The Shadow
ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (VR) — In a landscape where fine dining is fast becoming a memory, local restaurateur Lee Roe has made a decisive pivot. This winter, Roe has made a difficult decision, closing The Cat and Owl, his fine-dining establishment, citing changing community tastes and shifting economic realities. But even as The Cat and Owl closes its doors, The Rail, Roe’s popular bar and grill, which opened in 2017, stands as a testament to resilience, community spirit, and adaptation.
Roe, a lifelong entrepreneur, never planned to join the restaurant business. The roots of The Rail Bar and Grille can be traced to a series of fortuitous events. Having flipped houses and found himself with investment capital, Roe spotted an opportunity when The Rail’s previous owners looked to sell.
“I had flipped some houses and had some money to invest. I’m friends with the former owner, and he was in a place ready to sell. He was interested in me having it, so it worked out,” Roe said in a recent interview.
Family played a key role in launching the business. “My nephew, who was managing Applebee’s, was looking for change, and he came in to help me get it started after I purchased it,” Roe explained. “A lot of factors just happened at one time, and it worked out.”
After a 10-month journey of negotiations, remodeling, and support from friends and family, The Rail opened its doors in June 2017. The transformation of the building was significant. Changes included removing walls to create a larger, more inviting space.
What began as Roe’s leap into hospitality would soon face its greatest challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Even through COVID, the community really supported the workers here,” Roe recalled. “We went through it pretty well, luckily not too bad, because of the support from the community.”
Despite a turbulent restaurant landscape, The Rail weathered the storm with loyal customers, while The Cat and Owl struggled amid broader shifts away from fine dining.
“Fine dining, a lot of your other areas, like over in Lexington, there’s a lot of them, and they’re all going away from fine dining. That’s not what this generation seems to be looking for,” said Roe.
The Cat and Owl’s clientele, once robust, dwindled over time, a shift Roe attributes to changing demographics and the passing of several long-time regulars. Efforts to attract a younger generation to The Cat and Owl met with limited success. When pandemic restrictions hit, Roe decided to make renovations, which required a major financial investment from Roe along with much of his time.
By contrast, The Rail blossomed as more than just a bar.
“We have a friendly atmosphere. We try to make everybody equal and feel like they belong,” Roe said. “We have beer and nonalcoholic beverages, not to mention our food is top quality. But it’s about an atmosphere where people can come for dinner, birthday parties, or just to relax, safe and wholesome.”
The Rail’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. The first few years were “a pretty good struggle,” Roe said, citing a need to address some past negative perceptions of the location as a rough bar or just a biker hangout.
“People realized it was a safe and good environment, not just a beer joint, a place for family,” he said. The Rail has transitioned into a place for everyone, a sports bar with seven or eight TVs, NFL packages, and a strong focus on craft beer and food specials. It’s also where you can have a birthday party or just a relaxing dinner.
Menu development was driven by both tradition and innovation.
“We didn’t have craft beer in the area, so we brought in unique beers and mixed drinks,” Roe said. “Our food menu, we kind of made it middle of the road, not high-class but not just hamburgers and hot dogs.” A food service consultant helped shape the menu and recipes, adding to the restaurant’s distinct offerings.
Employee management is another cornerstone of The Rail’s ethos. Roe personally manages all hiring, giving many workers second chances regardless of their background. The result has been a stable, loyal workforce, a “stepping stone” for some of the most capable young people in our area, with several of the original staff still on board after years.
Looking ahead, Roe is not resting on his laurels. He recently invested $25,000 in new composite decking and a band area outside, planning events like family-friendly Movie Nights next summer. He’s also considering starting breakfast service and launching a food truck for off-site events.
As for why he puts so much of himself into the community, Roe’s answer is simple. “My dad, he was a big influence on how I’ve grown up, and my parents. We tried to help anybody we could,” Roe said. Today, he’s at a point where he can give back, contributing massively every year to local sports teams, events, and other local causes.
“We’ve been blessed by the community,” Roe said. “I’ve got good workers, great people, and good reviews. If it weren’t for every one of them and this great community, I wouldn’t succeed.”
Roe’s focus remains firmly on The Rail and on the community that has made its success possible.
The Rail is located right off I-64 Exit 16 at 905 Valley Ridge Road in Covington, VA. and is open seven days a week.
