Both the interior and exterior of the "5 Sides" building, located at 511 Main Street in Clifton Forge, has been beautifully remodeled.

Alleghany Highlands Welcomes Two New Businesses, with Two More Set to Launch Soon By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer Alleghany Highlands, VA (July 10, 2025)— The Alleghany Highlands is buzzing with energy as a wave of new businesses open their doors, bringing exciting new experiences to the community. From the rich, authentic tastes of Mexican cuisine to the playful, family-friendly fun of a miniature golf course, these new ventures are transforming the local scene, providing both residents and visitors with more reasons to explore our mountainous region. Last week, both Covington and Clifton Forge saw familiar doors opening which had long been closed. To start, the long-closed Applebee's building, located at 415 Thacker Avenue, was reopened following a renovation of both the exterior and interior which transformed it into "Garcia's Bistro and Grill." According to an online flyer, the restaurant opened its doors for the first time on America's birthday last week, serving breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The Journal stopped in for a quick tour this morning where we grabbed ourselves a snapshot of their menu, spoke briefly with the owner, and captured several photos of the newly remodeled building. The menu boasts a unique combination of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that features both Mexican and American cuisine including: breakfast tacos, cheesy omelette, chicken or steak quesadillas, Taco Tuesdays, roast beef sandwich, hawaiian chicken sandwich, ribeye dinner, etc. They are open seven days a week, 7 a.m.—9 p.m. and can be reached at 540-962-1716. Also opening last week, in Clifton Forge, was the downstairs of the infamous "5 Sides" building, formerly known as the "old Sona bank building" at 511 Main Street. It, too, has seen a facelift since it was taken over by Kristen McConnell —the only veterans disability attorney in Southwest Virginia. As of July 2 last week, the "5 Sides" building was officially opened featuring two new businesses ("Sweetest Side" and "OLuv Oil") with more to come! We stopped in today to capture a few photos and speak to a couple of employees who gave us some additional information on what was still to come for "5 Sides." Madilyn Goist, sales associate for "Sweetest Side," a small candy store inside the building, was kind enough to let us invade her space for a few photo ops. We took note of the unique candy ventures on display such as several flavors of hard candy, honey sticks, and even dill pickle-flavored cotton candy. On opening day, we grabbed a bag of the "Caffe Latte Candy." Perhaps this writer is something of an addict when it comes to coffee, but I must say, I highly recommend the sweet treat. "OLuv Oil," just a few feet away from "Sweetest Side," is another unique addition to the "5 Sides" building. It allows customers to sample a plethora of different olive oils prior to buying. It also offered several other goodies like mugs, personalized hand towels, and cold beverages. Before leaving, we noted a few workers attaching a bracket to the wall between "Sweetest Sides" and "OLuv Oil." One of them shared with us that the bracket would soon be holding a bar where customers could order donuts once that shop is opened. Additionally, customers will be able to watch their donuts being freshly made right before their eyes. Just yesterday, a post was made on Facebook updating the hours to the "5 Sides" building. According to that post, the hours are: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.—8 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m.—5 p.m. (slightly adjusted). As of right now, we are unsure if "slightly adjusted" means the hours have already been adjusted or if they may be adjusted in the future. Either way, customers should take note that the times could potentially change in the future. As for the two upcoming businesses, the Jackson River Sports Complex (JRSC)—located at 870 W. Edgemont Drive in Covington— has seen a lot of action in recent months as workers have been diligently working to get the new mini-golf course ready for business. Not only does the "Putt Putt" feature a full 18 holes, but there is already a playground up nearby, a beautiful gazebo overlooking the peaceful Jackson River, and a hot dog stand where folks will be able to eat in a shaded area while enjoying all the JRSC has to offer. At the previous Covington City Work Session, City Manager Allen Dressler stated that the mini-golf course was set to open on Monday, July 14, though an exact time for opening was not given. At this time, we are not aware of those details having changed. Therefore, we anticipate that July 14th is still the opening day for Covington's mini-golf course. Lastly, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the new "Yamato Steakhouse of Japan," which will soon be opening in the former Wendy's building on S. Craig Avenue in Covington in the same parking lot—and overlooking— the "new" Wendy's building. However, despite multiple attempts to contact the owner and several failed visits to the location, we were not able to learn any additional information about the menu or when the steakhouse will be open. However, the Journal will continue to follow up with this restaurant in hopes that we can uncover some new information soon.

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