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Reina P. Cunningham

Staff Writer

Cumberland Gap’s newest restaurant opened on April 1.

The Pineapple Tearoom offers freshly prepared, homemade meals. The menu includes daily favorites such as soup beans and corn bread as well as weekly specials including meatloaf and chicken divine.

All items on the children’s menu are served with fruit snacks and chips. The restaurants signature drink, Pineapple Tea, can be ordered sweet, unsweet or hot and is always available.

Owners are Alderman Sue Bain and Brian Gibson. After a successful run through with family and friends on Saturday night, the duo held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday morning.

The Pineapple Tearoom is located on Colwyn Avenue, next to Bain’s primitive and antique shop, Nothins Perfect.

The duo wanted to incorporate the history of Cumberland Gap in their newly opened restaurant and were able to do so in several ways.

Locals and Cumberland Gap frequenters may recognize the pictures hanging behind the cash register. These photos were purchased from Webb’s Country Kitchen after the restaurant suddenly closed. The Pineapple Tearoom is located in the original building that Webb’s once called home, so it seemed fitting to have a piece of Webb’s still there.

A member of The Pineapple Tearoom staff, Loraine Nieto, worked at Webb’s for 19 years. Nieto won waitress of the year several times during her career at Webb’s. She looks forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new customers.

An old rocking chair now calls the sidewalk in front of The Pineapple Tearoom home. For as long as one can remember, the rocker sat in front of The Old Drugstore. After being open for over 100 years, The Old Drugstore has remained closed for the past two years since tragedy struck the small town and owner Harvey Fuson was found murdered in the store.

While remembering the history of Cumberland Gap, Bain and Gibson hope to increase tourism by opening the restaurant. There has been a void since Webb’s closed in the small community, with only one other restaurant open for business.

The newly opened restaurant will give tourists additional dining options.

During summer events, the Pineapple Tearoom will cater to the crowds with summer specials.

The Pineapple Tearoom will be open from 11 a.m. to 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday evenings. The restaurant will also host special events and private parties on weekends or evenings that they are not open to the public.

Call in orders can be placed ahead of time so your food is ready when you arrive or to go orders are available.

For more information call The Pineapple Tearoom at 423-869-4410.

Reach Reina Cunningham at 606-248-1010, rpcunningham@civitasmedia.com