When Mad Pepper closed in July, folks wondered what would become of the Main Street space that has been some form of eatery for more than a decade; now they have an answer.
On Friday, the Mountaineer Cafe will reopen in the Town of Madison. The beloved homestyle restaurant was a local favorite, serving customers for more than a decade before closing. The restaurant was opened in 2004 by Cheryl and Jesse Yowell, Jr. before it was sold to the McDaniel family in 2014 and the Clark family in 2016. The business closed in 2017.
Now it’s being re-established by sisters Lauren Yowell Eanes and Taylor Yowell who are carrying on their parents’ legacy and reopening the family business. The idea to get back into the restaurant industry had been brewing for a while before the pair announced the reopening via a Facebook post that quickly went viral.
“My sister and I have said for the last few years, we were ready for a break when [our family] sold it, but we’ve gotten older, our kids have gotten older and we decided if a good opportunity ever came about we would be interested,” Eanes said.
Eanes, who is also the Madison County Registrar, said they knew they had to bring back the same name and style of the previous cafe.
“Even in voter registration, customers would still come in and say they missed the Mountaineer Cafe and wished we still had it,” she said.
The sisters are planning to serve up the same homestyle, American traditional food as the cafe was known for while trying to keep prices low and bring in repeat, regular customers. The building, which has undergone changes as Mad Local and Mad Pepper including an expansion of its footprint, will also go back to its Madison roots with a royal blue and white color scheme, complete with a neon sign and the old sports gear, including the original Mountaineer jersey which is being reframed.
“It’s very localized with the blue and white, a Mountaineer vibe and lots of menu items have sports names,” Eanes said. “We’ve tried to make it fun.”
Late last month, folks were introduced to the re-established Mountaineer Cafe via a “first taste” during the Taste of the Mountains Street Festival. A limited menu was available including breakfast, Varsity Funnel Fries, onion rings, fried pickle fries, cheese balls and pork rinds. The response was overwhelmingly positive with people taking to social media to share their sentiments including “great breakfasts,” and “it was delicious.”
Eanes said she’s excited to have the restaurant officially open Friday at 7 a.m. The restaurant will operate seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offer both dine-in and carryout. She and her sister, who also serves as a registrar, plan to be in the restaurant this week ensuring it runs smoothly before early voting starts next Friday. Eanes said they’ve hired a good front of house staff and are currently fully staffed. “We would love to see the community back and supporting us,” Eanes said. “We’re excited to see everyone.”
The menu will be released via the cafe’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579376912832, prior to the official opening.
