Berryville Cafe Serves Spicy Eats, Icy Treats

The old Grandview Hotel on the Berryville Square had moldered in disrepair and neglect for years. It was built in 1902. When owners Alexander Virden and Sandra Doss bought the building in 2005, they had to use snow shovels to empty out the pigeon droppings.

They also removed 60 dead vacuum cleaners, dozens of box fans, thousands of five-gallon buckets, bundles of six-pack rings and a wall of boxes of empty beer bottles 10 feet high and 30 feet deep. The former owners had a bit of a packrat nature.

Virden and Doss have so far invested more than $500,000 in restoring the old hotel to its former glory. They are seeking another $200,000 to finish the project, but have had trouble finding the funding, largely because the building has no income history, Virden said.

The first floor houses a ballroom, which can be rented for events such as weddings and receptions. Another section, which was added onto the front of the main structure in the 1940s, has recently returned to life as Royal Sundaes, a café and premium ice cream parlor. The café, which opened in February, also serves up breakfast Monday through Saturday and lunch specials with a focus on Cajun cuisine.

The pair has extensively remodeled the hotel, including the fourth floor, which will be a single penthouse, with views of the surrounding area in every direction. There will also be 10 single rooms and two with kitchenettes.

“We’ve got it down pretty good,” Virden said. “There isn’t a piece of this building we haven’t had our hands on.”