BLACKSBURG, Va. – A beloved Virginia Tech institution has secured its future after facing potential closure due to skyrocketing rent costs. Hokie House, a 60-year-old establishment on Main Street, will remain a fixture of Blacksburg’s nightlife after its owners successfully purchased the building.
“Those last two years when rent’s going up so much so quickly and then to be told that we may not have a place to run our restaurant anymore — how do you put money into the building?” said Brian Palmer, Hokie House co-owner.
The establishment, located within walking distance of Virginia Tech’s campus, has been a cornerstone of student life for generations. Students and alumni alike consider it an essential part of the Blacksburg experience.
Community impact
News of the potential closure sent shockwaves through the Virginia Tech community. “It would feel like there’s a hole in the culture of Blacksburg,” said Garrett Henderson, a Virginia Tech student.
Owen Dawyot, another Virginia Tech student, shared his personal feelings about the uncertainty. “Each time when I thought that it was closing. I would go and I’d think. Wow this could be my last time here.”
The sentiment was echoed across campus, with many students expressing concern about losing what they describe as “a staple of Blacksburg.” Sara-Bailey Zeiller, whose parents also attended Virginia Tech, shared her family’s connection to the establishment. “Both my parents went here. We would just bar-hop and Hokie House is one of the stops. It was upsetting thinking it wouldn’t be there.”
A special place for many
For Palmer and his business partner, Hokie House holds deep personal meaning. “A special place in my heart, my family’s heart, my business partner’s heart too. And, and his family and both of us met our wives here. Several other people on our staff have met their wives here or significant others. Yeah, it’s definitely inside there somewhere,” Palmer said.
He also highlighted the establishment’s role in civil rights history in Blacksburg and the character of its founder, George Willard. “A big thing with him was that, he was a big part of civil rights here in Blacksburg. At that time, minorities weren’t allowed in some places and he didn’t care. He said, you got money, come on in.”
Palmer added, “As crazy as that sounds in 2026, that was only sixty years ago that a certain person, because of what they look like, wasn’t able to sit at the bar and have a beer. And that’s just the type of guy that George was.”
Securing the future
Purchasing the building was not initially a dream for the owners. “It wasn’t really a dream of ours. All we really care about is we just want to be here. And if we have to buy the building to be here, we’re going to take that angle. But, then it kind of snowballed into, we got to buy the building. It’s, happening, we have to buy it,” Palmer explained.
“My business partner and I, took the afternoon and just kind of absorbed it. I told my wife, I feel like this is why I was put on planet earth, to secure this for Hokie House. I don’t know if maybe just hasn’t really set in yet or not, but I know we’re going to be here forever. So that’s all that matters,” he added.
Anniversary celebration
To mark its 60th year in business, Hokie House is planning a community celebration in early summer. The event will commemorate six decades of serving the Blacksburg community and generations of Virginia Tech students.
The preservation of Hokie House represents more than just saving a local business — it’s about maintaining a piece of Virginia Tech & Blacksburg’s cultural heritage that has created countless memories for students and locals past and present.