By Jesse Wood
July 16, 2013. Two weeks ago, Town Tavern, which has operated in Boone since 2009, opened a new location on Main Street in downtown Blowing Rock.
While the town is different, the formula is the same: great food for a reasonable price and cold drinks in a laidback atmosphere.
‘The formula in Boone works, so we tried to keep that the same. We’ve got the same menu, same service model and we tried to duplicate the atmosphere as close as we could but with a Blowing Rock flavor,” Justin Davis, co-owner of Town Tavern said. “It’s a little more upscale. You could come in here [after an outdoor adventure, after work] or for a date night. It’s a place with high service standards, but at the same time, it’s a laidback atmosphere, a where-everybody-knows-you kind of place.”
So far, Davis said the initial two-week response and turnout has been great – from both the tourists and locals, alike.
Davis and co-owner Chris Spillman weren’t necessarily eyeing 1182 Main Street, where Tijuana Fats, Glidewell’s and, most recently, MK’s Southern Cooking were all housed. Davis said the idea for a Blowing Rock site came about “sporadically” and once the location became available, they knew Town Tavern could offer a missing piece.
“There was a demand for what we bring to the table. It felt like the tavern could resonate with not only the locals but also the tourists. There aren’t many places in Blowing Rock where you can come in and eat a good meal at a reasonable price,” Davis said. “With that being said, what we are going after – there are plenty of really nice restaurants in Blowing Rock, and that is awesome. We frequent them often, but we wouldn’t ever try to start one of those types of places.”
Before opening, the 100-year building that houses the Town Tavern went through extensive remodeling by opening up the main room and turning it into a dining room with a huge bar area. A stone fireplace, which used to be in between two walls that were torn down, has become the centerpiece of the space, and an outside patio, facing Main Street, sits 60 people.
The Town Tavern opened just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The owners methodically rushed to open in the summer because “Blowing Rock in the summertime is what Blowing Rock is all about,” Davis said, adding that he hopes to maintain a steady customer base that can withstand the offseason when the tourists leave town.
After “bunkering down” for the winter, Davis said the NFL season and other sports on the 18 flat screens will come in handy.
“We’re just super excited to be over in Blowing Rock and look forward to being a part of the community,” Davis said.
Town Tavern in Blowing Rock is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. For more information, click here or call 828-295-7500.
Click here for more information about the Town Tavern in Boone.
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