There are three things in life that are certain - death, taxes, and Godfrey’s Drag Brunch. The Richmond staple will be celebrating 25 years as part of the Richmond LGBTQ community in July 2022.

Godfrey’s started as a downtown restaurant in 1997. It soon evolved into a dance club with its popular drag brunch expanding to both Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate the growing interest. Godfrey’s is not just a mainstay in Virginia. The venue is credited with being one of the first LGBTQ organizations in the country to start a drag brunch and has attracted worldwide attention, garnering entertainers from as far away as Spain.

“Drag Brunch is the staple of Godfrey’s,” said Alvion Davenport, local Drag performer. “We honestly attract a very diverse clientele. I always make the joke from newborn to dead, a bunch of the rainbow has been to brunch.”

With a tasty brunch menu, cocktails, comedic relief, and a welcoming environment (not to mention the drag show itself), it’s no surprise that Godfrey’s is celebrating its silver anniversary. Davenport shares that the brunch prides itself on being a safe space for everyone to feel comfortable letting their hair down and just being themselves.

Davenport entered a drag contest at Godfrey’s nearly 20 years ago, and as they say, the rest is history. A lot has changed in the past two decades, the biggest change being the growth and acceptance of drag. “The broad spectrum of what drag is has changed drastically,” said Davenport. “The spectrum of acceptance of drag has really changed. When Godfrey’s started drag it was still pretty taboo. We made it to the cover of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and thought it was like we were on the cover of Fortune 500 magazine or something.”

Godfrey’s has become a landmark in Richmond’s LGBTQ community, but it hasn’t always been easy. In its twenty-five years of existence, it has been through a recession, various world events, and a worldwide pandemic that has taken down small businesses across the country. Godfrey’s has remained fresh and relevant these past two and half decades thanks to its focus on the heart of the LGBTQ community - not just the LGBTQ dollar.

“People always ask me why I think that Godfrey’s has lasted the test of time and through the pandemic, and I really think it’s because Godfrey’s owners have the community’s heart at the forefront of what we’re doing and they understand the space that is needed,” said Davenport. “When the ceiling is cracked they do what they have to to fix it. Of course, the money is good, [but] it’s about the heart of the community. Through Godfrey’s I have been able to do so much philanthropy work [including] the Black Lives Matter movement, [and] breast cancer [and] it’s so much beyond the wig that sets Godfrey’s apart.”

As reliable as the sands of time continuing to fall, Cher never aging, and the Shamrock Shake returning every March, Godfrey’s Drag Brunch will always be there, helping us through what life throws our way. Here’s to another 25 years!