ROAN MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (WJHL) — After 70 years, a beloved restaurant in Roan Mountain is closing its doors for good.
Bob’s Dairyland started as a small mom-and-pop shop in 1956 and has served many people in the years since.
Owner Joe Miller said he has offered savory Southern flavors such as made-from-scratch foods for all tastes.
“Everything that we do is made here in our kitchen,” Miller said. “We don’t use cans. We do Southern comfort foods and plant-based, but everything we do is all made from scratch.”
After taking over in 2008, Joe Miller said he kept some favorites on the menu, but due to a past health scare, Miller decided to add nutritious plant-based items.
“We are the only restaurant in Carter County to my knowledge to have plant-based items on our menu,” he said. “They’ve become more popular as well. It’s one of the fastest growing segments in the food industry right now.”
Miller told News Channel 11 that stepping down won’t be easy. A lot of cherishable moments have happened at Bob’s Dairyland.
“We’ve done weddings for people that met here in the restaurant. My youngest daughter met her husband here in the restaurant, my coach from junior high met his wife here in the restaurant, this place means a lot to us,” Miller said.
He may not be running a restaurant, but Miller said he will still pursue his culinary passion. He’s taking a position at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Elizabethton.
“I’ll be an instructor, although I will be doing some traveling, but primarily I’ll be here in the East Tennessee region and the upper five counties,” Miller said.
Miller said he is excited to begin the next phase of his life and he’s forever grateful to the supporters over the decades.
March 31 will be the final day of operation for Bob’s Dairyland.
