Cherryville Gets A Bar and Grill Restaurant: Cherry Pit Now Open

By: Rusty Wise – Wise News Network

Cherryville, NC (WNN) – The much-anticipated Cherryville Pit Bar and Grill is now open at 201 N Mountain Street in Cherryville, NC, as of August 20th, 2024. It is Cherryville’s first actual bar and grill since the early 1900’s.

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The project, which started in 2023, was a significant renovation that required the entire building to be gutted except for the walls and roof structure. Initially built in the 1920s, it has been home to many businesses. One of the most remembered businesses was Moss Radio & Television Service, which Heyward Moss operated for over 50 years. Later, a florist shop, Roxanne (Beam) Ingle, ran in the 1990s and several other shops before sitting vacant for 14 years. 

A group of people standing outside of the Cherryville.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for The Cherry Pit. August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)

Cherryville Main Street LLC purchased the property along with eight adjacent properties in April 2021 and is the current building owner. The goal of the construction was to restore the 1,875-square-foot building to its original state as much as possible. An additional feature of over 1,700 square feet is the covered patio, with fans, firepits, and a 98-inch TV screen. 

Mason Ford speaking during the ribbon cutting at the Cherry Pit.
Mason Ford speaking during the ribbon cutting! August 20th, 2024 By Mason Beam

The new tenant is the Cherry Pit Bar and Grill, owned by 27-year-old twins Brady and Mason Ford, both Cherryville natives. Both have been in the restaurant industry, and this is their first attempt at owning a restaurant. According to Vickie Spurling (Vickie Spurling Realty), the twins’ grandmother, it’s been a community effort. “We have used everyone local on this project. I would say most everyone is within 15 miles of this project,” stated Spurling during the August 20th, 2024

ribbon cutting and grand opening event. 

The original sketch of a Del Monte No. 1 Brunswick bar from the catalog.
The original sketch of a Del Monte No. 1 Brunswick bar from the catalog. Provided by woodennickelantiques.net

The centerpiece of the bar and grill is the bar itself. According to Patrick O’Leary with Cherryville Main Street LLC, an attempt was made to find a used or premade Brunswick Bar, but the quality and detail were unsatisfactory. One iconic Brunswick bar is the 24-foot Delmonte No. 1, made in the early 1900s. So, they contacted Riddley Cabinets in Cherryville, who built a replica of the Delmonte No. 1 out of solid Sapele Mahogany using drawings from an old Brunswick catalog. According to O’Leary, it is the most expensive piece in the entire project.

The Brunswick style bar custom built for the Cherry Pit.
The Brunswick style bar custom built for the Cherry Pit. August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam

The outside front of the restaurant is themed from a photo of an Irish Pub in Manitowoc, Canada, which the twins’ mother, Christie Ford, discovered. 

The Cherry Pit Bar and Grill exterior front side.
The exterior of the Cherry Pit. August 23rd, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)

Besides the bar, you have to have food to call it a Bar and grill. The Head Chef is Chris Murphy from Raleigh, NC. Murphy, a family friend, cooked at a bar and grill on Franklin Street in Raleigh. That’s where you get the item on the menu called “Franklin Street” Mac and Cheese, which is a twist on regular mac and cheese in which cornflakes and a little zesty kick are added. Murphy plans to stay a few months to get them up and running and then turn the cooking reigns over to Brady from there. 

A man in black shirt cooking food on an oven.
Chris Murphy cooking smash burgers. August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam
The Cherry Pit Bar and Grill sign.
The original sliding barn door of the building placed on the new Cherry Pit patio – painted by Cherryville artist Gary Freeman, August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)

And where did the name “The Cherry Pit” come from? According to co-owner Mason Ford, he asked a friend with whom he worked what name would be suitable for a Cherryville Bar and Grill. “The Cherry Pit,” she stated. Mason liked it, and the rest is history, as they say. Macy (Abernethy) West, a family friend and native of Cherryville, produced the Cherry Pit logo.

A sampler from the grand opening featuring the spinach dip, their buttermilk fried chicken, and the pit burger.
A sampler from the grand opening featuring the spinach dip, their buttermilk fried chicken, and the pit burger. August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)

The overall Cherry Pit “community” project is a classic American bar and grill adorned with historical Cherryville photos, drinks, and comfort food while keeping the original building style intact. 

Want to go? 

The Cherry Pit Bar and Grill 

201 North Mountain Street

Cherryville NC 28021

Sunday 11:00 AM-9:00 PM

Monday 11:00 AM-10:00 PM

Thursday 11:00 AM-10:00 PM

Friday 11:00 AM-12:00AM

Saturday 11:00 AM-12:00 AM

Closed Tuesdays & Wednesday

The Cherry Pit Menu:

The Cherry Pit Menu.
The Cherry Pit Menu. August 20th, 2024 by Mason Beam (WNN)

Web: www.cherry-pit.com

Email: [email protected]

Ph: 704-813-6093


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