Carla George and Connie Hale
By Vickie Holt
In September of 2008, Connie Hale and Carla George took over Jim Politis’ Brush Creek Buffalo location and turned it into Buffalo & More; a unique, niche restaurant specializing in delicious, home cooked meals made from the fresh bison meat raised on their own farm!
Since its inception at the 4041 Riner Road location in nearby Riner, Buffalo & More has been a huge hit with locals and visitors, alike! Thanks to a dedication to quality and locally sourced foods, Hale and George have been very successful, and customers have been very happy with the scrumptious menu items that can’t be found anywhere else in the area. In addition to the smoked brisket, buffalo burgers, hot dogs, chili, steaks, and roasts made from fresh bison meat, Buffalo & More serves regionally sourced chicken, shrimp from the North Carolina coast, and a mouth-watering assortment of desserts made by Hale’s mother, Reba.
With all the success and growing fame, however, the dream for Buffalo & More was not yet complete. In 2013, Hale and George bought another building with plans to move the restaurant. As much as Jim Politis’ old place gave them the perfect opportunity to start the new restaurant, it was, in some ways limiting to growth.
For her ultimate vision of Buffalo & More, Hale had had her eye on the building across the street for several years. It was cleaner, larger, and nicer than 4041. It also had space for a retail area. When the 4040 Riner Road building came up for sale in 2013, the business partners purchased it outright. Details, difficulties, and delays, however, prevented them from moving to the new building.
That is, until 2022. The lease was not renewed for the existing building, so Hale and George had no choice but to bulldoze through all the difficulties and finally move everything across the street.
Connie Hale tells us that owning the building, instead of leasing, is a great improvement for the position of Buffalo & More as a business. After a flurry of hard work and help from the community, the 4040 Riner Road location for Buffalo & More opened on January 4 of 2023! Both Hale and George are happy to be at the new location and are thrilled at how beautiful it is.
Customers and fans will also be thrilled to know that the restaurant is still serving the same amazing menu, featuring the same great food! Along with occasional and seasonal special items, Buffalo & More is also continuing retail meat sales.
In addition to the restaurant, Hale and George did indeed create a retail space where customers can find swag items like water bottles and T-Shirts. The retail space also features cutting boards and other locally made items.
Reba’s desserts have also really taken off! The new location features a large display case for all Reba’s yummy pies, cakes, cobblers, brownies, and more! Hale tells us that Reba is keeping really busy, with folks ordering whole cakes and other dessert items for parties and other occasions.
As for the farm, Carla George is still hard at work, caring for and raising each new generation of bison. “It’s almost spring,” says Connie Hale, “and it’s nice seeing them run through the new green grass.”
All in all, Buffalo & More had a great fourteen years at the original location, and a successful move to a new location. Going forward, both Connie Hale and Carla George are eager to see where the opportunities for growth will take them.
“Lots of people have been wishing us well,” says Hale. “They stood behind us and believed in us.”
To check out the new location and have a fantastic meal, the new Buffalo & More location is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:00am – 7:00pm, Thursday through Saturday, 11:00am – 8:00pm, and Sunday, 12:00pm – 6:00pm.
Connie Hale and Carla George • Buffalo And More
540-381-9764 • 4040 Riner Road, Riner, VA
www.BuffaloAndMore.com