NORFOLK — A trio of Hampton Roads business owners want to deliver an adrenaline shot to the area’s music scene with a new Norfolk venue.
Called The Annex, the 460-person venue is opening later this month at 2500 Church St. Unit A, two blocks away from Maker’s Craft Brewery.
Co-owner Josh Coplon, the founder and owner of LAVA Presents, a music and event production company, will be handling the music side of the business. He said the venue is the culmination of a yearslong dream. Throughout his time with LAVA, he said he’s worked with great venues but never had a Norfolk location for midsize shows.
“Now, it’s exciting to have a home base,” Coplon said, who has operated LAVA since 2015.
Coplon is partnering on the venture with Tom Wilder, co-owner of Young Veterans Brewing Co. in Virginia Beach, and Chris Holyfield, who co-owns The Bunker Brewpub at the Oceanfront.
Wilder will be bringing over beers from Young Veterans, and Holyfield will handle the restaurant, featuring a from-scratch kitchen and the hot chicken sandwich from Bunker, Coplon said. The space, a little under 6,500 square feet, will feature both the venue and a separate restaurant with regular dining hours even on non-show nights, he said.