It's "Chin Up" at Court House Café

Mark and Katie Hill are Great Bridge natives who are dedicated to their business and their community.

The dictionary defines resilient as “able to be happy, successful again after something difficult or bad has happened.” Great Bridge natives Mark and Katie Hill – who have rebuilt their beloved Court House Café not once, but twice after it was gutted by fire – don’t know how to be anything but resilient. “It’s definitely been a lot,” Katie admits, “but we’ve learned there’s nothing we can’t do!”

Court House Café has been a staple in the Great Bridge community since it opened in 1985 when it was one of few restaurants located near City Hall. The café is known for its fresh seafood, prime rib, and she-crab soup.

Mark and Katie graduated from Great Bridge High School. They met while working at Kelly’s Tavern in Greenbrier. Katie later earned a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales. “Mark worked at Court House Café as a bus boy when he was a teenager,” explains Katie. “He took me there when we started dating, and said, ‘We’re going to buy this place one day!’” Sure enough, the same year they married in 2007, the Hills bought Court House Café. Just one year later, they got a call in the middle of the night from their alarm company telling them the fire department was on the scene. Katie remembers seeing the smoke and fire trucks when she pulled up outside. Her heart sank.

“The Great Bridge community has always been supportive of us, and we feel very fortunate to be a part of it,” says Katie. “The community held a charity golf tournament for our employees when we were closed for three months after the first fire, and multiple fundraisers for our employees while we were closed for seven months after the second fire. So many local businesses reached out to offer jobs to our employees while we were closed.” A GoFundMe account set up by friends raised another $20,000. Katie’s dad, a general contractor, jumped in and got the café opened as quickly as possible.

Many good years followed, and the Hills welcomed daughters Karlie in 2011 and Alyssa in 2014, who at age 9 has already expressed an interest in the family business. Then came the pandemic. “Covid was definitely a challenge, but the community showed us the love they always have! We switched to take-out only, and so many people showed their support!”

Court House Café has been a popular Great Bridge dining spot since 2007.

In early January 2023, another heartbreaking middle-of-the-night phone call announced the unthinkable: a fire that began in the laundromat next door spread to the café. The team at the Great Bridge TowneBank office immediately lent its support. “Karen Gawne, banking officer and member services specialist, was always there to offer a hug when I needed it. Karen, Donna Elmore, and branch manager Sheree Best were super helpful with our PPP loans.”

At first glance, the second fire didn’t appear to be that bad, but smoke and water damage was extensive. “I’ve always known that family is everything, but this just confirmed that,” says Katie. “My dad didn’t hesitate to rebuild the restaurant a second time. My mom helped with decorating. We feel very fortunate that our work family waited for us to rebuild, and the majority of them came back to work with us! I am most thankful for the amazing community we live and work in.”

“The Hills are a young couple with a young family,” says Dave Hare, TowneBank Chesapeake president, “so their tenacity and commitment to the business, their family, and their employees are remarkable.”

“Our motto has been chin up,” says Katie. “My friend Matty Mills had a lot of health issues, and he texted me after the first fire and simply said ‘chin up.’ He passed away a week later and his words got me through the hard times.” This expression now hangs at the front of the restaurant to remind them how their Great Bridge family faces a bad day.

Court House Café is located at 350 Battlefield Blvd. S. Visit GBCourtHouseCafe.com.