Many locals are trying to revitalize what used to be a booming railroad town. Hinton has a lot to offer with it’s three rivers, beautiful scenery, and immense amount of history.
Kenneth Allman started the revitalization efforts in 2007 when he founded MountainPlex Properties. Since 2007, MountianPlex Properties has opened The Market on Courthouse Square, The Guest House Inn, The Ritz Theatre, Otter & Oak Outfitters, Hinton’s Radio (1380 AM, 98.3 FM), and the McCreery Event and Conference Center. MountainPlex has also restored other buildings like the Rivertown Inn. Other individuals have also since opened new businesses. Most recently The Hub, Otter Café, and Lucky Rivers Café and Catering have opened.
The Hub was originally opened in the 1950s as a men’s clothing store. An individual has reopened the store under the same name. The Hub now showcases numerous local vendors. The Hub is on Temple Street and is open Monday- Friday 9AM-5PM and Saturday 10AM-4PM.
Otter Café has been opened by MountainPlex Properties in the upstairs of Otter and Oak on Second Avenue. Otter Café will serve cold and hot coffees, hot tea, and smoothies. Otter Cafe is open Monday- Friday, 7AM- 6PM and Saturday & Sunday, 10AM- 6PM. They plan to offer curbside in the near future.
Lucky Rivers Café and Catering may be familiar to some. Sarah Gleason ran a carry-out restaurant out of the old Chesnut Revival for a few months before closing to renovate the diner on Second Avenue where she just recently opened. Sarah gets a lot of her ingredients local and even sells some of those ingredients in her restaurant. Lucky Rivers is open Wednesday-Saturday, 11AM- 5PM.
