3 minute read
A Fun New Steakhouse Coming to Middleburg
A Fun New Steakhouse Coming to Middleburg
By Ronen Feldman
Nikki Shugars knows a thing or two about restaurants, and Middleburg.
Growing up with a chef father, she’s been involved in food service in one way or another since childhood. She moved to Virginia from New York at age 12, and into Culpeper County when she was 16, where she’s
While working at a local country club as an events manager, she proved herself to be a hard worker, organizing banquets and working both the front and back of the house. When a club board member decided to open the Piedmont Steakhouse as a passion project in 2012, he immediately took her on.
There will be a separate pub-like bar with its own menu in the space where the late Howard Allen, The Fun Shop’s co-founder, once operated his photo studio.
Piedmont quickly became a Culpeper staple, serving top of the line cuts and personalized service, where the staff knows all their regulars by name.
Nikki eventually took over less than a year after COVID restrictions nearly caused the restaurant to close. They managed to power through and now it flourishes. And that’s why she began scouting around for a second location.
In July, Middleburg bade farewell to The Fun Shop, one of its most beloved establishments, after 66 years. Its closing left a hole on Washington Street, and now, Nikki hopes to fill that space with the second branch of the Piedmont Steakhouse.
“I love Middleburg. For years it’s been an escape for me, a place to decompress,” Nikki said. “When I came to see the location I came for the experience of looking at a space, I didn’t even know The Fun Shop was closing. It was heartbreaking, but the space was beautiful, so we had to come back.”
The new location is substantially larger than Piedmont’s Culpeper location, which fits perfectly with Nikki’s desire for giving people a pleasurable experience.
She wants to expand the menu, and provide her customers with multiple dining options by converting the main space into a steakhouse with a bar. There will be a separate pub-like bar with its own menu in the space where the late Howard Allen, The Fun Shop’s co-founder, once operated his photo studio. That area also will be decorated with many of his photographs.
The Piedmont Steakhouse is not expected to open until next year, but Nikki expects that once all permits are granted, renovations will take a handful of months to complete.
She wants the restaurant to become part of the Middleburg family of businesses by respecting existing establishments’ menus and products, and broadening Middleburg’s palate by adding her own items to the mix.
The new, large kitchen space will allow Piedmont to introduce new cuts like prime rib in addition to the already popular filet, tenderloin and tomahawk steaks. They’ll also serve Nikki’s favorite—key lime pie—and to all those who enjoy an adult beverage, they’ll feature an extensive wine and liquor list, including their signature 007 martini.
Stay tuned.
