LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Shoemakers American Grille and the Event Center inside the Craddock Terry Hotel will close after 19 years in Lynchburg, according to the PR firm representing the two.
The firm says Shoemakers will serve its last dinner Oct. 3, 2026, and the Event Center will handle its final events through Oct. 31, 2026.
The closure will make way for 22 additional hotel guest rooms in the spaces, welcoming more visitors to Lynchburg, according to the PR firm.
The Craddock Terry Hotel and Waterstone Pizza will continue operating through the renovation process.
The following statement about Shoemakers was shared with WDBJ7:
For nearly two decades, Shoemakers has been much more than a restaurant. It has been a gathering place for first dates and anniversary dinners, business meetings and celebrations, rehearsal dinners and wedding festivities, birthdays, holiday traditions and countless evenings shared among family and friends.
The story of Shoemakers and the Craddock Terry Hotel is inseparable from the history of Lynchburg itself. Founded in Lynchburg in the late 19th century, the Craddock-Terry Shoe Company grew to become one of the nation’s most significant shoe manufacturers and an important part of the city’s economic and industrial identity. The 19th-century buildings that would eventually become the Craddock Terry Hotel once bustled with workers producing footwear and storing tobacco and other products essential to the city’s 20th-century economy.
The transformation of the former factory and warehouse buildings into the hotel was the result of vision, perseverance and respect for Lynchburg’s history. Hal Craddock, great-grandson of Craddock-Terry founder John W. Craddock, served as chief architect and developer for the project. He worked alongside his business partner, architect Lynn Cunningham, whose mother did marketing artwork for the company’s shoe catalogs, and Cliff Harrison, a local construction specialist whose family once owned the Jefferson Street King Warehouse, home of the restaurant and event center.
Their vision was ambitious: preserve the soul and architectural character of these historic buildings while creating a distinctive boutique hotel, restaurants and gathering place that would help kickstart the revitalization of Lynchburg’s downtown and riverfront. The success of the restaurant was a major incentive for the city of Lynchburg to develop the pedestrian Bluffwalk Promenade, which is anchored on its southern terminus by the restaurant’s plaza and entry.
From its earliest days, Shoemakers was conceived as a high-end eatery designed to raise the culinary bar for Central Virginia dining and to complement the story and evolution of the Craddock Terry Hotel. Its development also paved the way for many other restaurants to locate in the city’s historic downtown and riverfront area. Over the years, Shoemakers became known for its elevated American cuisine, steaks and seafood, locally sourced ingredients, exceptional service and an award-winning wine program. It earned the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) Award and was consistently voted Central Virginia’s best by Virginia Living magazine and Tripadvisor.
As this chapter of the property ends, the development and management team of the Craddock Terry Hotel extends its deepest appreciation to the designers, community leaders and hospitality professionals who believed in this property nearly two decades ago. The team is particularly grateful to the original 40 investors, mostly local risk-takers who became visionary partners by helping finance this bold step for downtown Lynchburg.
They understood that historic preservation did not mean simply protecting the past. It meant finding a way for the past to remain relevant to the future. Their investment helped demonstrate what adaptive use could accomplish in the city and helped establish the Bluffwalk and the Commerce/Jefferson Street area as a destination for residents and visitors alike.
A restaurant is ultimately about people. Beautiful surroundings and wonderful food matter, but it is the people who welcome guests, remember their names, prepare their favorite meals and make a celebration feel special who create a restaurant’s identity. The team is profoundly thankful to every associate who has been part of the Shoemakers family. And above all, there is gratitude for the Lynchburg residents and visiting guests who made Shoemakers their favorite restaurant, the families who returned year after year, the couples who celebrated their weddings there, the companies and organizations that entrusted the Event Center with their gatherings, and the travelers who discovered Shoemakers while visiting Lynchburg. Thank you.
While the closing of Shoemakers American Grille and the Event Center is bittersweet, the next phase represents a significant investment in the future of the Craddock Terry Hotel and downtown Lynchburg. The space will be transformed into 22 new guest rooms, substantially expanding the hotel’s accommodations and creating additional opportunities for visitors to stay in the heart of historic downtown Lynchburg.
By adapting this historic space, the new rooms will remain connected to the character and experience that have made the Craddock Terry one of Virginia’s most distinctive boutique hotels, now a member of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio.
Thank you, Lynchburg and Central Virginia, for 18 extraordinary years. We look forward to seeing you soon as our new chapter begins.
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Dining and Cooking