VALENTINE, Neb. - A popular Valentine dining spot is preparing to close its doors. Peppermill & EKV Lounge will serve its final meals on Feb. 28, 2025, owner Robert Joseph announced in a Facebook post.

“Thank you to the countless customers and staff we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. We look forward to saying goodbye the next couple of months and making plans to see you again in our next venture in downtown Valentine,” Robert wrote.

As News Channel Nebraska previously reported, Robert and his wife, Lacey, are embarking on an ambitious new project to transform two Valentine historic buildings downtown into the William R. Fraternal Hall—a space blending lodging, dining, and retail. The buildings, which date back to the early 1900s, have a storied history. The upstairs once hosted events for the Odd Fellows, an international fraternity founded in London in the 1700s.

“We’d like to make Valentine’s Main Street a better mix of professional, retail and lodging to bring more people back downtown where there’s more activity and foot traffic,” Robert said.

News Channel Nebraska has also reported on several other projects along Valentine’s Main Street, including a movie theater and coffee shop.

“Please continue to support rural independents in food service. They continue to make up the soul of many small communities,” Robert wrote on Facebook.