Dodson converting former Circuit arcade-bar into sports bar-card shop combo

A rendering of the interior of Graybo’s new space on West Leigh Street. (Courtesy Dodson Cos.)

A year after buying the building, local developer Duke Dodson is set to turn a former Scott’s Addition bar-arcade space into a sports bar-card shop combo concept.  

Dodson is preparing to open Parlay Bar & Lounge in the old Circuit Arcade Bar spot at 3117 W. Leigh St., where he’ll also relocate his Graybo’s Sports Cards retail shop. 

The Circuit closed last fall after a six-year run in the building. Dodson, who’s invested in and developed real estate all over the city, paid $4 million for the The Circuit property a few months before it went out of business.  

In a statement, Dodson said “This dual concept is completely new to the sports card world and Richmond. We’re hoping this catches on as the ‘no-brainer’ spot to watch a game or just get together with friends.”

Graybo’s Sports Cards is owned by Dodson, Gray Burnette and Ryan Fitz, all of whom are longtime sports card collectors. They opened the shop in a Dodson-owned building at 214 E. Grace St. in early 2023, selling unopened packs and boxes of sports cards as well as professionally graded, collectible individual cards. The shop will be leaving Grace Street in favor of the Scott’s Addition building, a move that’ll see the shop jump from 550 to 2,200 square feet. 

The new sports bar is planned to include a putting green as well as TVs and lounge seating.

Adjacent to Graybo’s will be Parlay, which The Dodson Cos. describes as an elevated sports bar, with plenty of TVs, lounge seating, private pod seating areas and a putting green across its 3,300 square feet. 

Running Parlay will be local chef Robyn Carter and restaurateur Kelsey Biser. The duo has worked with Dodson in the past, as they recently opened a pair of restaurants in Colonial Beach, a town on the Northern Neck where Dodson is developing a $25 million mixed-use project dubbed CoBe on the Potomac. 

Both Parlay and Graybo’s are set to open on May 18. 

Also heading to Scott’s Addition’s dining scene is Ballast, a restaurant and market from the owners of Yellow Umbrella that’s set to open in the old Blue Bee Cider space, and Cochiloco, a Mexican spot from the owners of Y Tu Mamá that’s opening in The Otis at 1601 Roseneath Road. 

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