Business Spotlight

The Banner Elk Café—The Place to BE in Banner Elk

Story by Corinne Saunders

Les Broussard co-owns The Banner Elk Café with his wife Cindy. An avid sports enthusiast, Broussard heads up several Sugar Mountain Adult Race League (SMARL) ski teams in the winter.

The Banner Elk Café’s goal since its inception is becoming, and remaining, “the place to BE in Banner Elk.” With its diverse menu and family-friendly atmosphere, the restaurant appeals to locals, students and travelers alike, and appears to be just that.

Les Broussard, a native of Orlando, Fla., moved to Banner Elk to attend Lees-McRae College, and graduated with a two-year degree in business administration in 1988.

He fell in love with the area and the quality of life it offers, he said in a 2007 High Country Magazine interview, and decided he wanted to stay, returning the following year on a full soccer scholarship to pursue a four-year degree in business administration.

In 1989, Broussard purchased The Banner Elk Café from Frank Liberstein, who had owned the 25-seat restaurant for four years.

Broussard expanded the restaurant from a burger joint to a restaurant of more than 200 seats and two sections, each with its own menu.

The café offers hamburgers, steaks, fish, chicken and fresh trout, and the Lodge offers fresh-baked breads, coffees, espresso, salads, pizza and pastas, said Cindy Broussard, Les’ wife of 10 years and The Banner Elk Café co-owner.

A climate-controlled patio connects the two restaurants, and people seated on the patio can order from either menu. In the summer, an ice cream shop, built next to the Lodge in 2001, is open seven days a week.

The patio is large enough to accommodate multiple large groups, and the “first big bike rack in Banner Elk” outside the restaurant makes it an ideal stop for biking enthusiasts, Cindy said.

The café has also retained its popularity with locals—the first customers of the day have come in daily for two decades, Les said in a 2007 High Country Magazine interview.

“We have a great staff,” Cindy said, adding that the staff has a low turnover rate and is comprised of locals and both ASU and Lees-McRae College students.

The restaurant currently offers daily lunch specials, as well as different discount days throughout the week.

Monday Football Night features $10 one-topping pizzas and beer specials; on Wednesdays, local teachers can purchase $5 tortilla pizzas or grilled wraps; and on Thursdays, college students and staff can purchase $5 subs or tortilla pizzas and receive a 10 percent discount off dinner entrees.

Friday is locals’ night, featuring half-price top shelf liquors, and the restaurant hosts live music on Saturdays from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

The Banner Elk Café and Lodge is located on Highway 184 in Banner Elk and is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week, and the ice cream shop is open seven days a week in the summer. Live entertainment is provided on The Banner Elk Café and Lodge patio on Fridays and Saturdays in the summer and inside on Saturdays in the winter. For more information, call the café at 828-898-4040, the Lodge at 828-898-3444 and the Lodge’s pizzeria at 828-898-4242.