Valdese's new Saloon on Bobo Avenue will offer a little bit of everything

What was once Myra’s Little Italy is transforming into The Saloon on Bobo Avenue, a Western-themed restaurant where customers can grab a steak, watch the game, listen to live music, play billiards, or let the kids play arcade games during the day.

Owner Brandon Boykin said the goal is to have a space where there is something for everyone, and everyone feels welcome.

Boykin and business partner Wesley Abele will operate the saloon as a team. The two also own Myra’s Smashburgers & Creamery in Valdese.

While the goal is to open in May, Boykin said it might take longer.

“We were aware of the Olive Garden that was already coming in … and we really didn’t feel like we were in a place to compete with that,” Boykin said on the switch from an Italian restaurant to a saloon. “We just wanted to do something that was broader, that fit more people’s needs and desires.”

The inspiration for the saloon’s appearance came from its sagebrush exterior and neon lights. Boykin said it reminded him and Abele of a Texas Roadhouse, which led to a Western theme.

It is named for its location on Bobo Avenue, Boykin said, as a nod to Valdese’s Waldensian heritage. He added that “The Saloon” was too generic, and “on Bobo Avenue” helps distinguish it from similarly named restaurants.

Turning Myra’s Little Italy into The Saloon on Bobo Avenue meant renovating the place from top to bottom. While the outside looks similar, the inside has been completely redone, Boykin said.

“We’ve taken walls out, added walls in, (and) we added a full bar inside,” Boykin said, later adding: “It’s a completely different building inside. Different aesthetic.”

The new interior includes a section with high-top seating and televisions to watch sporting events, and a stage large enough for a five-person band, Boykin said, with a couple of acts already lined up.

The menu will be wide-ranging, with premium steak, charbroiled hamburgers, pizza, Italian food, hand-breaded chicken and fish, and southern food.

“It’s going to literally be, if you’re in a mood for food, we have it,” Boykin said. “We’re really going to serve everything up here.”

The drink menu will have beer, wine, and themed cocktails, Boykin said.

Boykin estimated a plate of food would typically cost between $12 and $18.

“We want to keep it affordable, but at the same time, that’s one thing we stand on is quality,” Boykin said. “We don’t serve cheap meat. We’re not going to serve ingredients out of a can. We cook our vegetables the old way with fat and bacon grease and stuff like that.”

Quality food and ingredients will set the saloon apart from competitors, Boykin said. Another thing will be its staff.

“We’re old school service. We don’t believe in just walking up and saying, ‘Hey, what would you like to eat tonight?’ We like to get to know the customers. We like to know your name when you leave. We like to know how your kids are doing, (and) how your mother is doing,” Boykin said.

Boykin and Abele also strive to be part of the community, not just profit from it. They are involved with charity work, civic groups, and the school system, to name a few.

“That’ll continue down here (at The Saloon on Bobo Avenue), where we try to provide things for the community, that we give back to the community as much as they give to us,” Boykin said. “That’s kind of our goal with every project that we work on.”