News Release

Parkway Seeks Concepts for Future of Historic Bluffs Restaurant

Date: March 14, 2018
Contact: Public Affairs Office, [phone]

The National Park Service has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) regarding the future use of Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Interested parties are invited submit their concept(s) for potential future use of the historic coffee shop located at Milepost 241.1 by May 4, 2018.

Complete information about this RFEI is available at go.nps.gov/BluffsRFEI and includes location information, the historic restaurant’s past performance and submission information requirements for responses.  This RFEI is seeking possible operational models of the historic restaurant and is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not commit the interested party or government in any way.

According to Parkway Superintendent J.D. Lee, "This RFEI is an opportunity for area businesspersons to tell us what they envision for this historic and well-loved restaurant location. We're excited at the prospect of being able to once again provide food and beverage service to visitors as a part of a park experience at Doughton Park."  

Completed in 1949, the Bluffs Restaurant concession was the first location to provide meals to Parkway visitors. The Bluffs Restaurant is made up of a 73 seat dining room with a retail area and a commercial kitchen on the main level.  On the lower level, the basement has eight rooms which can be used for offices or storage. Historically, the Bluffs Restaurant has been known for its fried chicken, country ham and homemade biscuits.  

The Doughton Park area of the Parkway currently offers a Visitor Center and Book Store, Campground, Picnic Area, and interpretive site at Brinegar Cabin. Through the years this area of the Parkway has become a favorite destination for many, and continues to exemplify the Parkway’s historic designed landscape by delivering an experience as a museum of managed countryside.  Near Milepost 240 on the Parkway and encompassing a 6300 acre area, Doughton Park is located in north western North Carolina, approximately 21 miles southwest of the Virginia state line and sits in both Wilkes and Alleghany Counties.

A site visit for interested parties will be held on April 4, 2018. Responses to the RFEI are requested by May 4, 2018.  For site visit information, questions or comments, please contact: Laura S. Nelson, Concessions Management Specialist, National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, NC 28803, [phone].