Charlottesville Restaurant Otto Eats to Open in Richmond

- The Charlottesville-based restaurant was founded in 2020 by Turkish natives Ali Sevindi and Haldun Turgay, who are graduates of Hospitality Business School and previously worked at the Clifton Inn and Oakhurst Inn. - Otto Eats specializes in authentic Turkish street food, with a focus on döner kebab, a dish of seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Their menu also includes wraps, bowls, sandwiches, and house-made falafel. - The new 3,500-square-foot Richmond location will be at 424 Hull St., within a mixed-use development known as The Current. In addition to food, the Richmond restaurant is planning to feature a bar serving Mediterranean cocktails. - The restaurant is taking over a portion of the space formerly occupied by Hatch Local Food Hall, which was Richmond's first and only food hall before it closed in March 2024 after a two-year run. - The owners of Otto Eats were drawn to Richmond due to high demand from catering clients in the area who were already familiar with their food. - The business is SWaM certified in Virginia, which is a designation for small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses.