ROANOKE, Va. – Living life with intention often allows you to be in alignment with your highest self and work toward dreams you first deemed unimaginable.
Twenty-seven-year-old Quincy Randolph, chef and local business owner, keeps this sentiment at the forefront of his mind each day, working hard to ensure that every decision he makes is bringing him one step closer to what he wishes to achieve.
[RELATED: Know of a tasty spot in our area that you wanna see featured in Tasty Tuesday? Nominate them here]
“It’s incredibly important to have an idea of where you want to go and constantly be working toward that consciously. Really be conscious of what your dreams are and if the work that you’re putting in is moving you closer to your dreams,” said Randolph. He added that he “by no means has it all figured out” but said it’s important that your goals are deliberate and well thought out, rather than passive and impulsive.
Currently, the Richmond native runs a small-batch roastery and coffee lounge, RND or Roasters Next Door, alongside his older brother, Steffon Randolph. Well-known within the community, Quincy is often recognized for his humble, yet hospitable personality in addition to his tasty treats and coffee that are made with love. His passion for his craft is his driving force, and his hunger for success is not only infectious, but it’s what has helped land him where he is today.
Patrick Riley, owner of Food Hut in Roanoke, is in constant collaboration with Quincy within the restaurant industry and said he is a force to be reckoned with.
People in Roanoke especially probably know Quincy best as an owner and founder of RND Coffee and for the success he’s found there, but Quincy is a true chef. Quincy trained under some of the best chefs at some of the best kitchens in the country, learned from them and has carried that into his own development as a chef. I see him in action up close and personal a lot, and he has serious skills. He’s incredibly passionate about it. He’s already doing great things as a chef, and the sky’s the limit for him honestly.
Patrick Riley
Just last week, Quincy was featured on ‘Chopped’ on Food Network, and it isn’t the first time he’s been in the national spotlight. He was also featured on ‘Guy’s Grocery Games’ in 2018 when he lived in Chicago, and then again ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ in September of 2022.
Quincy moved to the Star City and founded RND with Steffon in 2019. A mere two years later, Randolph was named a “40 under 40″ recipient for his overall success and his impact on the community. While incredibly grateful for these experiences, if you were to ask Quincy if he ever imagined owning a coffee shop when he was younger, he would tell you that it wasn’t exactly in the playbook.
Ironically, Randolph’s parents owned a Richmond coffee shop, Java Chocolate Cafe, in his teen years, which is what inspired him to open his own, coming in full circle. However, he wasn’t fond of the many chores and duties that came along with helping his parents run the business.
“A part of me thinks that if teenage me were to meet me today, they would be surprised that coffee was the route we chose to springboard as a career because, ya know, again, I didn’t like my parent’s coffee shop. I didn’t care much about coffee when I was a teenager.” With a laugh, he added that he was “kind of a brat.”
But, when he reflects on that period of his life, he realizes that it was a critical component of his journey to finding his passion and what makes him tick. The qualities he saw in his parents are the very embodiment of what he continues to strive for as a chef and business owner today.
“I didn’t get into cooking just for my parents, but even now as my career has progressed, I owe my parents a ton. They made a lot of sacrifices to help me get to where I’m at right now. They believed in me long before I was worth believing in, so I cook with them in mind a lot of the time.”
As a chef, he also pulls from his childhood love of cooking, something he says was a big part of how the family bonded for as long as he can remember.
My passion for cooking and becoming a chef was an amalgamation of a lot of small things. One of the bigger inspirations would be my grandfather. My grandfather would never call himself a chef, but he’s always been a staple cook in our family. I just remember being a little kid on vacation over at the grandparent’s house, and he’d get up at 3 a.m. to make breakfast for us. I was shown from a very early age how food was a way of showing that you want to take care of someone.
Quincy Randolph
RND has two locations, one in Wasena and another in Vinton, where you can purchase everything from individually bagged coffee to classic cold brew iced coffee to banana bread and avocado toast. The Vinton location at 101 E Washington Ave. is open from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m. Monday through Sunday, and the Roanoke location at 1114 Main St. SW is open from 7 a.m. through 6 p.m.
“It’s a home away from home and a safe space,” said Riley. “RND truly cares about its guests and community and never takes them for granted. It is always in the guests’ and community’s corner, working to support Roanoke by building relationships through coffee.”
A place of camaraderie, Randolph always aims to create a warm and welcoming environment for each and every guest who walks through the door - just like his parents once did.
Here’s a look at the coverage we had of Quincy Randolph when he was featured on “Beat Bobby Flay” two years back:
