Horsefeathers to reopen in June as Bourbon & Bobbers Saloon
By James Kmosko
Horsefeathers Roadhouse is scheduled to reopen in June as Bourbon & Bobbers Saloon, a new bar and restaurant located on Mt Pleasant Road.
The project is headed by Mooresville-based husband-wife duo Ginger and Bernie Bennett. The building and property are undergoing renovations to accommodate the new business. The duo also owns the Village Square Taphouse in Clemmons.
The Chronicle visited Bourbon & Bobbers and spoke to Ginger Bennett to learn what lies ahead for the bar. Ginger took a break from painting trim and wrangling her children to speak to our reporter.
“It was a regular at our other bar that told us about this being available,” Ginger told the Chronicle. “They knew we were looking for something, so we came here to look at it, and it very much feels like Village Square Taphouse does. To me, that feels like home.”
Bourbon & Bobbers will feature two floors of bars, dining, and entertainment. Originally, the Bennetts planned for the bar to only serve alcohol.
“This [building] is 8,000 square feet,” Ginger said. “When we first stopped [by], I’m like, ‘I don’t know, it looks really small.’ And then we went downstairs. It’s huge. We fell in love with it. We weren’t planning on doing food. We just wanted a bar. And then we went down and saw the kitchen and I was like, ‘We could do food.’”
The building is equipped with two bars, one on each floor.
The downstairs section will have three pool tables, arcade machines, and “enough dart boards for a league to come in,” along with an atmosphere Ginger described as “a lake vibe.” The downstairs back porch will have seating and a small stage for an “acoustic to three-piece band” to play during fairweather months.
“We went with a vintage look, like an old bourbon bar for the upstairs,” Ginger said. “Upstairs is like a sit-down restaurant. [The kitchen] is going to be open from 11 to 9. And if we need to have food later, if there’s demand for it, then we’ll open a fryer. We’ll have a late night menu or something. But after 9, the plan is to close [the kitchen].”
The bar itself is expected to remain open late, something which Ginger said is relatively rare with local bars and restaurants in the Lake Norman area.
“When we moved to Mooreville, we went out one night and we were surprised,” Ginger said. “Most every place was closed at 11. There was nothing to do, and it was during the summer. [I was] confused. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. And we left. We went home early. If [Bourbon & Bobbers] is still packed, we’re going to stay open up until two, up until we can. As long as people are here, we’ll be open.”
The first floor also features a stage large enough to accommodate full bands. Several Charlotte-based acts have already been booked to play.
“Live music will start at 9.30 on Fridays and Saturdays,” Ginger said. “And that’s mostly to get the young people under 21 out because then it’s a full bar. We had to make [the stage] bigger because we have big bands. Band nights, we’re going to push the table back so we have a dance floor.”
Other planned events include karaoke, trivia, and movie nights.
The property adjoins a small section of Lake Norman. Future plans for Bourbon & Bobbers include refurbishment of the dock and a possible acquisition of more land to increase the bar’s lake access.
“That’s stage two,” Ginger said. “First it’s getting open, then we’re going to try to dredge as soon as we can. We’re going to try to get boats in here. Before, they could only get like one in. We were told that people used to come with their jet skis.”
Ginger said that she intends Bourbons & Bobbers to fill a niche that is otherwise largely neglected on the west side of Lake Norman, a situation exacerbated since the May closure of local sports bar The Turn.
“[The people] need it, we want it, so we’ll just build something that has everything,” Ginger said. “That’s one of the reasons we did food. There was a high demand for it, and after driving [on 150] I understand. In fact, we’re moving four minutes away because we started driving and it’s supposed to be 15 minutes away to Mooresville, but it took me 33 minutes to get home.”
Several staff members who formerly worked for The Turn have secured jobs at the new bar.
Bourbon & Bobbers will take the place of Horsefeathers Roadhouse, which closed in 2023 after almost seventy years of on-and-off business amid allegations of refusal to pay employees, talent, and vendors.
The final post on Horsefeathers’ Facebook page reads, “Again, please note the HFR is only temporarily closed. This FB page is the only source for additional information as it arises. We promise our patrons and neighbors to keep all of you posted.” Comments on the post have been restricted.
The bar has since changed owners. The current owners are silent partners in the new venture with the Bennetts.
“We weren’t attached to [the name],” Ginger said. “Some [people in the community] have good memories, some have bad. And when we did our research, it was mixed. I love the good memories, they had a lot of fun here, but there were some bad ones … I think we made the right choice about changing the name.”
Despite changing the name, the Bennetts retained some of the items from the old Horsefeathers.
“We went to tear the bar tops off, and we found out that they were doors.They just used doors for their bar,” Ginger said. “In each panel, they put things and put epoxy over them. Some are very sentimental. You’ve got medals, you’ve got things like actual pictures, and then some are like knives and bottle tops, but it still meant something to them. … So this will probably go on these walls. And we have an artist, he’s a regular at our other bar. And I want him to do artwork; around that and kind of camouflage it in. I think that’d be really cool looking down here.”
Horsefeathers Roadhouse was known for catering specifically to bikers, something Ginger says Bourbon & Bobbers will not do. The move has drawn some criticism from members of the community.
“My dad was a biker,” Ginger said. “I have people in my family that are bikers. I don’t hate bikers, but everybody’s welcome. It has nothing to do with not liking anything. It’s just everybody’s welcome. I’m not targeting one group of people to come here, and that’s how I like it.”
The bar is scheduled to soft open on Friday, June 13th. The exact date of the grand opening is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Bourbon & Bobbers Facebook page.