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Couple hopes to find niche with Love Valley store
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Published: September 13, 2009
Paula Teeter always planned to open a country-cooking-style restaurant when she retired.
When she first started visiting Love Valley with her husband, Trent, she stopped by the Hitch N Rail for a meat-and-vegetable meal.
It's something she's missed and something she believes Cowboy Capital residents and visitors have missed as well.
The Teeters, who live 90 miles away in Oaksboro, started leasing the General Store and Cafe from building owner Brenda Hartness in February and officially opened March 1. The couple is moving toward offering country cooking specials with choices of meats and vegetables as part of their regular menu.
"We want to get the cafe under our feet first," Paula Teeter said.
The idea to open the restaurant was hastened a bit last fall when Paula was laid off from her job and Trent's hours at the iron foundry in Charlotte were reduced.
Paula said they spoke with Hartness, who has been trying to sell the building, and she agreed to lease the space. A few changes have occurred. Most of the cosmetic changes include cleaning and reorganizing the store, Paula said.
The couple decided to remove the horse tack that the store previously sold in favor of a more gift-shop feel. Eventually, she would like to have a true general store that sells laundry detergent, bread and other camp necessities.
One of their top priorities is to keep the family-friendly feel the cafe has always had, Paula said. That means keeping the video games up front and the alcohol outside.
With the help of local resident Katrina Burgess, the couple has opened the cafe seven days a week with country cooking for lunch and dinner. For $5.50, you can get your choice of meat, two veggie items, dessert and a drink.
"Monday was the first time I ate her food," Paula said. "It was really good."
Local resident Robert Payne said the new items on the menu are terrific and come in handy during the week when a lot of the stores are closed.
Paula said they will keep selling the fast-food items, such as french fries, corn dogs, BLTs, hamburgers and patty melts. They've also added breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Monday, said Ginger Bevins, who works at the cafe with her son Ronnie Fisher and mother Shirley Davis.
Bevins said the new style is making the customers happier. Some even come multiple times a week.
"I'd like to see all these store fronts filled up," she said.
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