Taco and tequila bar celebrated as newest addition to River District

The River District’s new taco and tequila bar features faded brick interior, Day of the Dead themes and a long bar that includes wood salvaged from the third floor of an old Craghead Street building.

Offering more than 100 varieties of tequila and nine taco options, Mucho Taqueria and Tequileria at 530 Craghead St. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a bright but slightly chilly Friday morning.

City officials, the eatery’s owners, employees and others gathered to celebrate the addition of another small business to the downtown.

Danville Vice Mayor Alonzo Jones, who led the event, said the name “mucho” — the Spanish word for “much” or “many” — was an apt one for the business.

“This is an appropriate name for the first restaurant to open along the 500 block of Craghead Street — a block that has seen ‘mucho’ or much change over the past two years,” Jones said during the ceremony.

Many people remember blighted buildings and empty storefronts that created a block with a decayed appearance, Jones said. But developer and Mucho co-owner Rick Barker saw an opportunity “to bring something unique through design and experience to our community,” the vice mayor added.

“This area of our River District is being brought back to life through phased development of new, upscale apartments and commercial units,” Jones said, referring in part to Barker’s efforts in refurbishing part of Craghead Street.

Barker partnered with well-known restaurateur Stephan Parry, managing partner of the Richmond-based Parry Restaurant Group, to open up Mucho in Danville. Parry Restaurant Group has more than a dozen restaurants in Virginia, including Cotton at Riverside Mill in the River District.

“He is one of the most sought-after restaurateurs in Virginia and in the mid-Atlantic,” Barker said. “He chose Danville, Virginia.”

Parry was once vice president of operations for the popular chain Ruth’s Chris Steak House, based in Winter Park, Florida.

Barker, president and CEO of the Danville-based Supply Resources, recited a long list of the River District’s special attractions including the Riverwalk Trail, Community Market, Danville Science Center, and many others. “But I’m not going to talk about that,” he joked.

Instead, he talked in glowing terms about what he said the River District does not have: large and impersonal corporate chain stores that spend tens of millions of dollars to convince consumers to drive into the sprawl to buy something generic, only to have them call an 800 number for customer service that has been outsourced.

When a locally-owned business employee or proprietor says “welcome, thank you and please come back,” that person is sincere, Barker said.

“We’re not saying that because it’s in the corporate manual,” he said. “We say it because we mean it.”

Diana Schwartz, executive director of the River District Association, pointed to the millions of dollars in investment that have poured into the River District in the last decade.

“The River District has seen $127 million in public and private investment in the last 10 years,” Schwartz told attendees. “Downtown Danville is enjoying a resurgence that few could have imagined.”

Danville Economic Development Director Telly Tucker said Mucho brings “a unique flair” to the district.

“You can’t get this anywhere else because each of Mr. Parry’s restaurants are different,” he said.

Customer Jeff Dodson did not eat, but tried a shot of Don Julio Reposado tequila, a favorite he has had in Mexico.

“We’ll definitely be back to eat,” Dodson said. “Fish tacos are one of my favorites.”

During the ceremony, Barker said people have approached him and asked what they can do to help sustain the River District.

“Buy a taco,” Barker said to attendees.

Mucho is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday.

John Crane reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987.

Mucho - Ribbon Cutting

Mucho - Ribbon Cutting

N Union Street Streetscape

Middle Boarder Bash

Rippe’s celebrating 110 years in business as fourth generation now learning ropes

One day in 1907, a young couple decided to take a chance on Danville’s growing textile businesses and opened a store on Craghead Street, across from the Golden Leaf Prizery.

Annie and Benjamin Rippe sold sundries, buttons and fabrics, and also made hats.

Rippe’s was born and remains a family-owned and operated business in Danville’s downtown 110 years later.

The current owner and president — Ben Rippe, the third generation of the family to run the store — smiles as he thinks about his grandparents taking advantage of Danville’s boom-town days.

“It was an immediate success,” Ben Rippe said. “They expanded and moved to lower Main Street within 10 years.”

In that location — across from the former Kresge Department Store, now Jackie’s Beauty Supply, in the building that now houses Love Wig — stock changed from fabrics and buttons to ready-to-wear clothing, though Ben Rippe’s grandparents still made hats.

“It was a more affluent time,” Ben Rippe said.

In 1946, Ben Rippe’s father, Murray “Buddy” Rippe, was running the store with his wife, Esther. He learned from his landlord the building was being sold to Peoples Drug Store.

“Dad went to the bank [American National] and talked to Wayles Harrison,” Ben Rippe said. “Wayles said not to worry and walked him to the Elks Club and showed him a 25-foot-wide alleyway across the street.”

Ben Rippe said his father built the building that now houses the clothing section of the store and decided he wanted to add sportswear to the lines of better-quality fashion apparel the store carried. Annie Rippe was horrified.

“She said, ‘Who will buy that? People want dresses!’ but Dad went ahead and it bettered the businesses,” Ben Rippe said.

Elegant spiral stairs led to the upper story, where shoes were sold initially. But, Ben Rippe said, the man who leased the space didn’t do well and his father leased the space back and used for clothing and, eventually, bridal fashions.

Other products were tried — including a riding department and ski shop — and the store even expanded to a second location in Nor-Dan Shopping Center. In a 2007 Register & Bee interview about the store’s 100th anniversary, Buddy Rippe said they closed that store because it was simply too much work and business downtown was “sufficiently prosperous.”

