Launched in mid-May, the program is a $50 million commitment to help local independent restaurants open and get back to work.
Author: Kay West
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Public schools segue to summer feeding programs
In many Western North Carolina schools, cafeteria kitchens have never been busier as districts stepped up to continue providing meals to students through the end of the calendar year, then transitioned to summer feeding programs tweaked to meet current needs.
Asheville chefs turn their home kitchens into virtual cooking classes
When restaurant dining rooms closed, some local chefs found a new way and personal way to share their love of cooking.
Asheville Strong collects local recipes to support Restaurant Workers Relief Fund
The digital cookbook raises money to support hospitality workers while keeping people connected to their favorite restaurants through recipes that allow them to recreate menu items in their home kitchens.
Kickback AVL keeps it local
When N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper closed restaurant dining rooms in mid-March, the Kickback AVL website became “a madhouse,” says owner Jennie Townsend.
Independent restaurants grapple with whether and how to reopen for in-house service
Dazed and confused might best describe the reaction from local restaurateurs to Phase 2 of the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan, with side orders of determination and ingenuity.
Recent advances are transforming breast cancer treatment
“Most breast cancers require a combination of different treatments, and the order and combination of those things is a whole lot more complicated today than ever before,” says Dr. Blair Harkness, a gynecological oncologist at Hope Women’s Cancer Centers, an arm of Mission Health. Xpress explores the state of modern breast cancer treatment in the region — including how it’s been affected by COVID-19.
New coffee shop owners face pandemic shortly after opening
Farewell coffee shop was open only two months before it was forced to close by COVID-19. But the owners saw the store’s roll-up window as an opportunity to stay in business.
Hominy Farm bread builds a following despite quarantine
Bread maker Eli Je Bailey debuted his business, Hominy Farm, at the River Arts District Farmers Market in February.
West Asheville restaurants reinvent their service models to meet COVID challenge
Jargon and Biscuit Head are navigating the restaurant shut-down by trying new concepts.
Meredith Leigh advises a DIY approach to sourcing meat
“A lot of my work right now is in helping people organize themselves and understand how they might create collaborative means of accessing meat,” says author, butcher, chef and instructor Meredith Leigh.
Community aid helps WNC food banks meet challenges
The impacts of COVID-19 on demand, supply and distribution for local hunger relief organizations were immediate and profound, thrusting MANNA FoodBank and its smaller partner agencies into a triage response.
Local meat providers find increased consumer demand
As retailers face potential shortages of large-scale commodity meats, Asheville consumers look to local farms and butchers.
Chow Chow board postpones culinary festival to September 2021
“It was an extremely tough decision,” says Chow Chow board of directors president Katie Button. “We’re determined to be back better than ever next year.”
Slow Food Asheville celebrates okra with Heritage Food Project
The okra selected for the 2020 project, Aunt Hettie’s Red, boasts both regional roots and modern acclaim. Last September, the variety was crowned the best of 54 in “The Single Biggest Chef-Centered Okra Tasting Day Ever” contest staged by the Utopian Seed Project.
Local chefs celebrate Mother’s Day in the kitchen with their kids
“I think it’s hard for people who are used to doing it for a living, where you have to be fast,” says Sand Hill Kitchen owner and chef Jamie Wade. “I’ve really had to work on my patience, but we have a lot of time on our hands.
The Hop Ice Cream Cafe partners with #AshevilleStrong to create specialty flavors
The more collaborations, the better for everyone,” says The Hop co-owner Greg Garrison.
Luxury chocolate maker pivots from bonbon molds to face shields
“The face shields are a necessity for people putting their lives on the line,” says Refined Designs Chocolate owner Timothy Maguire. “The chocolates are a morale booster, and we’re happy to do what we can.”
Asheville independent restaurants struggle to stay in business
Initially seen as a lifesaver, the Paycheck Protection Program has instead become a lead weight around the necks of many independent restaurants.
Dining Out for Life fundraiser tweaks model in response to restaurant closures
For 18 years, the Western North Carolina Aids Project has counted on the generosity of local, independent restaurants to fuel its annual fundraiser. With those restaurants struggling to stay afloat, WNCAP is hoping to return their kindness with a COVID-19 twist on Dining Out for Life. “Typically, the event model is based on participating restaurants […]
Asheville’s independent restaurants weigh their options
The owners of WNC’s independent restaurants have faced the complex question of whether to shutter entirely or devise a transition to takeout.