Ashe Mountain Times

Boondocks Brewing Tap Room & Restaurant is moving closer toward its transformation of becoming a downtown destination for fine food and craft beer. 

On Monday, the West Jefferson Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to approve interior renovations of the establishment, which is located at 108 S. Jefferson Ave. 

Formerly known as Frasers Restaurant, owner Gary Brown closed on the deal to purchase the restaurant and begin life anew as a dual purposed business on July 31, 2012. 

The vote by the town council was necessary, as all renovations within the town's primary fire district must be approved before a building permit can be issued, said Town Manager Brantley Price. 

Responsibility of monitoring the project and making sure it stays within building regulations will fall to county building inspectors, not the town's council. 

Brown said the renovations, which should be completed within the next six weeks, would be limited to interior improvements and adjustments.

Some of the changes will include moving the restaurant's bar and other alterations to create a more “intimate dinning area,” said Brown. 

“We are not doing anything structurally,” said Brown reassuringly to the board. “We have broken the project down into small components.”

Brown added that he will serve as the general contractor for the project and has sought the assistance of a certified electrician and plumber. 

This renovation project may also lead into future improvements, said Brown.

Tentative plans include the creation of an elevated outside dinning area that will only be accessible from the business's interior through an outside door, said Brown. 

Brown, who has owned a home in Creston since 1994, previously worked for RBC Centura while sharpening his skills as a craft brewer.