Que Pasa, situated on the corner of N. 25th and E. Leigh in Church Hill, is a product of perseverance. According to owner John Sanchez, it took 1,004 days to get a liquor license and a total of three years to get his certificate of occupancy. And those figures represent the many hurdles he had to jump in order to get his restaurant up and operating in light of the historic district’s strict regulations.
 
While he wasn’t thrilled with how the red tape stretched his project timeline, Sanchez is no stranger to stringent regulations. A building developer by trade, he owns his own company, DIT of Virginia, which specializes in the historic renovation of buildings constructed before 1930.
 
The building Que Pasa now inhabits was originally built in 1885 as an apothecary shop. According to Sanchez, it burnt in 1908, leaving behind only a few of the structural flourishes, including the brick wall dividing it from the neighboring building and the brick chimney. Both are still intact today.
 
In 1910, the building was reconstructed in wood, and it served as a drugstore until 1965, when it began a life as a series of take-out joints.
 
Sanchez, who also owns residential real estate in Church Hill, is a stakeholder in the historic district’s development, but knew he would face several obstacles in opening his corner restaurant, which features Latin American cuisine.
 
“We knew it was a long shot,” Sanchez said. “But we bought it dirt cheap and never gave up.”
 
In fact, Sanchez said he bought the building, which is 1,500 square feet, for about $150,000. Now it looks like a million bucks.
 
The woodwork, which Sanchez did himself, is detailed and truly gorgeous. The bar alone is stunning, combining thin strips of rich-colored woods. Sanchez and his girlfriend worked on the design and construction during nights and weekends while they waited for various permissions to open and operate the restaurant.
 
Of all of the obstacles Sanchez faced, what was hardest to overcome?
 
“Parking was the real issue,” Sanchez said.
 
In order to operate just the bottom half of his restaurant, Sanchez had to find 16 off-street parking spaces within a relatively short span of the building. To operate the upstairs as well, he would need 32.

Anyone who lives in Church Hill knows off-street parking is not easy to come by.
 
Thanks to support from local homeowner’s associations, Sanchez was able to open the restaurant in the bottom half of the building on January 21, 2008. Although the second floor would make a delightful upstairs dining room, it will likely go to waste until he can muster up additional parking.
 
In fact, Sanchez pays the building’s full assessed value, even though he can’t use half of it. And he has an annual, surprise inspection to ensure the upstairs is not in use. Without the upstairs, the restaurant seats nearly 50, with a few additional tables on a small patio out front.
 
It seems that although parts of Church Hill are begging to be developed, opening shops and services in the area is an uphill battle in many ways. An old theater just down the street from Que Pasa, just next to the post office, bears a sign that says “I’d rather be a movie theater.” Sanchez explains the building may never open unless additional parking magically appears around the corner — or the regulations change.
 
For now, the street is relatively quiet, with a few shops opening here and there. But residents are excited to see even more new business pop up on 25th Street.
 
Church Hill residents Kay Routt and her husband were excited when Que Pasa opened.
 
“It’s close, and I love the interior,” she said, enjoying Friday night dinner with her husband and son. “I would like to see people discover it.”       
                   

why another kind richmond needs variety! and que pasa is the perfect kind of variety richmond needs. live long and prosper que pasa!

wish it could have been a different kind of resturant