Hospitality in Boone is about much more than giving visitors a place to sleep. A memorable stay depends on the restaurants, shops, recreation, events, and community relationships that shape a visitor’s entire experience in the High Country.

Danielle Neibaur, who manages The Horton Hotel and The Inn at Crestwood, joins James and Jamie to discuss her path into hospitality and the unique experiences independent hotels create. She also explores seasonality, hotel pricing, App State’s influence, workforce recruitment, and the challenge of supporting hospitality employees who cannot afford to live where they work. Danielle shares how the community came together to relocate a wedding during Hurricane Helene and why Boone’s collaborative spirit remains one of its greatest strengths.

In this episode:

• How independent hotels create experiences rooted in their locations
• Why hotels depend on surrounding restaurants, businesses, and attractions
• How App State, seasonality and major events influence Boone’s hospitality economy
• The workforce and housing challenges facing local tourism businesses
• What Hurricane Helene revealed about the High Country’s resilience

Join the conversation: How can Boone support a strong tourism economy while also supporting the people and businesses that make the visitor experience possible?

Follow Boone Tea for thoughtful conversations about the people, places, and decisions shaping Boone and the High Country. Help us broaden the conversation: share this episode and tell us what we should explore next.

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Explore Boone

Boone never stands still. Since the Boone Tea Podcast began, housing prices, downtown projects, university enrollment, tourism and development policies have continued to change while some of the community’s most difficult challenges remain unresolved.

James and Jamie revisit several of the issues explored in earlier episodes and examine what has changed. They discuss housing affordability, the Howard Street revitalization project, the pressures facing downtown businesses, App State’s declining Boone-campus enrollment and the potential effects on student housing. They also explore development fees, October tourism, parking requirements, public transportation and the decisions shaping Boone’s future.

In this episode:

• Why housing affordability remains one of Watauga County’s greatest challenges
• How the Howard Street project is affecting downtown businesses
• What declining Boone-campus enrollment could mean for student housing and rents
• How development fees and changing parking requirements influence new projects
• Why fall tourism, local spending and transportation matter to Boone’s economy

Join the conversation: Which of Boone’s challenges has changed the most and where do you think the community is making meaningful progress?

Follow Boone Tea for thoughtful conversations about the people, places, and decisions shaping Boone and the High Country. Help us broaden the conversation: share this episode and tell us what we should explore next.

#ShareLocalThursday

Opening a cozy restaurant in Downtown Boone sounds simple: find the perfect space, create an inviting atmosphere, and start serving great food. But what happens between the initial idea and opening day?

Jamie puts James on the spot with a fictional French restaurant called Le Watauga. Together, they walk through the realities of bringing the concept to life. From finding commercial space and negotiating a lease to funding the buildout, securing permits, hiring employees, and managing narrow restaurant margins. Along the way, they explore why second-generation restaurant space is so valuable, how parking affects both customers and employees, and what it takes for a local restaurant to succeed in the High Country.

In this episode:

• How restaurant operators find and evaluate commercial space
• Why second-generation restaurant space can dramatically reduce startup costs
• How leases, tenant improvement allowances and buildout periods are structured
• The construction, equipment and permitting challenges behind opening a restaurant
• How labor, narrow margins and parking affect restaurant success in Downtown Boone

Join the conversation: What makes you return to a local restaurant? What new dining concept would you like to see in Boone?

Follow Boone Tea for thoughtful conversations about the people, places, and decisions shaping Boone and the High Country. Help us broaden the conversation: share this episode and tell us what we should explore next.