By Debbie Adams
Dogwood Restaurant owners Keith Poff and Jamie McCarthy and many of their devoted
customers celebrated an expansion of their historic eatery with the official opening of their new
dining area on February 10, nearly doubling the available space.
of a new bar area. (photos by Debbie Adams)
The Dogwood opened on Lee Avenue in downtown Vinton in 1942. The years between 1942 and
1948 appear to be a mystery, but in 1948 the Guthrie family opened the Vinton Restaurant there.
Sometime in the 1960s, Zelma Guthrie changed the name to the Dogwood Restaurant.
There were changes in ownership through the years, but one thing has remained the same– it’s
always been extremely popular.
In 1994, Poff stopped by the Dogwood for lunch and two weeks later, 24 years old and newly
married, surprised his bride by buying the restaurant.
The Dogwood, which is a staple in Vinton, particularly among seniors, has kept the same look
and menu in the years since. (Many of those seniors have been eating at the Dogwood since they
were teenagers.)
In 2011, McCarthy, who had been Poff’s best friend since elementary school, came onboard as
general manager. His background was in drafting, store planning and design, and he loved to
cook. In 2019, he became a partner in the business, mainly due to a Business District
Revitalization Project Planning Grant awarded to the Town of Vinton by the Virginia
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The grant made expansion a
possibility.
In 2019, the owners received the funds to expand the restaurant into the underutilized space next
door. Poff and McCarthy expected to open in 2022, but then COVID came along in 2020, and
with it, a delay in their plans.
But now the expansion has become a reality. The original restaurant remains the same; the
kitchen has not changed, but now you can take a step up to the next level into a new bar area
with tables, TVs, a stage, and gorgeous high-top handcrafted tables built by Robin and John
Blizzard. You are walking on the original wood flooring from the 1940s with six layers above it
removed. The highest level of the open ceiling is also original to the restaurant.
of the Dogwood glow.
Another few steps, and you are out the side door onto the stone patio, equipped with umbrellas
and fire pits.
with umbrellas and fire pits.
Most people think of southern homestyle cooking, meals like Grandma made, when the
Dogwood comes to mind. The menu features specials like chicken and dumplings, salmon cakes,
famous Terrier and Big Lick burgers, meatloaf, mac & cheese, turnip greens, country-style steak,
squash, fried chicken, white chicken chili, and mashed potatoes for lunch and breakfast favorites
like biscuits and gravy, omelets, and pancakes.
But the Dogwood has not only enlarged the space, they have expanded their menu to add some
small plates and appetizers with still more additions to come.
The hours of operation have been extended. New hours are Monday through Thursday from 7
a.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
Something they definitely have kept through the years is their reputation for kindness, great
customer care, friendliness, and good humor.
“We’re excited to see small businesses like the Dogwood Restaurant in Vinton continue to make
investments into our community,” said Vinton Economic Development Specialist Marshall
Stanley.
“The Dogwood’s expanded footprint with additional indoor dining space, a new bar area, and
outdoor patio seating all help bring a new energy to our downtown. The Town of Vinton
partnered with the Dogwood to lease them the property that was developed into their outdoor
patio area, creating a great space for residents and visitors to enjoy in our downtown,” he said.
is dramatically different.
