For residents of the Brownwood Community, located near Todd on the border of Ashe and Watauga Counties, options for eating out have generally been limited and required a drive to either Boone or West Jefferson. There was briefly a restaurant in Brownwood - the Riverside General Store - but it closed more than a year ago.

The building that housed Riverside General Store is owned by the Cooper family: I.S. "Buck" Cooper and his two sons, Ronnie and Donnie. The Coopers have owned and operated a dairy in Brownwood for more than 50 years and used to run a fertilizer business in the building.

Buck Cooper said that "no farming is going on now around here," which prompted him to "get out because it wasn't doing any business." But the increased traffic in the area - along with the increase population in the area - led the Coopers to believe that the building was just right for a restaurant.

"Everybody around here just wanted a place they could come to eat that would be more convenient than having to go to town," said Ronnie Cooper. "We thought we'd just try it and see where it goes ... and just make a handy place for the neighbors and the people around here to eat."

They took over the restaurant in November 2008 and began renovations in January. They also changed the name of the eatery to Riverside Restaurant at Brownwood.

With the help of cook Rose Turner, the restaurant opened in September and offers breakfast all day and lunch in the afternoon.

Ronnie Cooper said he knows it is "a bad time to start a restaurant" considering the economy, but they went ahead and opened it once it was ready.

"We thought we'd just go ahead and open it and hope things will be better next summer," he said. "We'll see how it goes."

Cooper said "about everything is made fresh," and the breakfast menu contains most of the morning favorites ranging from biscuits and gravy and home fries to French toast, pancakes and breakfast meats.

Turner said her goal for the menu was "to serve good food that I would eat myself." In addition to the regular menu, they also offer a buffet on Sundays and daily specials like meat loaf and chicken pot pie.

Buck Cooper said that the previous restaurant "started off well" and had "good business for a while." He noted that he is still optimistic about the future of the business.

"I still think it will do alright," he said. "There's a lot of local people around here now - there's just a lot of traffic ... a lot of summer and winter homes around."

Ronnie Cooper also said he enjoys the social aspect of the restaurant.

"I like meeting the people that come in and talking to them," he said. "I get to meet the neighbors a little - I hardly ever get to over at the dairy, I'm working all the time. Over here you can sit down and talk to people a little bit."

The Riverside Restaurant at Brownwood is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. To get to the restaurant from West Jefferson, take Highway 221 South and turn right on Cranberry Springs Road. Turn right at the next stop sign and drive to the next stop sign, where the restaurant is located at the intersection. From Boone, take Highway 421 South and turn left on Brownwood Road. 

For more information, call the restaurant at (336) 877-4847.