Beloved Virginia Restaurant Closes After More Than 50 Years

Any restaurant that has been in business for more than five decades has established itself as a fixture in that community. As a result, it's going to be a shock when that eatery closes down. 

Since 1972, Sam Miller's in the Shockoe Slip district of Richmond, Virginia attracted loyal customers, serving favorites like oysters, rockfish, crab cakes and seared scallops.

However, earlier this year, area residents took notice that the restaurant was open only intermittently, and recently began displaying a sign on the front saying it was closed "due to circumstances beyond our control.”

This week, Richmond Biz Sense confirmed that Sam Miller's has "quietly" shuttered after 53 years in operation. 

"The restaurant’s 6,000-square-foot space is now being marketed for lease. Thalhimer’s Annie O’Connor and Katie Siegel have the listing," wrote Richmond Biz Sense's Mike Platania.

Sam Miller's opened in 1972 but has roots going back much further. According to the restaurant's official website, the actual Sam Miller was a Polish immigrant who came to the United States in 1870 and later opened Sam Miller’s Exchange Café in 1901 in the Shockoe Slip neighborhood.

The original Sam Miller's closed in 1909 but was revived in 1972. Tom Leppert was the longtime owner until his death in 2021, when he was replaced by Ken Wall, who had been a manager at the restaurant.

Mike Byrne, Leppert's co-owner from 1993 to 2000, told Richmond Biz Sense he will look back fondly at Sam Miller's five-plus decades of service, including his own involvement.

“It’s a pretty remarkable run,” Byrne said. “It’s dear to my heart.”