The National Park Service recently awarded a 10-year contract to a new vendor to operate the Mabry Mill Restaurant.
Originally added to the site in 1956, Blue Ridge Parkway Public Affairs Specialist Rachael Treon says that for many visitors, the restaurant and the mill itself go hand-in-hand, “The historic structures and what draws people to Mabry Mill is the site itself. However, having retail and restaurant services there is a big pull for a very popular site that is already being visited.”
Details on renovations and proposed menu offerings are not yet available. But the restaurant is slated for reopening in the spring of 2027.
Treon says restaurant renovations won't affect activities at the mill itself, “The historic structures and the property are still open for people to go on while the restaurant is undergoing renovations until next year. So, we still encourage people to stop by the site, but they just won’t have those restaurant and retail services until next year.”
Cited at the most photographed location along the parkway, Treon recognizes the mill has been one of its most important and treasured features for generations, “This is a place that they come and visit year after year or they make fond memories at. And being able to spend a little extra time and have some restaurant services there, I know means a lot to the public. And we’re so excited to be able to provide that again.”
Mabry Mill is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 176 near Meadows of Dan.
