Back to the Barn(yard)

Ultra townies may remember The Barn, which operated as a fine dining steakhouse for years. After sitting empty for over a decade, it is finally getting a revamp from Reno and Lynn Rollé. The couple owns a superfood powder business called Boku Superfood and were the owners of a restaurant called Café Boku in Oaji, California, where they previously lived. Reno says finding this spot was “pure serendipity.” They relocated, wanting a change of pace and to be closer to their daughter, whose husband is stationed in the area. 

The Barn is over 11,000 square feet with a large kitchen, private dining rooms, large fireplaces and a bar. The duo has already begun on renovations to breathe new life into the place. Plans include restoring the brick floors, expanding the bar and turning one of the exterior walls into glass barn doors, allowing light to flood in. They are also adding an outdoor fenced-in space that will be called “The Barnyard” that will feature turf, fire pits and a small outdoor stage. While the indoor space will transform, the couple plans to keep defining features like an original mosaic and the exposed wood beams. The Barn also has an entire upper level loft but for now, they are leaving that space alone. 

“This building has such beautiful bones. We found out all the old rough cut lumber was milled locally, how incredible,” says Reno. “Everyone has a story about this place,” says Lynn who has heard everything from dining experiences to marriage proposals. “We want to create a wall of fame honoring past experiences,” says Reno. They are looking for anyone with old photos in the space that they are willing to share. 

“Music will be a big part of what we do. We’ve heard stories of people doing the Carolina shag here, we want to bring that back,” says Reno. “We want it to be family-friendly,” adds Lynn.

As for the menu, they see it being more café-style in the morning and pizza in the evenings. There will also be a full bar menu. Cafe Boku’s menu was designed by celebrity chef (and personal friend, no big deal) Todd English. The couple plans to bring him back to enhance their menu vision for The Barn. Cafe Boku served food, drinks and smoothies with optional superfood infusions, a concept they would like to replicate in Southern Pines.

Boku Superfood was created in 2007 when Lynn was looking for alternative measures to prescriptions her son was prescribed after being diagnosed with ADHD. It consists of foods like goji berries, maca root, mushrooms and more made into powders to add to food and drinks.

Reno says the business community is very different from California, and that there is more support for small businesses in North Carolina. That being said, he recognizes that there isn’t much else in the area like what they want to create.

“There’s a trend to move back to nature and we’re really good at educating our consumers,” says Reno. “We aren’t here to lecture you. We aren’t trying to dictate a certain lifestyle.”

Reno would like to host talks about the benefits of superfood including nootropics, antioxidants, plant proteins, probiotics and more. “But for example, if you don’t want a mushroom infused beer, that’s cool too. We have the regular stuff,” he says. “It’s kind of a balance between intox and detox.”

The Barn will also host a small retail area including Boku Superfood powders, The Barn swag and other gifty items curated by Lynn. And, because this the sky is the limit for this couple, they also want add an electric vehicle charging station to the property. “It’s like the Jetsons meets yee-haw, it’s exciting,” says Reno.

The project has been in the works for around a year now and they have recently closed the Cafe Boku in California to focus on The Barn. There isn’t a solid timeline just yet. Reno says “it’s a dynamic process” but he’s confident about the project after creating Cafe Boku, which was housed in a defunct car dealership that was replicated to look like a barn.

They are currently working with Stubby K Studio, a local woodworking family, for some of the inside projects. Reno hopes to have The Barn nearly complete by late summer 2025.

You can follow along via Instagram to see progress on The Barn.