Bluffs Restaurant

On February 6, the Blue RIdge Parkway/National Park Service released the following release concerning Request for Expressions of Interest for Otter Creek Restaurant, Rocky Knob Cabins, and Bluffs Lodge

Each year, the Foundation works with the National Park Service to determine where donors can make the greatest impact on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our 2023 Parkway Project List below outlines the ways your donation can transform the national park you love.  The national park depends on dedicated donors to provide critical funding through the Foundation. You can choose to give to a specific initiative that you want to see accomplished or provide a gift that supports the highest priority needs. 

New operator to manage historic establishment at Doughton Park on Blue Ridge Parkway The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park, milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, will reopen for the season on Friday, May 26, with a new team managing operations. Cal Ledbetter of The Bluffs Restaurant, LLC, will manage the restaurant.

Great news! The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park will reopen on Thursday, May 27, with a new team managing operations. Heritage Dining and Events, LLC, led by Sharon Pinney and Chef John Gamradt of Boone, N.C., bring a combined 35 years of experience in the food service industry to the historical restaurant at milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. “Heritage is honored and excited to be a part of bringing The Bluffs, a cherished iconic restaurant, back to life,” said Pinney, President of Heritage Dining and Events.

The road to reopening The Bluffs Restaurant has been a long journey, and we thank you for supporting the project every step of the way. We want you to be the first to know about a development in operations at the Doughton Park restaurant. The operator has decided to suspend food service for the remainder of the 2020 season in the interest of the safety of patrons and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We agree with the decision, and plan to reopen in the spring of 2021.

We are pleased to announce that renovations to the interior of The Bluffs Restaurant at milepost 241 on the Parkway are underway, and a new operator has been selected. Muddy Creek Enterprises, owners of the Muddy Creek Café & Music Halls in Sparta and Winston-Salem, will operate The Bluffs Restaurant under an agreement with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The restaurant is slated to reopen this summer.

Update: Thanks to your love for The Bluffs, we have met the $25,000 match for repairs to the historic restaurant. Our hearts are bursting as we announce another gift-matching opportunity for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yes. That’s right. WE HAVE TWO MATCHES!

Note: Ellen Woodruff Smith passed away on February 12. Paul Smith passed on May 5, 2021. For so many people who enjoy fond memories of Bluffs Coffee Shop, the stories go beyond the ham biscuits, pan-fried chicken, and berry cobbler. A big part of the charm of stopping in for a home-style meal was the welcoming staff, including server Ellen Woodruff Smith, who worked at The Bluffs from the day it opened on May 31, 1949, to the day it closed on November 1, 2010. 

Do you want to reopen a beloved restaurant on the Blue Ridge Parkway? Here is your chance! The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is looking for a visionary partner to operate The Bluffs Restaurant. Renovations to the restaurant will begin this fall, and the reopening is slated for 2020. The restaurant at milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Sparta, N.C., was a favorite among travelers and locals alike.