PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Roger Brown's Restaurant & Bar closed on Sunday after Super Bowl LX. The restaurant's owner told News 3 that the property had already been purchased by a real estate developer based in New York City.
The restaurant bore the name of Surry County native Roger Brown, who played in the NFL for years and went to six Pro Bowls. He retired in Portsmouth and opened several restaurants before passing away in September 2021.
Watch previous coverage: Crowd packs Roger Brown's restaurant on final night in Portsmouth
Developer Tim Foley has already bought the building, according to the owner of Roger Brown's, Curtis Lyons. This is not the first Portsmouth property purchased by Foley. News 3 previously reported that he bought the historic building at the corner of High Street and Washington Street.
Foley is from Virginia but now works out of New York City. He's previously invested $15 million in several old buildings in Portsmouth.
Watch previous coverage: What's in store for downtown Portsmouth?
In a previous interview with News 3, Foley said his goal is to boost Portsmouth's downtown and eventually mesh it with the waterfront.
"I think Portsmouth has the opportunity to really do that and do it well, and I think when that happens you'll see really cool and interesting development plays happening on the waterfront, and I really think it could be one of the better ones in the seven cities," said Foley.
