Gray promoted at Thirsty Monk school of hard knocks

“We¹ve been hard at work over the past year assembling what we consider the ‘Dream Team’ of Asheville pub management,” says Thirsty Monk founder Barry Bialik, whose company is preparing to open its fourth Asheville location.

Bialik recently promoted Chall Gray to vice president in anticipation of a busy 2014. Gray, a native of Western North Carolina, is well-known in the area as an entrepreneur and theater and music producer.

“Chall has proven himself to be an incredibly valuable member of the Monk team, and I¹m elated to share some of the Monk decision-making and leading process with such a talented fellow,” says Bialik.

Gray was very enthusiastic about the shift in managerial role. “I¹ve been in and around Asheville for my whole life, and working at the Thirsty Monk with Barry is really the best fit I¹ve ever had within a company.”

Bialik concurred. “It¹s rare for an entrepreneur and business founder to find someone with such a shared vision and spirit such as Chall. He gets it. We joke about the two ways to get your MBA experience: the university way and the get-your-ass-kicked-by-starting-a-business way. We both went the latter.”

Thirsty Monk, Inc. currently operates three Asheville area pubs and a microbrewery, and is sister company to the Compact Cottage Company, an Asheville-based new construction home company specializing in small-footprint, efficient, green-constructed homes.