Ben Rippe took over the store in the early 1990s, and by the mid 2000s decided to discontinue the bridal department. “It was only breaking even,” he said, and bought the building next door to add shoes back into the store’s inventory.

“I felt Danville needed fashion casual shoes,” he said.

Ben Rippe said he talked his father into carrying furs in the 1980s, and he went to school to learn how to care for and store furs. He said he works directly with the manufacturers and said feels the store has “better values than anywhere.”

The furs did well.

“People come from all over to buy these furs,” Buddy Rippe said in 2007.

Rippe said about half of his shoppers come from surrounding areas — such as Martinsville, South Boston, Chatham and Gretna — while about 30 percent comes from Danville. The remaining 20 percent comes from people who have heard about his store from friends or grew up here and return to shop.

“Throughout all the changes we’ve seen over the past 110 years, Rippe’s was always there, always stable,” Larking said. “They kept the store relevant all those years and it continues to be a great anchor store in the River District.

Larking said he has friends in Yadkinville, North Carolina — about 100 miles from Danville — who are regular Rippe’s customers.

“We never worried about relocating, even in the 1990s when downtown began to get so vacant,” Rippe said. “Retail is not booming for anyone right now. People dress more casually and they shop online. But we carry quality merchandise and will not be undersold with what we carry.”

While Ben Rippe is passionate about selling the best possible merchandise, he also just likes what he does.

“This is a fun and creative business to work in. Every season is something new and fresh and promising,” Ben Rippe said. “We curate brands with a range of customers in mind, for the young and young at heart.”

Clothing, shoes, accessories and furs range from contemporary to classic to casual — what Rippe calls “subtle to out there … It is like shopping little design packages aimed at varying lifestyles.”

Betty Jo Foster, interim president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, said she has shopped at Rippe’s for 50 years, and even purchased her wedding gown there.

“A privately owned business [doing business] for that length of time says much for the value they put on the region; it speaks volumes that they stayed when so many left,” Foster said. “I value their customer service and appreciate the warmth of the staff when they greet you at the door. The quality of the merchandise throughout the years has remained high, and I think that’s what attracts many people to their business.”

A fourth generation has now joined the store. Sam Rippe, Ben Rippe’s son, graduated from Virginia Tech in July and has been working at the store since. He has introduced a T-shirt line and gift department, and is setting up a new software system.

“We’re working on bringing in more young people,” Sam Rippe said.

Both Ben and Sam Rippe said this has been a busy month at the store, getting ready for their anniversary sale and celebration — which included a drawing for a $110 gift card during the River District Sip-and-Shop on Thursday, part of the festivities planned for the River District Festival.

Ben Rippe said having well-trained staff, familiar with the items carried through in-house classes, product information meetings and daily informal chats. The store carried clothing in sizes 2-24W and shoes in sizes 5-11.

“We all know what runs small and what fits full,” Sam Rippe said, referring to the constantly-updated training staff gets in an effort to serve their customers better.

Ben Rippe agreed.

“We take pride in our work, service and the products we sell,” Ben Rippe said.

Sam Rippe said he looks forward to learning everything he can about the store, and is pleased to be back home.

“Some of my friends want to come back to Danville, some don’t. I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Sam Rippe said. “I love Danville and want to be part of the family tradition.” 

Denice Thibodeau reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact her at dthibodeau@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7985.

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Celebrating diversity goal of ‘Faces of Our Region’

They’re young and no-so-young, different nationalities, races, religions and sexual orientations; some were born here, others moved here from all over the country and world.

Together they are the faces and stories of a new project from local nonprofit community help group Middle Border Forward. And this project, called “Faces of Our Region,” is intended to show the diversity within Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, North Carolina.

The project was unveiled Thursday night at the kickoff of the four-day River District Festival, with 25 portraits of people chosen out of far more interviews to represent the region, said program member Cassie Williams Jones.

Jones said there are posters of the faces all over the River District, pasted to walls of buildings on Union, Main, Craghead and Bridge streets.

Anyone with a smartphone can listen to their stories by scanning a QR code on the posters — or can access them through the organization’s website, www.middleborderforward.org.

Sheila Baynes, another program member, said all of the interviewees were asked the same questions and were narrowed down to reflect 25 stories that show the diversity of the region.

Javonte Harris, a 15-year-old sophomore at George Washington High School, said he was at a Music on Main event when he was approached about participating — and seeing his face of River District buildings.

“I love it,” Harris said. “I liked letting people know about me and how I keep myself positive in Danville.”

Joanne Roberts, of Java, participated and was waiting to see the final product with her husband, David Locklear.

The couple came to Danville after she retired from 32 years of working for Verizon and he ended his military career in Virginia Beach. They both taught for a number of years before retiring again.

Roberts said she enjoyed participating in the project and telling her story.

Tia Yancey, a program member, told the crowd gathered at the office on Main Street that when the class was deciding on a project, they asked themselves what had Danville done well.

“One answer was at the top of the list: our people,” Yancey said.

That was the inspiration for “Faces of Our Region,” with all participants asked to choose one story from their lives that defines them.

Jones said exploring those stories culminated in a diversity of thoughts they wanted to celebrate.

The decision to participate was easy for the youngest participant, Nyla McClinton, 6, of Danville.

“I had really great fun doing that. I love being on camera — it’s my favorite thing, I love smiling and being on TV,” McClinton said with a huge grin. “It’s exciting to see me on the buildings.”
Denice Thibodeau reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact her at dthibodeau@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7985.

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