New Lakeside cafe will cater to Richmond's Deaf community

The inspiration for Matthew Narsinghan's newest cafe came from a trip to Washington D.C., at a pizza place not far from Gallaudet University.

"I saw people interacting in sign language and I thought it was the coolest thing," he said. "That was kind of like the smallest seed to this was just seeing this interaction.

“When you think about spaces for inclusion, there aren’t a lot of deaf-centered places.”

Narsinghan is the co-owner of the Gold Lion Community Café in Richmond, along with his husband, Nafis Narsinghan. The space has earned a reputation for inclusivity and as a community gathering point.

The new project, which is tentatively scheduled to open in July, will be called the Gold Lion Visual Café, and will be located at 6201 Lakeside Ave. He's currently asking for volunteers to help build out the space.

In addition to providing a safe space and employment for the Deaf community, Matt said the new space is intended to serve all Richmonders.

The layout itself is unique, as one side will be a traditional cafe, but the other side will be a strictly visual space.

“We’re going to have interactive screens that teach you how to order in ASL,” he said. The visual aspect is intended for someone who is deaf to feel seen and heard through their sign language, while also providing a space for hearing individuals to learn to sign in ASL as they order their food.

"It’s such a beautiful community that is so resilient, so amazing," he said. "The language of ASL is so beautiful and, you know, I think it deserves to be shared."

He explained the mission from inside the original Gold Lion on Hull Street, with chatter from the Richmond LGBTQ Chamber meeting in the next room.

Matt said he believes in connecting community groups, and this represents an opportunity to do it in a public place.

“They don’t need saving, nothing like that,” Matt said of the Deaf community, “but they need to be able to work, and other people should be exposed to seeing what life is like for others, right?”

According to research conducted by RNID, a charity working to end deaf discrimination, around 41% of deaf participants report being ignored or overlooked in public settings.

Matt said that simply learning ASL isn’t enough. Community awareness needs to happen alongside ASL education.

“Understanding that you are an observer of a community,” Matt said, “and that you are an ally to a community and understanding what that means.”

He said it's easy to extend that invitation, given how much deaf and hearing Richmonders have in common.

“They just speak a different language,” he said with a smile.