There’s also news about Canvas & Coffee Art Cafe on Grandin Road.
Spanish Restaurant to Open in The Promissory, New Downtown Boutique Hotel
The Promissory, a new boutique hotel, music hall and restaurant, will open in the historic First National Exchange Bank in downtown Roanoke (201 S. Jefferson St). The hotel and music venue will open first (with an inaugural concert with singer-songwriter Grace Potter scheduled for New Year’s Eve), and ¡Suerte!, a Spanish restaurant and wine bar, will follow in the first quarter of 2026.
“It is Spanish cuisine in the same way that Fortunato is Italian. Tapas will be part of the menu, but we’re going to try to do the tapas more like the Europeans do — the idea of tapas is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. I think that’s an issue that a lot of people have with small plates restaurants, is that they don’t get filled up,” says JP Powell, co-owner of Fortunato and Lucky and a partner in the ¡Suerte! venture with Lucas Thornton of Hist:Re Partners. “It’s to go along while you’re drinking wine or beer, little snacks. So, the tapas menu we’re going to attempt to make more affordable, and then there will be larger plates — grilled fish, grilled meats, paella, of course — and a Spanish wine list.”
Fortunato’s front of house manager, Brett Shoemaker, will curate ¡Suerte!’s wine list. There are also plans to incorporate a grab-and-go concept with offerings such as snacks, sandwiches, wines and specialty sodas. Additional parts of the food and beverage concept are being finalized, so tune back in next month for the scoop.
Papa’s Box Brings Burgers & Brunch to Northwest Roanoke
Food truck Papa’s Box opened its brick-and-mortar location at 3501 Shenandoah Ave. NW in Roanoke on Sept. 27 with an expanded menu that includes fan-favorites and breakfast and brunch dishes such as omelets ($7.99 to $12.99), a waffle slamich (waffles stacked with bacon, eggs and cheese plus a side; $14.98) and biscuits and sausage gravy ($15.99 with two sides)…