Back in business as The Take Out

Aug. 27—In 2005, after years in the food and beverage industry, Cheri Knight took a shot at her dream.

Her restaurant, The Garden Fish, found quick success in downtown Fayetteville. Just a few months in, however, a change in Knight's personal life forced her to reevaluate.

"I found out I was pregnant after about two months," she said. "So, I made the choice to go be a mom and we closed."

Over the next five years, Knight, a native of Charleston, S.C., worked in local restaurants while her husband Jason worked as a raft guide and a travel nurse.

In 2010, while expecting their second child, the couple packed up and headed back to South Carolina so Knight could be closer to family while Jason traveled for work.

Though the couple's official residence was more than 400 miles away, they were never gone from Fayetteville long, as they kept their home and returned for regular vacations.

And they often talked about a permanent return, too, but balked at the idea of uprooting their children's lives.

But in 2020, when the pandemic forced changes for children everywhere, the couple decided to head back.

"Our kids were basically home-schooling, so we put our house on the market and we were back here in about a month," Knight said.

Their return to Fayetteville brought with it the return to Knight's not-so-forgotten dream of running her own restaurant, too.

And, as fate would have it, the opportunity for a second shot came quickly — in the exact same location.

----"We didn't have plans when we came back," Knight said. "We just wanted to be back and enjoy everything West Virginia has to offer."

Knight was working part-time in her old job at Pies & Pints when the building at 115 East Maple St. became available.

"The ideas started firing off in my head again and I couldn't pass it up," she said.

It didn't hurt that the building looked nearly the same as the day she closed The Garden Fish.

"Pretty much everything I put in here 15 years ago is still here," she said. "It was definitely like walking back in a lot of nostalgia."

Though the building and equipment remain mostly the same, Knight decided on a new name — and new menu — for her new venture.

She and Jason, who left travel nursing to help focus on the restaurant, opened The Take Out in March.

Although the name fits well with the style of food — mostly to-go orders — Knight said she selected the name for another reason, suited specifically for the Fayetteville area.

"The Take Out is a play on the river," she said, referencing the common name for the end of a rafting trip. "My husband, being a huge part of the outdoor community, knew that it would be a good, recognizable name."

As far as the menu is concerned, Knight looked around town at what was already offered.

"We didn't want to step on anybody's toes," she said. "We wanted to revamp what we had done previously with a better menu and food that's not already offered in Fayetteville."

Knight said the menu ideas came quickly, as she thought of flavors she enjoyed and missed.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it and writing ideas," she said. "I just started putting together recipes."

Knight's creations allow customers to build their own salads, sandwiches or rice bowls, selecting a flavor profile and topping it with a protein — chicken, pork, beef, tempeh, tofu or shrimp.

Though customers enjoy building their own meals, Knight said the most popular menu item is the Sushi Bowl.

"That's the only thing we kept from our old menu," she said of the "House Special," which includes seasoned rice, sushi grade tuna, salmon, crab, carrots, edamame and other toppings.

Though vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items are offered and are often popular selections, Knight doesn't describe The Take Out as a health food restaurant, but instead as a restaurant that offers healthy options.

"(The food is) Simple, but flavorful," she said. "You can choose the healthy options, or you can be as indulgent as you want."

Though The Take Out offers limited seating — eight counter-style seats inside, a front porch and picnic tables out back — Knight said it's working out well.

"We're easily accessible here in town and we have a lot of locals and tourists who stop in," she said. "We're growing and growing every week."

And soon, she said, she'd like to take her business to other locations, opening The Take Out in other towns.

"We've got a great place here in town, but I would definitely like to grow into other communities," she said. "We just want to get this model as perfected as we possibly can before we jump."

----The Take Out, located at 115 E. Maple St. in Fayetteville, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Orders can be made in person, online at www.thetakeoutwv.com or by phone at 304-900-9057.

— Email: mjames@register-herald.com