A pool hall promise
Billy Ray’s Restaurant in Prestonsburg celebrates legacy
In 1927, it was a pool hall. It 2002, it was an ash heap. And in 2004, it was a promise kept. Today, the reopened Billy Ray’s Restaurant in Prestonsburg is a favorite gathering spot and a memorial to the man who built it—Billy Ray Collins.
“He turned it into what it is today,” says Brian Collins, who, while not related by blood, claims Billy Ray as his godfather. Billy Ray purchased the old pool hall in the 1970s, later transforming it into a full-service, family-friendly restaurant. Brian’s mother, Sheila, began waiting tables at the restaurant at 16, eventually taking on management responsibilities.
After a leaky gas pipe caused a catastrophic fire in 2002, Billy Ray, a longtime Prestonsburg City Council member, promised to rebuild. He did so—but he died about six months before the new restaurant opened on Jan. 12, 2004.
Today, Brian’s parents, Sheila and Lee Collins, own the restaurant, while Brian manages daily operations. “[Billy Ray] was like a grandfather to me,” Brian says. “I just want to continue his legacy here at the restaurant.”
Customers love the country-style breakfast platters, sandwiches like the pool room hamburger and dinners like chicken and dumplings and prime rib, as well as desserts like apple dumpling and hot fudge cake. The restaurant is open 7:30 a.m.– 8 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday–Saturday and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday.
Brian, who says he was raised in the restaurant, is inspired by his mom, Sheila: “I’ve seen how hard my mother worked and what she put into it, and I just want to continue that.”
