Change of face: Attracting diverse visitors to a mostly white city

Local tourism operators are sensing a shift in the racial makeup of visitors to the Asheville area. Though the data don’t definitively support that conclusion — at least not yet — efforts to make Asheville a more welcoming and inclusive destination continue, as do fledgling initiatives to give minority tourism entrepreneurs a bigger piece of the industry’s pie.

Women chefs introduce permanent downtown pop-up concepts

Most restaurants open with a bang — banners, grand-opening parties, VIP tastings and the like. But as Asheville’s market gets more and more saturated with eateries, a new trend is emerging: the quiet entrance. This summer, two established bar venues silently launched kitchens led by up-and-coming chefs, bypassing opening frivolities in favor of a more […]