Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090057
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ADRIANNE BEE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
After 25 years of being a happy haven for vegetarians and spotlighting some of the best bands to hit Blacksburg, South Main Cafe closed because of debt.
"I'm a little sad, a little relieved," said Linda Ruth Schwab, the cafe's owner for the past 20 years. Though her club has featured such nationally renowned bands as 38 Special, The Dave Mathews Band and Hootie and The Blowfish, South Main Cafe was not always packed with patrons. "There was a lack of consistent support from the students," Schwab said.
"I have no idea what it will turn into," says Schwab of the building's future identity. The brown, brick building with the green doors has been sold to Bill Ellenbogen, owner of Bogen's restaurant, and Tim Whitehead, proprietor of BT's restaurant in Radford. They also are unsure of South Main Cafe's destiny.
"I have no idea what we're going to do with it," said Ellenbogen who will only say he purchased the club for a "fair" price. The price has not yet been recorded in Montgomery County records.
"We bought it because it was there and for sale," Ellenbogen said.
On May 24, The Kind played for the last time, packing South Main with loyal fans until 3 a.m. "It took me 45 minutes to get a beer," said one fan in the crowd. Thursday, Eddie from Ohio was the last band to grace the South Main stage.
The music wasn't the only draw over the years, however. The food had its fans as well.
These fans will be glad to know that Schwab is opening a catering business in the area and plans to continue her Monday night Indian feasts.
Asked where The Kind will play now, Schwab said she isn't sure. Rumors circulate, though, that the group will play at her new establishment.
The building at 117 South Main St., built in 1848, was originally a Presbyterian Church. A story printed in the restaurant's menu tells of a Sunday morning when the church's preacher stomped his foot to make a point and the ceiling plaster began to crumble. The building's deterioration led to the building of a new church. The church then turned into a meeting place for fraternal organizations.
In the late 1960s, the building was a coffeehouse. It's present parking lot was a used car lot. The car dealer changed his plans to level the building and expand his business and instead moved to another location. The '70s saw the building as a clothing store that sold jeans and "head" supplies. The restaurant and bar was established in 1973.
What will be the next chapter in the building's history? Ellenbogen speculates that he and Whitehead will "fix up the building and probably sell it." He sees potential for professional offices or a retail business where Tech students have danced on the original oak flooring for the past two decades.
"It's more than a personal loss," said Dave Mayor, a South Main employee. "The community is losing the only place that demands respect from nationally known bands."
The sign on the side of South Main Cafe no longer has a rundown of the bands for the week. Only one word was there at this time last week: Bye.
by CNB