Charlotte restaurant expands to a historic mountain inn getting a fresh start

A Charlotte-based restaurant group is opening a new location in western North Carolina at a historic inn undergoing redevelopment

Blowing Rock’s Green Park Inn, which is closed to guests during the construction, has partnered with Noble Food & Pursuits to open Rooster’s Wood-Fired Kitchen there in 2027.

The restaurant open since 1992 that now has four locations — SouthPark, uptown, Ballantyne and Winston-Salem — combines seasonal, Southern ingredients and European culinary techniques. A fifth location in Davidson is also coming soon.

“We have been searching for a location in the High Country for some time,” Noble Food owner Jim Noble said in a news release. “We believe that Blowing Rock is the best place, and the Green Park Inn could not be a better home for our next Rooster’s.”

The new Green Park Inn is under development on the site of the hotel that first opened in 1891 and housed famous faces including first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

Plans call for a 40-room luxury hotel designed to keep the original Green Park Inn’s character while providing fresh accommodations and amenities. Indoor and outdoor event spaces, a private wine cellar and a museum are part of the changes, along with eight new three-bedroom, three-bath cottages for guests.

“The Green Park Inn has been an important part of Blowing Rock’s history for nearly 140 years, and we are very excited to bring it back to life,” John Winkler, a partner in the Green Park Inn development, said in the news release.

“For generations, guests have traveled from across the country to celebrate, relax, and enjoy this historic property. We look forward to welcoming a new generation of guests when the new Green Park Inn opens.”

Location: 9239 Valley Blvd, Blowing Rock, NC 28605