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Boone bar, restaurant closes doors |
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
by EMILY MELTON
Intern News Reporter
The Library Restaurant and Pub was officially closed by the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office Saturday.
Students who regularly attend Thursday’s College Night will no longer be welcomed by loud music and the chatter of patrons, but by bold signs warning against trespassing and notices that mark the business “Closed By Order of the Court.”
The employees of The Library were not warned of it’s close.
 The Library Restaurant and Pub closed Saturday. The owner was not available for comment, but has cancelled the lease. Photo by Derek DeSha
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“We just went to get our checks and the doors were closed with new locks,” said Amanda J. Lackey, a
former waitress and senior elementary education major at Appalachian State University.
Lackey said many employees have not received paychecks for their work.
“The owner, Baxter Palmer, owes us 2 to 3 paychecks each and there are about 30 of us. We have yet
to obtain them and are having trouble getting them, as well as our W2’s,” Lackey said.
Lackey explained that the employees of The Library may take legal action if they do not receive their
paychecks.
“We stayed because we loved working with eachother and we loved our jobs.”
Many former employees have recently had to seek employment elsewhere.
“The Library was a very ambitious creation,” said Seth Triplett, one of the original managers of the pub.
“But after its original success, things started to slowly come apart.”
Triplett attributes its close to an inability to adjust to a decrease in business.
“When you’re making money, you tend not to worry about budget and labor costs,” Triplett said. “The
right thing to do during your fruitful times is to put some money away for later and that just simply was
not done.”
Triplett said that both patrons and employees of the restaurant had speculations about why it had
closed.
“I actually stopped by The Library while IRS agents and Watauga County sheriffs were there, but an
IRS agent told me that he couldn’t divulge any information to me at that time.”
Jason L. Hennessee of Park Place Associate Realtors owns the property on which The Library was
located
“The owner simply cancelled the lease and left,” Hennessee said. “He has no intention to re-open the
restaurant.”
The space will be released for $1.8 million.
“It will be home to a new restaurant or bar sometime soon,” Hennessee said.
Palmer could not be reached for comment.
Other businesses that Palmer has owned in Boone include Baxter’s Smokehouse, Blues and
Barbeque, and Wishbones American Grille.
Grapevine Music, located at the corner of King and Depot streets, also closed it’s doors over
Appalachian’s winter break.
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