Woodshed: An Appalachian Joint
It’s now easier than ever for visitors and locals alike to stumble upon work from nearly 200 Appalachian craftspeople. Crafteria — a Roanoker Magazine “Best of Roanoke” winner since 2019 — has moved to 409 S. Jefferson Street. It is now next door to Mast General Store, downtown Roanoke’s largest retailer, in a space designed by its co-owner Mark Lynn Ferguson.
The business’ name has also changed to align with a brand it has used online for three years — Woodshed: An Appalachian Joint — which sells crafts and publishes articles about modern Appalachian life.
“We loved the name Crafteria, but it was intrinsically tied to our old building, a former cafeteria,” said Ferguson. “Woodshed just hollers ‘Appalachian culture,’ and that’s what we’re all about.”
Ferguson said the new location has the crafts, small batch food, and art their customers have always loved, plus work from dozens of new makers, many of them local to the Roanoke area.
Plus, in early 2026, Woodshed will add a modern Appalachian cafe to its space. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, the cafe will serve “elevated hillbilly food” according to Ferguson, with an emphasis on coffee service plus beer, wine, and cocktails.
Woodshed: An Appalachian Joint
“Folks are always asking us, ‘Where can I get good mountain food,’ and I don’t know anyone in Roanoke who’s focusing on it,” Ferguson said. “So we’re going to riff on the region’s food traditions in really fun ways.”
The menu will include dishes like a chow chow melt; pepperoni rolls with garlic-herb dipping sauce; and Woodshed’s own take on cheese slaw, a creamy, slightly spicy dip invented in Roanoke.
Ferguson says dozens of people — from contractors to crafters — worked hard to make sure Woodshed was open in time for the holiday season, including Consolidated Construction, the business’ general contractor, and Artform Signs, which painted the shop’s striking new mural. Designed by Ferguson, the mural is an abstract representation of the Appalachian Mountains.
“We are gift-giving ground zero,” said Ferguson, “and we can’t wait for everyone to experience our beautiful, new space — both inside and out.”
