Xpress has received word that Asia Wrap’s opening day has been pushed to Aug. 30, with a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. Here is the story that we ran on Aug. 1, highlighting the new business.
Fast-casual eatery Asia Wrap will open on Hendersonville Road on Aug. 21 according to Donna Logan, a local real estate consultant and one of the driving forces behind the venture. The idea for Asia Wrap originated several years ago when Logan’s partner Alex Williams approached her with the concept of designing a mobile platform for serving traditional Asian dishes. After overcoming the many “little surprises” involved in completely renovating a former McDonalds building, Logan is happy to report that Asia Wrap “will start cooking very soon.”
“We have a lot of different cultures to pull from,” Logan says, citing Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Korean food as influences for the recently finalized menu, which was developed by Jonathon Zetterholm, an award-winning graduate of the A-B Tech culinary program. “What we’ve done is taken the favorite dishes from all of those cultures and put them in a mobile form for eating.”
One meal that may excite value-conscious lunch seekers is Asia Wrap’s 8-inch value combo wrap, which includes a side and a drink for less than $6. Side options include staples like salad and french fries, but Asia Wrap will also offer healthy alternatives like edamame and carrots to round out its already veggie-laden mains.
Meat choices for the wraps abound. New York strip, Mongolian and bulgogi beef and sesame, kung pao and orange chicken are just some of the varieties available. But Logan says her favorite dish is the shrimp wrap. “The bang-bang shrimp wrap is to die for! There’s just enough crunch in it and a little bit of spice in the sauce.” All of Asia Wrap’s sauces and salad dressings are made in-house.
Asian food also lends itself to vegetarian choices, which Logan says was an important factor in designing the menu. She is working with a bakery and hopes to offer a gluten-free option in the future.
The McDonalds infrastructure will allow seamless drive-thru service, but Logan hopes that some customers will decide to dine in and enjoy the restaurant’s two 800-gallon salt water fish tanks. These massive attractions will serve as a partition between the 120-seat dining area and an adjacent play center for children, which, in keeping with the oceanic theme, will house a large ship structure to entertain the little ones.
Despite its 10 a.m. open time throughout the week, Asia Wrap expects to entice customers with a signature coffee blend by Bean Werks of West Asheville. Wi-fi, computer outlets and a section of leather couches will solidify the café ambiance.
Logan says that her transition from real estate consulting into the food world was not that unlikely. “Business consulting takes shape in a lot of different areas,” she explains, “and part of my background is consulting with my clients about ideas and ventures and bringing them to fruition.” Her management style bodes well for the company and emphasizes the value of each team member: “We intend to meet Living Wage requirements at the onset of employment and hope to increase that in the future. It’s our goal to be a leader in making a difference in the lives of those around us.”
Asia Wrap is located at 1915 Hendersonville Road. asiawrap.com
Kung pao and orange chicken sounds delightful!
As someone who tried to go there for lunch today, I can tell you that it looks like they are weeks away from opening, as of Aug. 29 at least.
Chall — Thank you for letting me know. According to Donna Logan, the restaurant opening was pushed back again and it should be open to the public on Aug. 30, with a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. I will update the article accordingly. Thanks!
Wow–August 30 is quite amusing, considering that as of this afternoon there was a dumpster outside and construction crews carrying out demo.
Interesting. I’ll contact her tomorrow for another update.
Chall — Because the permitting office is closed for the holiday weekend, the opening will be Tuesday at the earliest.
Permanently CLOSED. That was fast!
Marilyn — That is unfortunate, but thanks for the update. The restaurant industry is so tough.