Barefoot makes long-awaited return

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By Austin Andre

This past Saturday, the Barefoot Restaurant in Hardin reopened its doors at its new location at 106 S. Water St.
The previous Barefoot location shut down following the 2019 floods, due to flooding issues that threatened the building. Barefoot has been a staple of the area according to owner Brian Matthews.
“Barefoot was a big part of the community and to those coming from outside the county, especially in the fall,” said Matthews. “The closure of Barefoot impacted other businesses in the community, as they missed out on that traffic.”
The reception to the opening was overwhelmingly positive, according to Matthews, as the doors were flooded with customers over the weekend.
“Turnout wise, it was a success. We served over a thousand people Sunday,” Matthews said. “We were extremely pleased with the turn out, we were a tad overwhelmed with how positive it was.”
The latest additions to the restaurant include earlier hours and more outdoor seating. Original hours were 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., but have since been moved to 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant will be closed on Mondays.
“We’re trying to replicate the old restaurant and improve service everywhere we can,” Matthews said. “We have a lot more outdoor dining at our updated location and everyone likes that, especially when the weather cools down.”
There are no plans for an extended opening ceremony, such as a ribbon cutting, as Matthews expressed a desire to continue business as usual. Information about the Barefoot Restaurant and any updates regarding hours and service can be found on the restaurant’s Facebook page, or by calling 618-576-9002.