In search of a virtual volunteer opportunity, Karen and Steve Wilson rallied inns across the U.S. to join their new effort, Inn Support of Our Troops.
Local distilleries offer DIY cocktail kits for at-home mixologists
Distillers are offering all-inclusive, make-your-own-cocktail kits.
Restaurants invite guests back to dine and socialize at a safe distance
As restaurants and event spaces in Asheville have begun to reopen for on-site service, “dining out” has taken on new meaning. With many people still cautious about sitting inside a confined space, restaurants that have wide-open outdoor spaces are finding ways to use those areas wisely as they welcome back staff and customers safely. “We […]
Carolina Beer Guy: Not all breweries fully reopen
Several Asheville breweries allow exclusively outdoor seating or remain closed.
Carolina Beer Guy: Oscar Wong receives prestigious award
The Highland Brewing founder is only the 34th person in the world to receive the Brewers Association Recognition Award for outstanding contributions to the industry.
Carolina Beer Guy: Brewery building and expansions proceed during COVID-19 crisis
Updates on brewery construction and expansions in Asheville, Brevard and Old Fort.
Earth Fare reopens in West Asheville
The Westgate store is the first of eight Earth Fare supermarkets to reopen.
Restaurants for the People initiative supports local businesses, feeds people in need
Launched in mid-May, the program is a $50 million commitment to help local independent restaurants open and get back to work.
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.
Biz briefs: Buncombe continues to see high COVID-19 unemployment, business closures
The county, North Carolina’s seventh-most populous, was fifth on the state’s list of counties by number of pandemic-related first-time unemployment insurance claimants in April. Of those claims, 21.7% were from workers in the leisure and hospitality industries, while 15.6% were from the trade, transportation and utilities sector.
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.
Carolina Beer Guy: Taprooms open with significant safety measures
Asheville-area breweries have taken numerous precautions to ensure responsible reopening.
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.
Carolina Beer Guy: NC taprooms allowed to reopen thanks to late-breaking guidance from Gov. Cooper
Local brewpub owners discuss the safety precautions they’re taking prior to reopening.
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.