Scoop: EAT Restaurant Partners planning to open 6-8 new restaurants in the next two years

The Richmond restaurant group behind local eateries including Fat Dragon, Osaka, Lucky AF and Boulevard Burger & Brew is planning to open six to eight new restaurants in the next two years.

Why it matters: The openings will bring EAT Restaurant Partners ' total count of restaurants in the area to nearly 20, solidifying its position as the largest independent restaurant group in Richmond.

The big picture: Over the next 24 months, EAT plans to open at least three new restaurants in Henrico, one in Hanover, at least one more in the city and its first out-of-state location in Raleigh, president and founder Chris Tsui tells Axios.

Zoom in: Two of EAT's in-the works new restaurants have already been reported: a new iteration of Foo Dog in Scott's Addition , which should open by early 2026, plus a Wong Tacos in Raleigh that will be up and running this fall.

Now for the new stuff:

🌮 Hanover County will get its second EAT restaurant early next year: a Wong Taco's , slated to go in behind the group's pizza and beer PBR Hanover spot in Rutland Commons. That should be open by spring 2025.

🍻 Tsui is also finalizing the deal to open the two restaurants inside the Shamin hotels in the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

• Like the deal, the concepts for those spots isn't nailed down yet, but given the proximity to the center, an elevated sports bar concept is likely for one of the spots. Possibly sushi for the second, but it's too soon to say.

🇮🇹 And the most exciting one, at least for longtime Richmond foodies — EAT is once again partnering with chef Kevin LaCivita to open an unnamed Italian concept in Short Pump.

• The group and LaCivita worked together on The Blue Goat , the very forward and elevated snout-to-tail Near West End restaurant that Richmond wasn't ready for when it opened in 2011.
• LaCivita also owned and operated two iterations of Pomegranate , a European-inspired restaurant in Shockoe Slip, in the early aughts and later Carytown.
• The new unnamed Italian spot will likely open mid next year in the Greengate shopping center, where EAT already has Red Salt and a Wong's Taco. It will be guest-centric and approachable and will feature handmade pasta, a private dining room and "swanky" interior, Tsui says.

What's next: 🤐 There are two more possible restaurants in the works after those, but Tsui's not ready to share details on those.