Broyhill restaurant closes, inn to follow

WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C.,None — The Broyhill Inn and Conference Center remains open, despite the closure of the restaurant portion, said Greg Lovins, Appalachian State University's interim vice chancellor for business affairs.

"The restaurant is closed, but they had already reduced hours to three days and nights a week anyway," Lovins said Wednesday.

Sunday was the last day for the restaurant, a casualty of unprecedented budget cuts.

The center's imminent closure, a reaction to those cuts, was announced in August. Administration officials told employees the facility would transition to student housing after the fall semester.So far, no one has been let go.

"We were able to move restaurant employees," he said.

Those employees have been transitioned to food service.

As for the Broyhill's inn staff, transition plans have not been made.

"We really can't comment on that right now," he said. "We're still working on a transition plan. We have not laid anyone off."

No word on when the inn portion of the facility will close operations.

Lovins and his university colleagues are in Washington D.C., both for the Solar Decathlon and an ASU Board of Trustees meeting.

WSOC