“Two weeks” was the typical response to the question “When do you think you will open?” This was a sincere question that everyone asked in anticipation of the opening to the other side of Cocoa Mia, Pantoufle’s Bistro. “Two weeks” was also Grayson’s favorite line from the Money Pit, a movie from 1986 starring Shelly Long and Tom Hanks. In the movie, Long and Hanks eagerly await the finishing of a new luxury home they purchased, which needed tons of repairs, and the response from the contractors was always “Two weeks.” As a few can attest, growing a small business can be a slow, drawn-out process.
Pantoufle in French translates as slipper however, it is much more than that to owners, Jennifer and Grayson Rudd, and began with their chocolate shop, Cocoa Mia. The family has lived in the area for 17 years now, and opened their shop back in 2018. Coming from financial planning and quality management, the owners had no idea that they would one day own Cocoa Mia and now Pantoufle’s.
It all started with the movie they named their daughter for, Chocolat! They had no idea that back in the early 2000s they would lay the foundation for their story at Cocoa Mia, a story that now continues with Pantoufle’s Bistro. Lovers of the books and the movie will quickly understand the link, but for those unfamiliar, their daughter is named for one of the main characters, with the character’s imaginary friend in the story being named “Pantoufle.” So naming the restaurant Pantoufle’s Bistro was only natural. The family loved the shop when it was under previous ownership, and decided to purchase it when it went up for sale. The rest of the story would be full of experimenting and learning to embrace the “hand crafted in Floyd” tradition.
Pantoufle’s has been part of the plan for almost as long as Jennifer and Grayson have had Cocoa Mia, as they desired to add wine to pair with their chocolates. It began over two years ago, in the back of Cocoa Mia’s footprint, with the building of an arbor for outdoor seating. The Floyd Tourism office and Chamber of Commerce was located in a space attached to Cocoa Mia. The space was desirable for Grayson and Jennifer, but it was occupied. Luckily, Grayson was able to essentially trade an office space that he owned with the county and obtained the space directly next door in 2022.
Planning and construction began soon after. When building the arbor they were fortunate enough to meet local artist Zora Delaney and loved the artist’s vision for a mural they wanted to share with the Floyd community. The beautiful mural was placed out back so customers can enjoy it while they eat outside. Zora was also named as Floyd Center for the Arts “Featured Artist of 2024.”
Jennifer and Grayson’s vision has always been to serve the food and wine that they enjoyed eating and drinking during their travels.The hope is that everyone will enjoy it as much as they have. The menus will rotate with items like croque monsieur and madams, to fiery curries, to a unique sandwich of duck prosciutto, and more. The menu is small by design as they work to have items that are in season and made with ingredients sourced locally as much as possible. The wine and beer selection comes from all over the world and has been selected to match the season and complement the menu.
Pantoufle’s menu will include many of the popular items which were sampled at the farmers market as they move forward. Folks can enjoy lunches Thursday and Friday from 11 am to 4 pm; dinners Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 830pm; brunch Saturday from 9am to ~2:30pm; and brunch all day Sunday 9am to 3:30pm. Sometimes you may even be able to catch special dinner pre-fixe menus that include several courses of food paired with wine.
Seating inside Pantoufle’s can accommodate up to 30, seating outside accommodates another 25 but will be available starting in late spring, and ending once it is too cold. Pantoufle’s Bistro is a lovely venue for private events such as bridal parties, rehearsal dinners, or corporate dinners.
Pantoufle’s Bistro has been an endeavor in patience for the Rudds and they appreciate everyone’s understanding during this process. They are excited to begin their new restaurant adventure and hope many will come to experience food, wine, and chocolates with them.
The current menu, hours of operation, and online reservations links can be viewed online through the Cocoa Mia website www.cocoamiachocolates.com , as well as the Google profile for Pantoufle’s Bistro. Follow on Instagram and Facebook both Cocoa Mia and Pantoufle’s Bistro for changes, menu updates, special events, and food pictures. The Rudds look forward to seeing you soon!