Texas Inn employees buy Museum District diner to keep it open

The Texas Inn diner in Richmond's Museum District, located at 2901 Park Ave, faced closure after a fire marshal visit revealed multiple building issues, including problems with the hood, HVAC, and ventilation systems, according to Richmond BizSense.

Owner Dave Saunders initially announced the restaurant would close due to an estimated $20,000 cost to bring the building up to code. However, contractors offered discounted work, reducing repair costs to about $6,000, according to Richmond BizSense.

Following the repair progress, Saunders entered discussions with a group of Texas Inn employees interested in preserving the diner. A deal was reached for this employee group, led by Sam Barton, to purchase the Richmond location, making it the chain's first franchised outpost.

Saunders will continue to own and operate the other three Texas Inn locations in Lynchburg and Harrisonburg. He expects the legal work for franchise sales to be completed by the new year, with interest from parties in cities like Norfolk and New Orleans.

The new ownership group will operate the Richmond Texas Inn until the franchise sale is finalized. Saunders described his initial closure decision as a low point.