The Simple Spoon brings Southern comfort food and a taste of nostalgia to Lewisburg

By Hannah Yost, RealWV

LEWISBURG, W.Va. — A new restaurant coming to Lewisburg is hoping to offer diners more than a meal — it’s hoping to give them a reason to slow down and stay awhile.

The Simple Spoon, owned by David Shay and Jamie Umbarger, will bring Southern comfort food, family traditions, and plenty of nostalgia to a small blue building in Lewisburg located beside Tudor’s on 219 North.

“We want this place to remind you of Great-Grandma’s house,” Shay said.

That feeling has shaped nearly every part of the restaurant.

Inside, tables and chairs aren’t meant to match. Neither are the plates or silverware. An early 1900s swinging door adds another piece of history, while decorations collected over several years are intended to remind customers of objects they might have once seen in their own grandparents’ homes.

The food follows the same philosophy.

Shay recalled traveling with his grandparents when he was younger and stopping at restaurants serving dishes like stewed tomatoes, macaroni, meatloaf, and chicken and dumplings.

“We want to bring that back as much as we can,” Shay said.

In addition to dine-in service, The Simple Spoon plans to offer catering services, grab-and-go lunches, and Sunday specials.

For Shay, opening a restaurant also brings him back to an industry he has known for years.

Originally from the Lewisburg area, Shay left during his junior year of high school before eventually returning home. His parents later owned a restaurant in Blacksburg, Virginia, while he attended Virginia Tech, and Shay eventually helped operate it.

It was the kind of small restaurant that helped inspire what he and Umbarger are creating today — a place centered less on distractions and more on food and conversation.

Umbarger spent most of her adult life in Virginia before moving to the area several years ago after reconnecting with Shay. It didn’t take long for her to feel at home.

“I fell in love with the city. I fell in love with people,” Umbarger said.

The couple’s plans for The Simple Spoon have been years in the making.

Long before they secured the restaurant, they had already chosen the building they wanted, developed a name and logo, and started collecting decorations.

“I’ve been shopping for three years,” Umbarger said.

Whenever the couple found something they thought belonged in the future restaurant, it went into what they called “the spoon pile.”

“This is for the spoon,” Umbarger recalled saying. “We’ll put this in the spoon pile.”

They nearly had the opportunity to lease the space about two years ago, but the timing didn’t work out.

Then, just as Shay and Umbarger were preparing to spend money on a camper, they received word that the building they had wanted all along was available.

Instead of buying the camper, they signed the restaurant lease days later.

For Umbarger, finally unpacking years’ worth of collected pieces and watching the restaurant take shape has been one of the most exciting parts of the process.

“It turned out better than I thought it would,” she said. “It’s a warm, comfy place. It makes you feel like home. It makes you feel like you belong there.”

Even the restaurant’s name reflects that atmosphere.

After considering countless possibilities, a conversation between the couple eventually produced The Simple Spoon.

The couple also wants the restaurant to encourage families to spend time together.

A children’s corner includes games, Legos, and other activities intended to give young diners something to do without turning to a phone or tablet.

“Maybe just take the time to slow down a little bit and enjoy each other, the food, and life,” Umbarger said.

That focus on community will extend beyond the dining room.

Umbarger said the couple plans to designate days when a percentage of proceeds will be donated to local nonprofit organizations. They are also considering a program allowing customers to prepay for meals that could then be claimed by someone who is hungry and unable to afford one.

The Simple Spoon also plans to offer discounts to law enforcement officers, firefighters, first responders, and Child Protective Services workers.

“There’s not enough appreciation for what people do right here,” Shay said.

Family has also found its way into nearly every corner of the new business. Shay’s aunt, a retired art teacher, painted the restaurant’s logo on a wall, and other relatives have contributed pieces of their own.

“Every part of our family has something in this restaurant,” Shay said.

The Simple Spoon does not yet have an official opening date. At the time of the interview, Shay and Umbarger were awaiting their health department inspection and said they planned to open once that process was complete.

When the doors do open, they’re hoping customers find something increasingly difficult to come by — a place where people can put down their phones, settle into a mismatched chair, enjoy familiar food, and stay long enough to make a few memories of their own.

For updates, follow The Simple Spoon’s Facebook page.