Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information since its original publication.
Two weeks after Common House Charlottesville suddenly shut its doors, the social club’s Richmond landlords handed the coworking, dining, and event venue another eviction notice.
In an April 28 press release, the owners of 303 W. Broad St., a 1914 brick building that has housed the club for six years, announced that they’ll be taking over the site with their own management as of May 19. They haven’t announced a new name for the business, which they’re currently promoting as 303 West Broad.
Owners of the soon-to-be-former Common House site include Ted Ukrop, founder of Richmond’s Quirk hotel, and New York City-based real estate investment firm Mercer Street Partners. They say that Quirk manager Schulte Hospitality Group will run the new club.
For now, 303 West Broad’s ownership, management, and name seem like the only elements that will change. All existing employees will be offered jobs under the new owners, and the club will honor any event reservations customers have already booked, according to the release.
In response to questions from C-VILLE, the owners of 303 West Broad declined to discuss any potential disputes with Common House’s current management. Through a spokesperson, they said they’d already planned to part company with Common House before the Charlottesville location shuttered.
“Due to certain limitations imposed by Common House Inc., ownership was unable to provide the members with a heads up in advance of a public announcement, which may have caught some members by surprise,” the spokesperson said. “The owners certainly would’ve preferred to handle this differently.”
“The [Charlottesville] closure made it clear that a transition and rebrand must happen sooner than initially planned,” the spokesperson said. The property owners say that the Charlottesville closing breached Common House’s trust with members, and that they wanted to make a change quickly “to show the community that ownership ‘has their back,’ is in it for the long haul, and is committed to providing the best experience possible.”
Common House Charlottesville closed amid a dispute between its landlords and the business’s current owners and operators. A source familiar with Common House Inc.’s operations called the closing an “unexpected and disappointing choice” on the landlords’ part. The source says that the company “did not anticipate this level of disruption,” and that Common House Inc. has been “working tirelessly alongside various partners to find a soft landing for the many people that have been negatively impacted.”
Asked whether the Richmond location had experienced any problems, 303 West Broad’s owners say the club “had its strongest year ever,” and that to their understanding, “Richmond is the best-performing club under the Common House brand.”
C-VILLE reached out to Common House Inc. for official comment, but received no reply. The company opened its first location in Charlottesville in 2017, managed by co-founders Josh Rogers, Derek Sieg, and Ben Pfinsgraff. All three have since left the company, with state and federal financial filings suggesting Rogers exited in 2018 and Sieg in 2023.
The company’s current backers include a minority stake held by Maxwell Joseph, founder of Raleigh-based real estate company Hem + Spire, and his brother, Jeremiah Joseph. Hem + Spire itself is not an investor in Common House Inc. A source familiar with the company’s present ownership says that Common House, Inc. is majority owned by a relative of Pfinsgraff’s.
Pfinsgraff apparently continued as president and CEO under the new ownership until October 2024, when he was succeeded by Ben Wood. Wood previously worked for multiple real estate-related businesses, including WeWork, whose ambitious plans for expansion fell through. At press time, Common House Inc.’s website still listed Charlottesville and Richmond among its locations, alongside Chattanooga and New Orleans.
Aside from a new app for members—in the works, but not ready to launch by the May 19 takeover—303 West Broad’s owners say they’re moving cautiously as they assume the business.
“A club must speak to the needs of the community it serves, and the owners and new management company believe it’s important to listen before implementing any big changes,” the spokesperson said. “What’s best for a club in another city may not be best for Richmond.”
