Popular Rowan Co. restaurant’s dining room reopening after two-year pandemic closure
The iconic restaurant on Highway 29 near China Grove is known for attracting large crowds and serving generations of diners.
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - For a lot of folks in Rowan and Cabarrus counties, the closing of the dining room at the Stag & Doe was one of the real heartaches of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The iconic restaurant on Highway 29 near China Grove is known for attracting large crowds and serving generations of diners.
The restaurant was founded by Dan Morton in 1953.
“He wanted to open up a pub like he had been to in England, and the pub in England was named Stag & Doe,” said son Gary Morton.
Things went well for nearly 70 years, until 2020.
“It was the hardest thing this restaurant has ever been through was to make the decision to close and to not know when we would open back up,” Morton said.
The restaurant did reopen for take-out business in May, but the dining room remained closed.
On Wednesday, for the first time in more than two years, those booths will once again be filled with hungry customers as new owner Matt Efird opens the dining room.
“We will be opening for full service (dine in and take out) on Wednesday, August 10th. We will continue to be open Wednesday-Saturday, but our new hours will be 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.,” Efird said. “You will see some of the same familiar faces you have known for years, along with some newbies we are welcoming to our Stag & Doe family. Please show them some love and patience as we all acclimate.”
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