The Hof at 10: a Scott’s Addition fixture looks back and ahead

Ask just about anyone in Richmond where they’ve been to a wedding, caught a show, or watched the sun drop over Scott’s Addition, and there’s a good chance the answer is the same: the Hof.

For ten years now, the Historic Hofheimer Building has been the place where Richmonders show up for the big stuff. Weddings and anniversaries. Birthday parties and reunions with friends. Nonprofit fundraisers, networking nights, rooftop sunsets, live music that ran late. Hundreds of thousands of guests have walked through the doors, and a lot of them left with a story they still tell. This summer, the venue is celebrating that run with a season-long anniversary honoring the artists, partners, employees, guests, and neighbors who helped build the place into what it is.

How a 1928 landmark became a Richmond gathering spot

Carter Snipes bought the building in 2016, right as Scott’s Addition was starting to take off.

The Hof’s modern story starts in 2016, when entrepreneur and developer Carter Snipes bought and revitalized the property. Scott’s Addition was barely starting its transformation back then. It wasn’t yet the brewery-and-cidery destination it is now, and Snipes saw a chance to put hospitality, entertainment, events, and community all under one roof.

That bet paid off. Over the next decade the building moved through several distinct chapters, from the HofGarden to the Dark Room to rooftop experiences, concerts, weddings, and nightlife. The neighborhood grew up around it, and in a real sense the two grew together. A lot of the gathering-and-celebrating culture that defines Scott’s Addition today traces back to what was happening inside this old landmark, originally constructed in 1928.

Harry’s at Hofheimer carries the next chapter

A 2022 partnership brought in Natalie McNamara and reshaped the property’s future.

The turning point came in 2022, when Snipes partnered with entrepreneur and executive Natalie McNamara to launch Harry’s at Hofheimer. The idea was simple enough: people will always want good places to gather and celebrate, so build one that carries the Hof’s legacy forward while adding something new.

Today Harry’s is the property’s flagship concept. There’s a full-service restaurant on the first floor, a rooftop restaurant and bar, and the second-floor Loft and Library spaces for private events. The programming calendar stays busy too. Harry’s LIVE brings local and touring musicians in two to three nights a week. Saturdays mean Sing Along Brunch. Manifesto Hour digs into the history behind classic cocktails, After Shift has become one of the city’s go-to industry hangs, and Novella turns Friday and Saturday nights into dance parties with some of Richmond’s most popular DJs.

For McNamara, the throughline matters more than any single event. “What makes the Hof special isn’t any one event, concept, or experience—it’s the role we’ve played in people’s lives,” said McNamara, CEO and Managing Partner of the Historic Hofheimer Building and Harry’s at Hofheimer. “For ten years, people have trusted the Hof with some of life’s biggest moments. They’ve gotten married here, celebrated milestones here, gathered with friends here, discovered new artists here, and created memories they’ll carry with them forever. What excites me most is that we’re just getting started.”

Snipes frames the anniversary as a thank-you to the community that bought into the vision early. “When we acquired the property, the goal was never simply to renovate a historic building,” he said. “The goal was to create a place where people wanted to gather. Watching the Hof become part of so many people’s lives over the last decade has been incredibly rewarding.”

What’s on the calendar this summer

The anniversary lineup runs through the season, with a few standout July dates.

Past clients, longtime supporters, musicians, vendors, partners, and anyone who’s ever spent a night here are invited to the celebration. The featured events kick off with a Fourth of July Rooftop Celebration, followed by a July 11 set from DJ Andrew Hypes, billed as the official DJ for Justin Timberlake’s World Tour, and a July 18 performance from Richmond reggae favorite The Mighty Joshua Band.

The building hits its centennial in 2028, which gives the anniversary an interesting backdrop. The Hof has already reshaped a decade of Richmond nights, and with Harry’s anchoring the next stretch, the place that’s held so many of the city’s memories seems ready to make a lot more. For event announcements and details, visit Harry’s at Hofheimer.