Restaurant community rallies to find work for 100 employees affected by Tobacco Company fire

A weekend fire at The Tobacco Company in Shockoe Slip left more than a hole in the downtown dining scene. It also left more than 100 people without work.

The three-alarm blaze, which broke out around 10:00 AM Saturday morning, left the establishment closed indefinitely. An inside source tells us sections of all three floors of the restaurant were “burned out” and repairs will likely take some time, noting an official damage assessment should be out later this week. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof from blocks away at the height of the fire.

The Tobacco Company, one of the city’s largest restaurants, employed many people, all of whom are out of a job while the restaurant remains closed. One of the original restaurants in Shockoe Slip, redevelopment of the circa-1866 tobacco warehouse (ironically, constructed immediately following the burning of Richmond’s commercial district during the Civil War) began in 1973 and the restaurant opened in 1977, spurring revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. The restaurant was just weeks shy of celebrating 40 years in business before the fire broke out.

“Our first thoughts are of our guests and our restaurant family,” Tobacco Company communications director David Campbell said in a statement to RVAHub. “The amount of support we have received from area businesses and friends has been heartwarming. We are working with the City and inspectors to assess the damage. We are also working with other local restaurants and businesses to find employment for those displaced by the closing. We will be sending out weekly updates on the progress of our renovations and our plans for our grand reopening.”

Campbell said many area restaurants have contacted restaurant management, offering everything from pickup shifts to new jobs for affected employees.

“We are looking at helping over 100 part time and full time employees. We have had over 17 area restaurant send their wishes and their job openings. We will have a better idea of the damage this week and be able to come up with a deadline for reopening.”

Restaurants from as far away as Short Pump have stepped up to the plate, including this offer for pickup shifts from The Halligan Bar & Grill at West Broad Village, which has gone viral.

The fire is still under investigation and no cause has been determined. We’ll continue to follow this story as new details emerge.

If you’re a restaurant owner or work in the industry and have a way to help the affected employees, please post your opportunity in the comments section below so we can help connect as many people as possible to job opportunities and help out the community.