SUFFOLK, Va. — A new restaurant is moving into the former building of the Bennett's Creek Farm Market, a community staple that inhabited the building for decades.
Last February, the market suddenly closed, and the building stood vacant for more than a year; however, the building won't be empty for much longer.
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"This location is going to give us the ability to actually build the barbeque joint of my dreams," said the new owner of the building, Bob Roberts.
Roberts owns Redwood Smoke Shack which started in his backyard. The business then progressed to a food truck, and now has locations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
This new location is much bigger than the other two, sitting on about three acres.
"Also with this land, it lets us now maybe have a festival," said Roberts. "We can do barbeque throwdowns, and I could have a lot of my buddies come up from Texas and we could have a really good gathering for the community."
Roberts says he wants to keep the "backyard barbeque vibe" and will tear down part of the building to create a covered patio complete with infrared heaters.
Don't worry though, the iconic rooftop cow, who Roberts calls Betsy, will remain at home but with a new makeover.
Renovations should start in about a week, and they're hoping to open in the fall.
Roberts says he knows he has big shoes to fill and hopes the community will continue to support their Texas-inspired restaurants. He also said he hopes to get some original recipes from Bennett's Creek and stock those items for locals who have a special place in their hearts for the long-running market.
