New restaurant Aya to open in former Sam Miller’s space in Shockoe Slip

Richmond’s Shockoe Slip will soon welcome a new restaurant, Aya, in the space formerly occupied by Sam Miller’s at 1210 E. Cary St., Richmond BizSense reported.

Sam Miller’s, a longstanding local establishment, closed last summer after more than a century in business. A planned sports bar tenant fell through earlier this year before Manny Baiden leased the 6,100-square-foot space.

Baiden, originally from Ghana and a James Madison University hospitality management graduate, started Manny Eats, a private dining and catering company, during the pandemic. He said the pandemic helped grow his business as people sought in-home dining experiences.

Aya will be an expansion of Manny Eats, using the existing layout of a dining room with a bar and a private dining area. Baiden plans to convert the bar into a chef’s counter with about a dozen seats and add 16 seats in the dining room, focusing on an intimate dining experience similar to his private events.