TRVE plans brewery, taproom in Asheville; black cat cafe eyed for West Asheville; Earth Equity Advisors partners with national firm; Shay & Company to expand services; more
Also, mixed-use development planned for Candler includes Sheetz convenience store
This story sponsored by Citizens Fuel Co., a family-owned Asheville company.
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In case you missed it: Plans for one of the biggest redevelopment projects in downtown Asheville call for remaking 10 acres into a mixed-use urban village that’s home to hundreds of apartments, a hotel, restaurants, retail shops, office space and more. Subscribe and read it here.
TRVE Brewing Co., a Denver-based brewery with a heavy metal vibe, plans to build a brewery and taproom at 97 Thompson St. near Biltmore Village, according to city construction permits. The location is just down the street from two other great local breweries, New Origin Brewing at 131 Thompson St. and Brewery Cursus Keme at 155 Thompson St.
Earth Equity Advisors, an Asheville green investment company founded by Peter Krull, has partnered with Prime Capital Investment Advisors to expand and add $151 million in assets under management. Krull has been investing clients’ assets since 2004 in companies focused on clean energy, battery technology, green transportation, sustainable real estate, plant-based foods and more. Prime Capital Investment Advisors is a national, full-service financial planning company with 51 U.S. locations.
Blue Ridge Hiking Company, founded by Jennifer Pharr Davis, one of Asheville’s beloved hiking and outdoors ambassadors, recently announced that Lindsey Barr is the company’s new owner.
Stillpoint Wellness, known for its saltwater flotation tanks that shut out light and sound, has opened a new location at 946 Tunnel Road. The new location includes space for expanded services including physical therapy, yoga classes, wellness coaching and more. (Read about my experience with their flotation tank here. That was 10 years ago - wow!)
This could be the year of the cat cafe in Asheville. The Cats at Play cafe on Eagle Street is under construction and set to open in April. And now Binx's Home for Black Cats is looking at opening a cat cafe at 841 Haywood Road. That's the former location of the The Amp Store, which moved to Burnsville. I haven’t researched this, but I’ve been told that black cats are the hardest to adopt out because of deep-seated superstitions. Here’s hoping they can get up and running.
Shay & Company is the new name of 23-year-old Shay Brown Events management company, a top Asheville wedding planning, event production and venue management outfit. The rebranding is part of a growth strategy, according to founder Shay Brown, who helps plan and produce events such as Chow Chow food festival and CiderFest NC. Shay & Company plans to bring on new festival production clients, new venue management clients and more this year.
Pratt & Whitney, the aircraft parts maker, is offering a free, 16-hour program at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College designed to prepare individuals for a career in aerospace manufacturing. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a high school diploma, GED or the equivalent. Once the 16-hour pre-hire program is complete, select candidates will be considered for an interview, and if offered a position, they will be required to participate in a free, 80-hour pre-hire training program and background check before starting. The new Asheville manufacturing facility will make turbine airfoils for both commercial and military aircraft.
A large mixed-use development that may come to a 35-acre parcel of land at 701 Smokey Park Highway in Candler. That's roughly in the area of First Step Farm retail shop, and across the street from “the bridge to nowhere,” the unfinished bridge to the Enka Commerce Park. Plans include a grocery store, pharmacy, car wash, restaurant and a Sheetz convenience store.
There’s been a lot of activity on the car dealership front in Asheville recently. There's a Tesla showroom planned for Sweeten Creek Road. There's work on a new showroom at the Fields dealership on Smokey Park Highway. And Flow Asheville, the multi-brand dealership with Audi and Volkswagen, plans to build a new showroom at 641 Brevard Road. In addition to all that, Prestige Subuaru has a long range plan to build a new dealership on Bear Creek Road.
Boomer’s Bourbon and Cigar Bar wants to add a rooftop bar to its location on Coxe Avenue, just a few doors down from Asheville Brewing.
The restaurant Dumplings Dumplings is planned for 12 Glenn Willow Drive, the location of the Glenn Bridge shopping center that’s home to several businesses, including Glenn Bridge Crossfit.
Mayfel's restaurant is under renovation and new ownership.
Crumbl Cookies is planning a second location at a shopping center on Hendersonville Road, in the same shopping center at Publix grocery store, 1816 Hendersonville Road.
On the burger front, did you know that Pack’s Tavern restaurant downtown serves a Buck’s Burger? That’s a nod to Buck’s Drive-In, which was an Asheville fixture on Tunnel Road from 1946 to 1972. It has two Angus beef patties, American cheese and the drive-in’s signature “comeback sauce,” sort of a slightly spicy tartar sauce. I got the recommendation from fellow Substack writer The Carolina Foodie.
Sunnyvale food trailer is planning to open behind Anoche, the new agave bar at 176 Clingman Ave. The food will be the work of John Stehling, the co-founder with his wife Julie of the much loved Early Girl Eatery and King Daddy’s Chicken and Waffle restaurants, which the couple sold in 2018.
Meghan Rogers, the former Asheville Downtown Association executive director, will join Asheville Independent Restaurant Association as its new executive director in March, according to a press release.
Thanks for reading,
-j
Asheville is a hopping town !! So much to do and enjoy.
Thanks for all the awesome updates!!