Horizon Bar and Grill to close at year’s end
Horizon Bar and Grill co-owner Debbie Spangler takes a reservation in this 2011 Roanoke Times file photo.
Horizon Bar & Grill, which has been serving customers on the Roanoke City Market for five years, will close at the end of this year, according to co-owner Debbie Spangler.
Spangler, who owns the restaurant with her son, chef Scott Lockhart, said she sent out an email announcing the closure to regular customers yesterday. She said she will retire “again” and her son will look for a new job.
“It’s been a fun ride but we decided that we fulfilled our dreams and were successful at it,” Spangler said.
She added that this has been a tough year for the restaurant, in part because some of the sidewalk on that side of Market Street was closed from January through March for Center in the Square renovations. She said they ended up closing for lunch during that time period because “people didn’t even want to come in,” and that it affected dinner traffic, as well.
Other reasons she cited were the economy and the fact “that we have just decided we don’t want to have a restaurant.”
Before Horizon opened in the space at 215 Market Street, Wertz’s Restaurant & Wine Bar operated there for 12 years. Spangler said they will likely sell all of their restaurant equipment after closing at the end of December. Until then, they will be serving a brand new fall menu they just launched today. So if you are a Horizon fan, stop by between now and the end of the year.
October 2, 2012 - 3:32 PM
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I’m really sorry to hear that. Horizon can always be counted on to have delicious food and good service. I will definitely be going again before the end of the year.
I am saddened that a fine restaurant like Horizon closes while the chain restaurants at the malls continue to prosper. Horizon has it all-wonderfully creative food using local produce, friendly knowledgeable staff and great value for the dollar. I know where I’ll be dining the rest of the year…
I too am sorry to hear this. I love their food and have always received excellent service. I will definitely be stopping by.
I really hate to hear this. I love going to Horizon for lunch. Everything I’ve eaten there has always been delicious. Thanks Horizon. I’ve really enjoyed being your customer!
I always enjoyed the food there. Will make it a point to get there a few times this fall.
Loved the place! Will miss having lunch there!
One of the BEST restaurants in the area. Scott creates the best food and matches it to wine like no other around can. Such great people too. So many of us will miss you so much.
I hate to see Horizon go but you can’t blame other restaurants. Horizon chose their location and it just so happens the additional downtown construction hurt them.
Other locally owned restaurants are doing just fine in locations other than downtown. I work downtown and love it but after hours there isn’t a constant draw to attract a consistent customer base. I wish I could support all of the downtown restaurants during my lunch hour but there are too many of them and my diet will not allow it!
Lindsey, I know this is a tangent, but it is an important insight into the recent Stanford mega-study that left the headlines proclaiming – ‘Organic food is not more nutritious than non-organic food’.
Matk Bittman is a very good source for info in the food nation.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/that-flawed-stanford-study/?ref=opinion
Also note where much of the funding for the Institute’s director originated. Like always, you follow the money trail, you find out why the ‘facts’ are listed as such.
This makes me sad. Horizon is one of my favorite restaurants. Their brunch is excellent and I’ve never had a bad meal there. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner there and they did a wonderful job. I’ll be sure to visit as much as I can before the end of the year!
Am sad to see it go. Another downtown closure. Somebody step up to the plate and buy it and keep it open!!!!!!!!
Why would anyone buy it? It was specifically their vision. It’s not anyone else’s.
It sounds like they’re sick of running a restaurant, which I think happens to a lot of owner/operators. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of stress.
Where am I going to get a decent risotto now???
I know that this doesn’t have anything to do with Horizon’s, but what’s going on with Naticakes Frozen Yogurt in Bonsack? I haven’t seen much being done to that location.
Why would anyone not by it kristen?? I guess you probabily do not frequent nice places often and no nothing about the restaurant business!! Shame girl!!
CHRIS, you need to back off of Kristen. She has a point, to a degree. It seems her thought was that no one else would come in and continue in the same footsteps as the original owners. That is certainly reasonable.
That being said, there is a possibility for someone to come in & use the furnishing and equipment to open a different restaurant and be successful. Hopefully that will happen, and maybe the rush by the public to all the franchise restaurant will be abated somewhat.
CHRIS, as someone who has been reading the RT blogs and Kristen’s comments for a long time, you are way off base. She frequents nice restaurants quite often.
What do you know about the business world big boy!!
Dear CHRIS/outraged: Please stick to one user name per subject matter. I don’t mind if people have a couple of different user names, but don’t use them both on one thread in an effort to mislead people.
Crooked Road, that was what I meant. Horizons as it is is specifically what the chef and his mother envisioned. Roanoke being Roanoke, I’m sure something different will take the space. I’ve never seen a place like Roanoke for getting out, eating out, and supporting a lot of restaurants.
Chris, I no very little about the restaurant biz, and certainly would not by one. Now hush while I finish my Whopper.
Working downtown, I know a lot of the staff at Horizon and I’m very sad to hear they’re closing at the end of the year. At least they gave everyone a heads up so that they can go in and make the last few months wonderful for them! Elena Rosa, you can get better than decent risotto at Table 50, just up the street from Horizon!