The restored interior of the Bluffs Coffee Shop, aka The Bluffs Restaurant At Doughton Park/David and Kay Scott

Until early June, our last fond memory of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Bluffs Coffee Shop was a June 2010 dinner with long-time manager Colon “Sparkie” Sparkman.  Walking over from our guest room at nearby Bluffs Lodge, the three of us were waited on by Katheryn Joines who had worked at the coffee shop for an amazing 59 years. One of our meals was the house special of BBQ pork with melted cheese between two corncakes, with a side dish of cole slaw to use as a possible topping. 

How can a parkway traveler ask for more?  

We enjoyed the experience so much we wrote “Bluffs Lodge and the Best Coffee Shop in a National Park” for the Traveler.    

At the time of our visit, we had no idea the lodge and coffee shop would be shuttered at season’s end when the National Park Service was unable to attract a concessionaire. The existing concessionaire, Forever Resorts, had no interest in bidding on a new contract to manage the two facilities, along with Mabry Mill and Rocky Knob Cabins. Rocky Knob Cabins continued in operation for another year under a different concessionaire, while Mabry Mill, always a popular stop for parkway travelers, continues in operation.  Although Bluffs Lodge, long one of our favorite national park lodging facilities, remains closed, the coffee shop has been extensively renovated and is up and running for a second full season.

Restoration of the restaurant didn’t come quickly or cheaply, requiring considerable effort on the part of the National Park Service and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.  The foundation has a historic lease on the National Park Service-owned facility and is responsible for building maintenance and improvements. 

According to Jordan Calaway, the foundation’s chief development officer, the nonprofit raised $1 million, including $350,000 from the North Carolina General Assembly, and $300,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to restore the coffee shop.

In addition, the National Park Service spent approximately $325,000 in 2016 for mold remediation. The roof was replaced two years later.  Calaway estimates the cost of kitchen and communications equipment, along with furniture, at over $400,000.  While the cost of restoring and reopening the restaurant was steep, the result is impressive with an appearance quite similar to the original --but considerably refreshed-- in comparison with its look during our 2010 stop.

Sharon Pinney and John Gamradt operate the restaurant/David and Kay Scott

Our June road trip along the parkway included a stop at the coffee shop in order to check out the reopened restaurant and talk with the new managers. Arriving in the parking lot we soon discovered the facility was no longer Bluffs Coffee Shop, but The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park. The restaurant is now open for breakfast only on Saturday and Sunday.  The remainder of the week it doesn’t open until 10 a.m. Understandably, an eating establishment that is open only two days a week for breakfast can’t reasonably be called a coffee shop. We would discover the new name isn’t the only change.

Entering the restaurant was like greeting an old friend, albeit one who seemed to have grown younger. The interior is essentially the same as during our 2010 dinner with Sparky, only fresher. The replaced flooring is green-and-white check that matches the original. Likewise, the original light fixtures have been restored. The entire place sparkled with newness.

Following the pandemic-abbreviated opening in 2020, the restaurant enjoyed a full six-month season in 2021 under the new management of experienced restaurateurs Sharon Pinney and John Gamradt. A similar season is expected for the current year, according to Ms. Pinney who said the couple couldn’t ask for a better group to work with than the people at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. 

Pinney is also encouraged the majority of last year’s staff have returned for a second season at The Bluffs. The manager enjoys meeting and talking with guests, several of whom she said actually broke into tears while reliving long-ago experiences in the coffee shop.  Others, she said, have been somewhat critical of changes in the menu while expecting meal prices similar to those of their last visit prior to the closing in 2010. 

John Gamradt, who also serves as the restaurant’s chef, told us the foundation made clear that fried chicken and sweet potato pancakes would be menu necessities. Otherwise, the two were free to offer new items. Prices on the lunch menu range from $10 to $16 for sandwiches and $12 to $21 for lunch plates, with the latter generally including two side dishes. Dinner items range from $14 for homemade chicken pot pie to $24 for a strip steak. 

John mentioned one of the popular menu additions has been the North Carolina BBQ Plate ($17).  A new offering is a Harvest Grain Spinach Salad made with baby spinach, mixed rice and grains, diced sweet potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts.

The closed Bluffs Lodge continues to deteriorate/David and Kay Scott

Following our restaurant visit we returned to the car and crossed the parkway to get a look at vacant Bluffs Lodge. The building unfortunately continues to deteriorate with a depressing appearance of loose shingles, mold, cracked siding, broken patio stones, and more.  What a shame.  Several years ago we were told the cost of restoring the lodge would be at least $4 million. Today it would be considerably higher.  

A renovated and revitalized lodge would likely result in significant business for the restaurant.  With 24 guest rooms, The Bluffs could offer a daily breakfast, and the dinner crowd should experience a significant boost.  Wouldn’t it be nice if a wealthy philanthropist like Warren Buffet or Bill Gates decided to make a substantial gift to the foundation?

One thought on departing Bluffs to head north on the parkway toward Roanoke was the lack of easily visible signage for the restaurant. Our two travel companions sitting outside enjoying a peach milkshake told us they talked to three groups of travelers who stopped to use the restroom behind the adjacent visitor center without realizing a restaurant was in the neighboring building. One commented she thought the building was a warehouse.  Another possibility is to add a few outdoor picnic tables with bright umbrellas that would allow customers to eat outside while attracting the attention of parkway motorists. Since we’re making recommendations, how about adding a taco salad to the menu? 

Regardless, like the other devotees of Bluffs, we are excited to see the old coffee shop spiffed up and operated by a younger generation with enthusiasm and new ideas. Let’s hope parkway travelers and locals support the efforts of the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and Sharon and John by patronizing the reopened restaurant.  And keep the historic lodge in your thoughts.  It is another parkway treasure that needs a helping hand.

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot).  The Scotts live in Valdosta, Georgia.