RICHMOND, Va. — A West End barbecue shop has a new location marinating near VCU. Deep Run Roadhouse plans to open next month at 309 N. Laurel St., a 1,800-square-foot space that became available after the short-lived Moo Burgers shut down earlier this year.

It’ll be the second Deep Run Roadhouse outpost for owner Paul Hubbard, who opened the first in 2013 at 12379 Gayton Road. Hubbard said pleasing the Rams would be an auspicious sign for his restaurant’s future.

“It’s a demographic that moves and shakes the area,” Hubbard said. “What VCU says goes.”

Hubbard, 33, said he plans to cater to VCU students and the area’s lunch crowd with barbecue and Tex-Mex food in a casual setting. The VCU location is smaller than the Deep Run Roadhouse in the West End, which is about 5,000 square feet.

“The menu down there will be a little more limited,” Hubbard said. “It’s more of a VCU-friendly lunch spot.”

The area has not always been the friendliest to locally based restaurateurs who have tried to go head-on with nearby national brands like Panera Bread, Chipotle and Pie Five. Bigs BBQ had a short-lived location nearby at 933 W. Grace St.

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