The Shadow
Michael and Ann Foster, the couple who purchased Jack Mason’s Tavern & Brewery in Clifton Forge, on July 1, are thrilled to have taken over the gem that is the Tavern.
They are continuing the tradition of utilizing the restaurant’s “Facebook” page to share their daily specials with customers near and far.
Ann remarked, “We appreciate the warm welcome we have received from all the people in the Alleghany Highlands.”
Michael said, “We are very focused on being active in the community and supportive of our local business neighbors.”
Michael is from Lewistown, Mont. where he graduated from St. Leo’s High School in 1984.
He remembered, “After high school, I worked at a number of jobs and attended community college before graduating from UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce in 1996.”
Ann was born in Lynchburg, and she graduated from E.C. Glass High School in 1986. She enrolled at James Madison University and earned her bachelor’s degree in special education in 1990.
She taught for nine years in the public schools of Fairfax, Charlottesville and Chesterfield.
Ann and Michael met in Northern Virginia in 1988, and they married in 1990.
The couple have two grown children. Their son, Mac, and his wife, Megan, live in Roanoke, and their daughter Grace, and her fiancee, Cody, live in Denver.
Donald Foster, Michael’s father, was a beekeeper, and he served as a delegate to the Mont. Constitutional Convention in 1972, when the state’s constitution was rewritten.
Michael’s mother, Rosalie, served as a high school music teacher and voice coach for many decades and continues to lead her church choir.
Dan Payne, Ann’s father, and Bill Atherholt, Martha Atherholt’s father, are lifelong friends. Ann and Martha were childhood friends. The two families vacationed together often during Ann and Martha’s formative years.
Martha and Wendy Hudler, the previous co-owners of the Tavern, started the business 12 years ago, and both Ann and Michael had been regular customers for more than a decade before becoming new owners on July 1.
As for the couple’s business goals, Ann noted, “I think the first thing is to carry on the legacy established by Wendy and Martha.”
Michael remarked, “We are extending our hours, and we have purchased a home in Clifton Forge to be close to the business and our regular customers.”
He added, “We recognize the importance of education, and we are supporting our staff of just under 30 by being flexible with their work schedules so that they can pursue their educational goals.”
Ann revealed that she and Michael are bringing live music back to the business and are currently working on a few new selections for the menu.
“We are so fortunate to have such an amazingly strong team to work with,” Ann concluded.
Jack Mason’s Tavern was once a hardware store that was remodeled to become one of the best known and successful taverns in the Alleghany Highlands.
