After closing their restaurant more than two years ago, Tom and Lisa Jones returned with a new spot.
Tosa’s Mood-n-Food opened this month in The Shops at Hilltop in Virginia Beach.
“We’ve always done restaurants. We don’t know any different,” Lisa Jones said.
The husband and wife owned Motsie’s Sea Grille in Virginia Beach’s Renaissance Place for five years, and, before that, they were the original owners of Stoley’s off Great Neck Road for 11 years.
They decided to jump back into business ownership after working for other people. The ever-changing hospitality industry keeps them on their toes, and the couple loves its craziness.
“It has a certain amount of energy to it that we just thrive off of,” Lisa said.
This go-round, which they said is their last, they are having fun as Tosa’s represents them. The “To” is for Tom and the “sa” is for Lisa. She’s the mood, and he’s the food (the chef).
The small, casual dining restaurant offers light fare, such as salads, sandwiches and flatbreads along with favorites from the owners’ previous venture. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)
The small, casual dining restaurant offers salads, sandwiches, flatbreads and other light fare with larger portions. The menu, which is still going through a few more tweaks, includes items such as chopped salad, bronzed tuna taco and crispy fried green beans — my favorite from Motsie’s. It also brought back Motsie’s sweet tea, the best in Hampton Roads.
Customers won’t find dinner entrees on the menu. The Joneses didn’t want the fuss and cost worries of those big-ticket items.
And with reduced stress levels, they can focus on creating a relaxing environment where guests can take their time to enjoy the food and get to know one another — the way loyal customers remember.
Rekaya Gibson, 757-295-8809, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com
If you go
Where: 1601 Hilltop West Shopping Center, Virginia Beach
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Details: tosasvb.com, 757-650-4599
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/10/23/virginia-beach-tosas-mood-n-food/

