RICHMOND, Va. — Jeffrey Allums, a longtime Richmond restaurant owner whose warmth and generosity touched countless lives throughout Central Virginia, died Feb. 9 at the hospital after a four-month battle with infection. He was 58.
Allums, who managed Baja Bean Co. locations in Charlottesville and Richmond for decades, was known for treating customers like family and never meeting a stranger. His death has prompted an outpouring of memories customers, employees and community members who say he created gathering places that felt like home.
"He genuinely cared about people," said his wife, Elizabeth "Liz" Payne Allums. "You felt like family when you were there. He was never about formality or putting on airs."
Allums died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after complications from a kidney stone in his remaining kidney that prevented infection from clearing his system, leading to sepsis.
Born and raised in Williamsburg, Allums attended the College of William & Mary before he moved to Charlottesville to manage Baja Bean Co.
It was at the Charlottesville Baja Bean where he met his future wife in an unconventional way.
Liz was a Randolph-Macon College student when they were introduced by a mutual friend.
Their romance began when they reconnected on the set of the 1994 film "Foreign Student," which was filming at her college.
"I was walking to class, and he popped out of a makeup trailer that was part of a film crew on location for the day. We made plans to meet up that night and had one of those conversations about nothing and everything," she said. "We became very close friends and stayed that way... until my senior year. One night, we were out with friends and sitting on the floor watching a movie. I glanced over my shoulder to say something to him and realized he was close enough to kiss me. I remember thinking if I turned around again, he would kiss me, and if he did, it would be forever. So I turned, and it was."
After moving to Richmond, Allums opened a new Baja Bean location in The Fan that became a neighborhood institution.
Regular customers would bring their babies to meet him, Liz recalled, and he remembered their usual orders and asked about their lives.
One patron, artist Tom who created the bicycle statue near Lombardy and Main streets, ate lunch there daily just to share stories with Allums, she said.
"He was so proud of Baja and all who worked there. And he genuinely cared about people. He was never about formality or putting on airs, and Baja and its staff reflected that in the best of ways," she said. "You felt like family when you were there. He had so many regulars; I don’t think they were there strictly for the tacos and margs."
Beyond the restaurant, Allums was deeply involved in community service. He catered Christmas Eve dinners and organized clothing drives for the homeless, volunteered in his neighborhood, and mentored younger staff members. Even during his own battle with kidney cancer a decade ago, he continued volunteering to mow neighborhood grass to help them save money.
His generosity extended to special occasions. When Hurricane Isabel canceled a friend's wedding rehearsal, Allums organized a feast and celebration within a day. He also opened his restaurant early so customers could wait for family members running in the Richmond Marathon.
Allums took pride in mentoring restaurant staff, helping employees who left open their own establishments. Many former staff members have shared memories of him serving as a father or uncle figure.
"When the closing of Baja was imminent, instead of taking jobs that would require he leave, he stayed to try and make sure every employee had a job until the doors shut," his wife said.
As a father, Allums embraced being a "Girl Dad" to daughters Abigail "Abi" Allums and Charlotte Allums.
Despite describing himself as a "guy's guy" who loved sports and drove an old Jeep, he enthusiastically supported his daughters' interests, from attending art shows to wearing a flower crown at a Lana del Rey concert.
"I loved seeing this big guy squeeze into their beds at night to read them to sleep," his wife remembered.
His humor remained intact even during health challenges. When diagnosed with kidney cancer that spread, he joked about making inappropriate t-shirts about his condition, and famously brought a large cardboard cutout of his daughter Charlotte's head to her events, from swim meets to high school graduation.
"Jeff's laugh was so contagious that when he really got going, no one around him was immune," Liz said.
Allums is survived by his wife Liz; daughters Abi and Charlotte; mother Katheryne Richard Dishner; siblings Michael, Scott, and Beth; and stepfather Jim.
A service of remembrance will be held March 7 at 2 p.m. at Brandermill Church, 4500 Millridge Parkway, Midlothian.
A celebration will follow from 4-6 p.m. at Station 2, 2016 E. Main St., Richmond , a restaurant opened by one of his former employees.
"He would’ve loved that we’re having his celebration at Station 2," Liz said.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Hines Foundation, a charity particularly meaningful to Allums.
"When people think of him, they will smile," his wife said. "Maybe they’ll miss how warm he was and how he made them feel seen and special. He was somehow so big, his laugh, his countenance, his enthusiasm, but he always left room for everyone else."
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