paintings and illustrations. Some from Roberts’s personal collection, some he found at thrift stores and some his own creations.
Much of the food in the Black Sheep menu also represents Roberts’s background. The mixture of Global and traditional food with heavy southern roots make up a very extensive list of options for the costumer. Also, the dishes’ names are usually a reference to some historical element or some ingredient used in the dish.
The Black Sheep also gets its name from its locations history. Roberts says that he and Hess have always felt like the misfits of their families. He also wanted the restaurant to be different from the chain restaurants on Broad St. However his decision to adopt the name “Black Sheep” came when he found that the Carver neighborhood was called Sheep Heel. Carver was also the first neighborhood settled by emancipated slaves in Richmond.
“History permeates and it’s important to think about who has been here and what happened here,” said Roberts.
Roberts has seen Richmond change a lot since he moved here to attend to VCU. In the late 80s VCU was a lot smaller but it has since increased immensely in size and student count. Roberts says that when he first came to Richmond, Grace St. was inhabited by bikers, deadheads and Rastafarians and people wouldn’t go near Carver. VCU’s expansion is seen to Roberts as a good and bad thing.
“It has turned some of these neighborhoods around,” said Roberts. “We’re very involved with the community and we’re not trying to come in and force people out, we just want to make the neighborhood better.”
Roberts says the Black Sheep is successful at bringing people from all types of life in Richmond, from students to downtown office workers and dwellers of the Fan. On a busy day, The Black Sheep fills up with tattooed young adults as well as older folks. Roberts says he’s happy that the restaurant allows for such an inviting atmosphere. For a Black Sheep costumer, however, there’s something missing.
“I like the actual restaurant,” said Amber Erickson, a Black Sheep costumer. “I just wish they had more vegetarian and vegan options.”
Roberts says they’ve reached a plateau of growth since they are unable to expand in their current location. They would need to relocate or open a second location, which Roberts says isn’t likely to happen in the near future.
“We try to keep prices affordable, good quality and portions descent,” said Roberts. “I think we deliver all.”
