A Legacy of Local: The Families Behind Some of Richmond’s Favorite Businesses
Richmond has a long and storied history with family businesses. Storefronts and signs across the city are sprinkled with names that have been part of the community for generations, growing their greater community legacy alongside their family tree. From florists to pharmacies, coffee shops to clothing stores, it’s family-owned businesses that helped build Richmond, instilling a solid foundation of local businesses that care about their neighbors and their community, providing goods and services while also giving back along the way.
In Richmond, family businesses aren’t just a thing of the past; they’re thriving in the present and shaping the future. Whether you’re grabbing your morning coffee, planning your wedding, or fixing up an old house, chances are a local family helped make it happen. While there’s no shortage of names who’ve helped to build our city, here’s a look at a few who continue to impact our community.
Founded in 1976 by Dan Herbert, Bremo Pharmacy began as a vision for a “professional pharmacy” focused solely on health and wellness. Today, Herbert’s daughter, Catherine Herbert Cary, leads the business alongside her siblings, all committed to personalized care and forward-thinking service. From offering Richmond’s first blood glucose meters to modern pharmacogenetic testing, Bremo blends old-school dedication with next-gen innovation. A values-driven pharmacy, Bremo consistently ensures that it is showing up for its patients, its team, and its community in meaningful ways through its services as well as partnerships and outreach, all while supporting Herbert’s mission “to help people reach the best possible health, through excellent pharmacy care.”
What started as a single scoop shop in 1984 has grown into one of Richmond’s most beloved sweet spots, all thanks to the vision and heart of the Rosser family. When Steve Rosser purchased Gelati Celesti in 2010, he saw the potential to grow a local favorite while keeping its spirit intact. Today, his children Suzy and Tom continue that mission, expanding the business one thoughtful step at a time with new locations, a food truck, and a production facility. At the center of it all? Family. The Rossers know that relationships, both within their family and with their dedicated team, are the foundation of everything they do. Being a family-owned business means showing up with care, consistency, and a whole lot of love (and sprinkles).
Since 1979, Rostov’s Coffee & Tea has been fueling Richmond with fresh-roasted coffee beans and brewing organic community connections. Founded by Jay Rostov, a single father with a passion for coffee, tea, and community, it originally opened as Carytown Coffee & Tea, where Rostov introduced Richmond to cappuccinos and croissants in the early ’80s and later expanded into statewide wholesale. After his passing in 1998, the shop was renamed to honor his legacy, with daughter Tammy Rostov continuing the tradition and maintaining those relationships her father held so dear. Now located on West Main Street, Rostov’s is still roasting in-house and serving customers daily at its coffee bar, while also increasing its national online presence. Today, Rostov’s remains focused on cultivating a welcoming space where longtime regulars and new faces alike feel at home while giving back to the community.
A staple since 1884, Siewers is in its fourth generation of family leadership. Michael Siewers credits his great-grandfather, a German immigrant and architect, for laying the foundation for one of Richmond’s oldest continuously operating businesses. The elder Siewers, who was responsible for many homes and buildings in the city of Richmond, initially opened a lumberyard to help his construction business. Today, they still offer classic millwork seen in some of Richmond’s oldest homes, while embracing modern innovations. Their guiding principle that’s carried them for 140 years? The Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated, a value they incorporate into their daily interactions as a team, as well as with vendors and customers.
Strange’s Florists, Greenhouses & Garden Centers
With 90 years under their belt, Strange’s is a name most Richmonders know well. Started in the 1930s by Gideon Strange and now run by the Gouldin family (three generations strong), the business has grown just as much as the plants they grow. For Gouldin Sr, it began as a side hustle, a way to earn extra income to supplement his full-time job with RF&P Railroad. Both Strange and Gouldin shared a passion for cultivating high-quality plants with dedication and curiosity. Over the decades, that natural inquisitiveness planted seeds in the business that helped that has helped Strange’s to evolve, from advancements in plant genetics to the expansion of their retail stores, delivery areas, and community outreach. But no matter how much they’ve grown, they’ve stayed rooted in one principle: quality matters—that, and hand-watering and caring for every plant, just like they did 90 years ago.
After a European trip filled with charming bed and breakfast stays, Margaret and James Clifton returned home inspired to bring that same warmth and hospitality to Henrico County. In the late 1990s, they opened The Virginia Cliffe Inn, the county’s first official bed and breakfast, right in their own home. Today, their daughter Janice Clifton carries on the legacy, welcoming guests to an elegant inn rooted in Southern charm and one guiding principle: treat every guest as if they’re your only guest. With thoughtful details and timeless appeal, the inn offers travelers a more intimate, individualized experience of Richmond. While today’s guests may expect modern conveniences, Clifton seamlessly blends those with the gracious spirit of a true Virginia inn. Today, the inn is also a popular wedding and corporate event venue.
Founded in 1900 by Marcellus Carrington Waller, Waller & Co. Jewelers has been a cornerstone of Richmond’s Black business community for over a century. Waller, who got his start as a precocious eight year old in the late 1800s when he tinkered with, and fixed, his grandmother’s old mantel clock, was a self-taught was a self-taught businessman who had to make his own tools because others would not sell tools to African-Americans at that time. Passed down through four generations, today the family business offers everything from watch repairs to custom jewelry pieces while continuing the tradition of quality service, expert craftsmanship, and community connection.
And the list doesn’t stop there.
- Agee’s Bicycles has seen four generations helping Richmond families find their perfect ride since they first opened their doors more than 100 years ago.
- Cowardin’s Jewelers was founded just after the Civil War by William Cowardin. Today, the jewelry store is run by the fourth and fifth generation Cowardins.
- Custom Kitchens Inc. has been providing Richmond homeowners with custom kitchen and baths for 65 years. Today it is run by the second and third generations.
- Franco’s Fine Clothier was founded by Franco Ambrogi, who began sewing in Italy in the 1940s, the fine clothing store is now run by the second generation.
- Kelleher HVAC went from a a small, family-run heating oil business has grown into a full-service provider of heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and whole-home generator solutions that’s still owned and operated by second, third, and fourth generation Kelleher family members.
