Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN)—After two years of anticipation, the Five Spur Restaurant has finally arrived in Cherryville, NC. Area residents have been anticipating the restaurant since it was announced in 2023. The restaurant is located at 115 E Main Street, in the heart of the downtown Cherryville Historic District. Over the years, the building has been used for many things, such as the former Western Auto Store owned by Elwood and Helen Mabry, the parents of current Gaston County Commissioner Cathy Mabry Cloninger, and the latest use was the YMCA.
On Tuesday evening, September 30th, 2025, a private Five Spur family and friends event was held from 5–8 PM. The restaurant, which can accommodate approximately 120 guests, was at its maximum capacity. Guests were served a variety of food samplings from the menu, including steak, salmon, shrimp, calamari, sides, appetizers, varieties of beer, and custom-made cocktails from the bar. It was quite the meeting place on Tuesday night with guests from Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, Rutherford Counties, and beyond.
Renovations to the building included restoring the original metal tin ceiling, which is in great shape with a brownish tint. The 3,400-square-foot floor plan has a Texas-Western theme, with hardwood flooring, beige sheetrock, and green painted wood paneling accents. A waiting area is to the left as you enter the restaurant, which has bench seating available. The dining areas are all black tablecloth-covered tables in an open-type environment, accented with Western-themed black and white pictures. A nice bar area has been added to the right as you walk in, with TVs for viewing and many brands of alcohol and beers on tap. Numerous chandeliers and wall lighting fixtures adorn the area with a yellowish hue to fit the restaurant's theme. The kitchen area is fully enclosed and out of view for patrons. On the way to the back are the restrooms on the back left, and outside on the rear is a new deck area that is the full length of the building. Also, a newly built metal staircase is provided on the deck to enter the restaurant from the rear parking area. Other parking is available, including handicap parking on the Main Street areas for entry at the front entrance. The building owner and landlord, Cherryville Main Street, LLC / Patrick O'Leary, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, renovated the building to accommodate the restaurant. Per Gaston County, NC public records, a $350,000 value was put on the renovation project.
The Five Spur Steakhouse owners are Johnny Ray Bousselot and Stephen Soto, commonly known as "Johnny Ray" and "Neighbor Steve." Both live in Vale, NC, and are familiar with the restaurant industry, with current restaurants Johnny Ray's Smokehouse in Fallston, NC, and The Hoot Nannie in Forest City, NC.
Neighbor Steve, who comes from operating the Forest City restaurant, will be the executive chef at the Five Spur Steakhouse. Steve, originally from New Jersey, has 6 years of experience as a chef and in the restaurant business. Initially, Steve spent 25 years as a paramedic before becoming a chef. Steve received the "Neighbor" nickname from a previous business partner who was a neighbor, who called him Neighbor Steve, and the name has stuck ever since.
In a WNN interview, Neighbor Steve said, "I live right down the road in Lincoln County, neighboring Cherryville. I've always driven through here since I moved down here. And this has always been kind of on my plate, per se, to bring something like this to Cherryville."
"We're glad to be here. Many thanks to Mr. O'Leary for the opportunity. He and all of his crews helped us with this building; it's just been such a work of art here," said Neighbor Steve.
When asked about the patio deck area, Steve said, "Eventually, we'll put some high-top tables out there, allowing the customers to mingle while waiting. Maybe we'll have a little mini bar setup outside on some of the more pleasant evenings and afternoons. We'll offer some beer, some wine, and some cocktails".
Originally from Texas, Johnny Ray will manage the overall operations, including the other restaurants. Ray is no stranger to Gaston County, as he married Melissa Carpenter, the daughter of former Gaston County Commissioner Joe Carpenter. Ray initially started making hot sauces approximately 12 years ago under the name Johnny Ray's and then got into the restaurant business, starting Johnny Ray's Smokehouse in Fallston, NC.
In an interview with WNN, Johnny Ray was asked how the restaurant came about. "We were looking to come to a community, and I remember the town of Cherryville calling me. They said, "Hey, we're going to make this happen." Patrick O'Leary wants to back up the situation. Basically, he bought the building and did all the outfit work," stated Ray. The City of Cherryville has publicly promoted the restaurant since it was first announced.
"We were sitting around at a bonfire, drinking some moonshine as you do in North Carolina. And I was going to call it something, a five-spur steakhouse. And we were like, wait a minute, maybe that's just the name, a Five Spur Steakhouse. Kind of played on the words for five stars," stated Johnny Ray.
Ray went on to say: "I'm a Texas boy, so, you know, it's just really a natural fit. My brother did all the photography work here, except for a few pieces. And so I sent him on missions in Texas, rodeos, stockyards, stuff like that to get all the pictures. He's actually an aviation photographer for American Airlines".
Also, Johnny Ray stated, "It took two years, but you don't want to rush really good things. You don't want to push things until they're ready. I think we showed tonight that our community is ready for this".
The steak-to-seafood menu seems to be in line with most area chain-type steakhouses. "We tried to price ourselves right there so that our customers can get a great portion, great price, and not have that regret at the end of the meal," said Johnny Ray.
According to Johnny Ray, the restaurant business can be a challenge. "The challenge actually becomes after that six months, when you have to keep the seats full. Because everybody's going to show up for a new restaurant, but if you don't put out a good product that every time they come here, it's consistent, it's super delicious, friendly faces, looking polished, you know, they're not going to come back. So we want to make sure everything we do is top-shelf".
The Five Spur Steakhouse will officially open tomorrow, Thursday, October 2nd, at 3 PM. For the foreseeable future, table reservations can be made on the OpenTable app. Walk-ins are available during off-peak hours, but the owners stressed that using the app guarantees a table. The bar will always have open seating. Dress is business casual. Currently, lunch is offered only on Sundays, and carryout orders will be available in a few weeks.
Five Spur Steakhouse
115 East Main Street, Cherryville, NC 28021
Wednesday-Thursday 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Friday-Saturday 3:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sunday 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Phone: 704-769-8321
Reservations:OpenTableApp
Note: Check out the photo gallery at the top of this article!
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