The Inter-Mounta0in photo by Taylor McKinnie Henry's at Graceland now includes three and a half dining rooms and the veranda for its dining experience.

ELKINS – Graceland Inn and Restaurant’s general manager said he plans to make Graceland look like the historic Davis family’s summer home again with rebranding of the restaurant, possible expansion for the inn, partnerships with the community and more.

Since becoming Graceland Inn and Restaurant’s general manager in December, Matthew Tyre, who has also been Davis & Elkins College’s campus executive chef since 2024, has been working on rebranding and “cleaning things up a bit.”

Graceland, built in 1892 and located on the campus of D&E, was once the summer home of U.S. Senator Henry Gassaway Davis.

“(We want) to make it something uniquely us, that is still priced for the people of Elkins,” Tyre told The Inter-Mountain. “We want people to come up here and have a good time.”

The restaurant at Graceland has been rebranded as “Henry’s at Graceland” and now offers a bar and lounge area for visitors. Henry’s is open Wednesday through Saturday. The restaurant, now featuring three and a half dining rooms and the veranda, including the new bar and lounge, now takes up the entire first floor of Graceland.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie
Graceland Inn and Restaurant’s General Manager Matthew Tyre says they ‘want people to come up (to Graceland) and have a good time.’

Tyre explained that the menu at Henry’s has a focus on locally sourced ingredients. The menu includes Italian dishes with homemade sauces and desserts that, if not made fresh at the restaurant, are provided fresh by a local baker.

“Everything is coming from town,” Tyre said. “I’m very big on ‘we need a community to build ourselves,’ so as I build this brand, I want the community involved with the brand. If it’s by hiring a local baker, by hiring local musicians.”

The new bar, as Tyre explained, will have signature cocktails and a “secret menu” that includes one of the gin brands owned by rapper Snoop Dog. Tyre described what the bar offers as “simple drinks done well” and “good classics.”

The new lounge area offers visitors a special menu different from the rest of Henry’s with more fried options, such as chicken wings and burgers. Tyre said the special lounge menu is still Graceland quality, but with good, family friendly options.

The wine menu at Henry’s has also changed, with the restaurant now offering what Tyre describes as good wines at a good value.

“They are good value in price. They are very good wines,” Tyre said. “Most of them have a story. I’m very big on stories. I’m Disney, so everything has a story and a selling point. One of our pinot noirs from Washington, Oregon, the proceeds from it go to helping save orcas. So, a lot of our wines are specially picked for us so that there’s a reason behind it.”

Tyre, an Elkins native, moved to Florida in 2005 and received his culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu. For 20 years, Tyre worked in several Disney restaurants, with a majority of his time spent at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

After moving home in 2024 for family matters, Tyre began his role as D&E’s campus executive chef and helped oversee things at Graceland. In December, Tyre took over as the general manager of Graceland, focusing on how to get the people of Elkins to visit and enjoy Graceland again.

One way Tyre is working toward reincorporating Graceland into the community is by partnering with local businesses, like Lukestone Legacy on Davis Avenue.

“Our wine rep has partnered with Lukestone so that some of our wines are available at Lukestone,” Tyre said. “So if you see it at Lukestone and want to try it, you can come here. If you have it up here, and you want to buy a whole bottle, you can go down to Lukestone.”

“Wine Down Wednesday” has also made a full return to Graceland. Every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. guests can participate in a wine tasting with Graceland’s wine rep. Tyre explained that the wine testing consists of two wines from the new menu so that guests can try something different.

During a previous Wine Down Wednesday, Tyre said guests commented that they never would have tried the new wine on their own, but after trying it at the wine tasting, they ordered two bottles. Guests who visit Wednesday evening are also treated to a local musician performance and unique specials.

On Sundays, Henry’s offers brunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a local musician performing for guests from noon to 2 p.m.

The second and third floors of Graceland are still reserved for hotel guests. Tyre hopes to add more rooms for guests, including a room just for kids, to join the other nine available rooms. Tyre also spoke of smaller changes planned for Graceland, including new chandeliers and lighting fixtures.

“So there are beautiful things coming to enhance the place,” Tyre said. “It’s been here for several years and it’s just kind of been surviving, and now it’s really like how do we get it to the next level? How do we freshen it? How do we make it still historic and still valued, and the boutique-ness that we want, tied into a bed and breakfast… I want it go back to looking like (the Davis’) summer home.”

For more information on Graceland, call 304-637-1600 or visit gracelandinnrestaurant.com.