Popular Henrico Mexican restaurant/club closes; owner plans new location

Feelings of nostalgia, perplexity and sadness filled the air at a popular Henrico Mexican restaurant and club earlier this month.

El Gran Tucanazo at 6922 Staples Mill Road officially closed its doors Sept. 2 after eight years in business at the location. The decision to close came at a time when Tucan essentially was reaching its peak, with sold out events nearly every weekend. That decision wasn't made by the venue's owner, Carlos Alvarez, but by the landlord of the property, Alvarez said.

Alvarez was notified that the land could potentially be sold nearly three months ago by the property’s landlord, but he did not receive an official notice until late July.

Thursday nights at Tucan typically were reserved by University of Richmond fraternities, the UR Bumble team or private parties. Friday nights varied depending upon the month, and events ranged from country nights to foam parties. The club hosted Spanish Night events each Saturday, during which South American and Mexican country bands were the constant source of entertainment.

“It ended up turning into one of the best kept secrets of Richmond,” David Sporn, Tucan’s resident DJ, said. “The only way I can describe it is Thursday night was like an underground fraternity party at a Mexican restaurant, where we played heavy electronic music and brought in world champion DJs. None of it makes any sense, and then we’d have 400 people show up.”

Despite the unusual mix of characteristics that distinguished Tucan from the rest of Richmond’s nightlife – dance cages among this mix – the scene remains unparalleled, according to patrons. Its final UR-hosted event Aug. 30 attracted a full house of students from all grades. Fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon hosted the event; it also was the first fraternity to host a party at Tucan in 2012, when the venue first became available to the UR community.

UR senior Jake Hooper described the final night at Tucan as a sentimental way to start the school year. Hooper recalled spending the night of his birthday during his freshman year at Tucan and explains that it was a place at which students could easily catch up with their friends.

“[Thursday] was sad because it’s been a big part of, for seniors especially, our four years at Richmond.” Hooper said.

Senior Caroline Early echoed Hooper's sentiments.

“It was definitely surreal, and it’s hard to imagine my experience at Richmond without Tucan, as silly as that may sound,” Early said. “I just feel like it’s a place we went to, not quite weekly, but multiple times a month, for most of my time at Richmond. The fact that it coincides with my senior year is an especially strange kind of feeling that this is all coming to an end soon.”

Undeterred by the abrupt shutdown of his club, Alvarez said he plans to reopen at a new location in Henrico in December, this time, as a fully functioning restaurant during the day, in addition to serving as a club at night.

“I’m so happy that I was working for [UR students],” Alvarez said. “I really appreciate their support, and I did my best. I’m coming back, I hope with a better club, and we’re going to be alright.”

Sporn, who will be celebrating his tenth anniversary as a DJ this October, has spent more than half of his career as Tucan’s resident DJ. He depicts the relationships he has formed with UR students throughout the last six years as beautifully symbiotic.

“The love, the respect, I mean there is truly something special,” Sporn said. “I can’t even put into words what it’s meant to me and my staff, it’s just mind blowing. I’m grateful, and I can’t believe the half of it.”

– Jasmine Fernandez is the lifestyle editor of The Collegian, the University of Richmond's student newspaper and the site on which this article first appeared.