Parkway's first restaurant to reopen

The Bluffs Restaurant, the first restaurant ever opened on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is slated for renovation after being closed for a decade and will reopen this summer.

Muddy Creek Enterprises, owners of the Muddy Creek Café & Music Halls in Sparta and Winston-Salem, will operate the restaurant under an agreement with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

“The Bluffs project has truly been a community effort, so we’re thrilled that Muddy Creek, a local business, is a partner in this long-awaited revitalization,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

The Bluffs, at milepost 241 near Sparta, North Carolina, opened in 1949 and was the first of what would be only four restaurants ever opened on the Parkway. It closed in 2010.

“We are so pleased to see this beloved area of the park come back to life,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent J.D. Lee. “The Bluffs at Doughton Park was one of the earliest developed areas on the Parkway. This site is integral to the park’s history and will again be part of its future thanks to the support and involvement of so many.”

In recent years, the building has undergone initial renovations including replacement of the roof and remediation of mold that developed while the structure was unoccupied.

During its 61 years in business, the interior of the facility remained largely unchanged. For the rehab project, new interior fixtures and design upgrades were selected to replicate the original look and feel of the restaurant. The interior design will follow the guidelines of the National Park Service and N.C. Historic Preservation Office.

The renovations also include the installation of new kitchen equipment, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical to meet current safety standards.

A combination of donations from individuals and community foundations and support from the N.C. General Assembly and Appalachian Regional Commission are making the project possible through the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

“The reopening of The Bluffs provides an opportunity to bring back a place that has meant so much to so many people,” said Bill Heath, Director of Operations for Muddy Creek Enterprises. “To be a part of that experience is something to be cherished and appreciated.”