More relaxed regulations mean food trucks can operate at apartment complexes, community centers, libraries and other locations as long as they are more than 50 feet from an occupied residence.
Cottage food businesses offer creative ways to connect with community
“We saw immediately that popcorn seemed to become a comfort food with parents sending it to their kids, friends to friends, companies to staff working remotely,” says Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn owner Ginger Frank.
Asheville Tourists give fans missing baseball a taste of the game
Pop-up concessions events at McCormick Field serve ballpark favorites such as the Tourists Dog, chili cheese dogs, bratwurst, soft serve ice cream and, because it’s Asheville, craft beer.
Restaurants institute operation standards to ensure safety of guests and staff
“Restaurant people are resilient, determined and creative,” says Anthony Coggiola, owner of The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village. “I believe we can do this.”
The BLOCK Off Biltmore has closed, but its free CommUNITY Meals initiative continues
Although The Block is closed for business, owner Cam MacQueen intends to keep the CommUNITY Meals initiative going.
Tourism businesses patch together local, federal funds in bid for survival
Restaurants, brewers, hoteliers, tour companies and retailers were all among the 449 named Paycheck Protection Program beneficiaries with headquarters in Asheville. At least 46 of those entities also received help from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to fill needs unmet by the federal loan effort.
Céline and Company Catering offers distanced dining downtown
The Hideaway On Broadway pop-up restaurant features a menu from chef Austin Tisdale and wine pairings through a partnership with Metro Wines.
Newly opened and nearly opened restaurants took a COVID punch in March
Restaurants that were set to debut or relaunch during the state’s pandemic dining room shutdown find creative ways to persevere.
Fundraising dinner brings the experience to donors’ homes
The Free Clinics’ annual Sunset Dining event adapts with delivered meals and virtual entertainment.
The Grey Eagle Taqueria teams with BearWaters Brewing
The owners of the Asheville music venue are taking their taco business to Haywood County.
Asheville inn owners ship baked goods to service members
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.
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 […]
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.
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.