Industry Night at City Ridge: Builders, Risk-Takers & 20 Years of Changing the Game with Erik Bruner-Yang & Richard Lake

Today’s Industry Night comes to you from one of my favorite spaces in the City Ridge development, the light-filled Anna’s House greenhouse. Huge thanks to the City Ridge team for hosting and for creating a place where design and community truly intersect.This episode brings together two builders working in very different (but deeply connected) lanes.First, Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, a chef who helped change the conversation in DC hospitality 20 years ago with Toki Underground on H Street NE. From Maketto and ABC Pony to Bar Providencia and now Manifest, Erik has continuously pushed food, culture, and community forward, including through his Power of 10 Initiative, launched during the pandemic.Then, Richard Lake, founding partner of Roadside Development and the visionary behind City Ridge. We talk about intentional design, neighborhood-building, and the personal story woven into this development, from Anna’s House to the creative spaces that bring this community to life.Two perspectives. One thoughtful conversation. Welcome to Industry Night.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:14 - "From Fan to Restauranteur"06:20 - "Creative Evolution from the Hip"09:39 - "Honoring Neighborhood History Through Retail"12:00 - "Soft Opening Sparks Major Shift"14:51 - "Sustaining Meaningful Advocacy Work"17:44 - Creativity Amid Challenges23:24 - "Luxury Barbershop Experience"25:22 - "An Ode to D.C. Cuisine"30:12 - "Adventurous Seafood Experience"33:07 - "Experience My New Restaurant"34:04 - "Birdies and Tailed Goat"37:51 - "Fannie Mae Southwest Coordination"41:50 - "Designing with Landscape Priority"43:40 - "Emotional and Visual Connection to Nature"48:37 - Urban Store Design Collaboration50:16 - "Unique Botanica Dining Experience"55:13 - "Creator Space Initiative Explained"56:21 - Cheese Board Class Pitch57:01 - OutroQuotes:“The sky’s the limit when spaces are intentional and thoughtful.”- Nycci Nellis"Places are meant to evolve. Real creativity is honoring the past while boldly building what’s next."- Erik Bruner-Yang“We’re building places that will stand long after we’re gone—living, breathing parts of the community.”- Richard LakeKey Takeaways:Game-Changer Roots on H StreetCreativity Meets CommunityAdapting Through AdversityPower of 10: Adaptation with HeartSustainable Places that Tell a StoryNever Stop ReinventingLocation:https://www.instagram.com/cityridgedc/Erik Bruner-YangInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/erikbruneryang/ https://www.instagram.com/maketto1351/ https://www.instagram.com/barprovidenciadc/ https://www.instagram.com/powerof10initiative/ https://www.instagram.com/h.ours_dc/Twitter:https://x.com/erikbruneryangRichard Lake:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cityridgedc/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-lake-70613118/Featuring Nycci NellisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyccinellis/Website: https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/Produced by Heartcast Mediahttp://www.heartcastmedia.com