ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Citizen Timess is answering your Helene-related questions — and any other burning questions — in our newly launched “Asheville Answers” column on Sundays. Email Executive Editor Karen Chávez at [email protected] and your question and answer could appear in an upcoming issue.
Question: How many breweries and restaurants have closed since Helene? Have there been more than the usual number of restaurant closings? I’ve noticed a lot of places closed downtown.
Answer: Asheville’s businesses are experiencing a major shift, making it difficult to report a confirmed number of closures. The industry has been rapidly and continuously changing for more than five months since Tropical Storm Helene landed in Asheville on Sept. 27.
Many businesses closed in the first days and weeks after the storm due to substantial property damage, revenue loss and other financial challenges, setting off a domino effect in the following months that is not expected to end anytime soon.
According to FEMA, 43% of small businesses affected by a disaster never reopen after the disaster, and an additional 29% go out of business within two years of the disaster.
Tropical Storm Helene caused flooding in Biltmore Village and the surrounding area, including Eda Rhyne Distilling Co. and French Broad River Brewery.
“Several studies have addressed the effects of large-scale disasters on small businesses. Catastrophic disasters often have the worst impact on unprepared businesses. Businesses with resumption plans are usually operational sooner than businesses without plans,” read a statement on FEMA’s website.
Locally, this can be reflected in the unemployment rate, which was 6% in Buncombe County in December ― after a 10.4% spike in October ― compared to the statewide unemployment rate of 3.4% in the same month.
Businesses’ temporary and indefinite closures and workforce reductions have been contributing factors. Employers have reported that workers’ evacuations, displacements, and seeking other employment opportunities are other reasons for workers leaving.
“It’s over shifting. People are still making decisions about what they want to do whether they want to remain in Asheville or not,” Chef and restaurateur John Fleer told the Citizen Times in February. “We’ve certainly seen that here, but there is a strong pool of candidates that are in Asheville.”
In this stage of Helene, closures are elevated more than a typical disaster-free year, but the scope of restaurant and brewery industries are more anecdotal as the quantifiable data and economic impact reports are determined.
The Independent Restaurant Coalition spokesperson Sarah Abell said the industry advocacy agency continues to gather and evaluate information, listen to members, and help independent operators.
A McDonald’s restaurant in Asheville, once dubbed “world’s fanciest” was ruined by the torrential rain and flooding that hit much of the Southeast, particularly North Carolina, because of Hurricane Helene.
This story has been updated to correct a typo.
In Asheville, hard-hit areas like Biltmore Village, the River Arts District and along Riverside Drive saw massive business closures immediately.
Asheville lost Bottle Riot, RosaBees, Eldr, Vivian, Little Pearl, Geraldine’s Bakery and Bold Rock’s downtown taproom.
The Helene-related closures follow other pre-storm closures in 2024, like Avenue M, Melting Pot Social and Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro.
However, revivals have happened and are planned for storm-ravaged businesses, like Eda Rhyne Distilling Co., Hillman Beer and French Broad River Brewing Co.
Corner Kitchen, Andaaz, the “fancy” historic McDonald’s, Hardee’s, Grand Bohemian Hotel, and its Red Stag Grill are amidst extensive renovations.
The Wedge Foundation and Zillicoah Beer Co. are undergoing rebuilds in RAD and on Riverside Drive.
Zillicoah Beer Co. co-founder and head brewer Johnathan Parks surveys the damage at his brewery Oct. 23, 2024 in Asheville.
Some establishments’ fates hang in the balance as their doors remain closed, and no public declaration is made as to whether or when they will reopen.
Restaurants like Café Bomba and Salsa’s announced winter breaks to reopen in the spring.
Some restaurants, like Rhubarb and La Bodega by Cúrate, have discontinued regular dining services and pivoted by introducing and focusing more energy on other business areas. Rhubarb has closed, but the restaurant team is set on strengthening its café and bakery, The Rhu, and event center. La Bodega, Cúrate’s sister restaurant, has been designated a full-time event venue.
“Sometimes you have to make the right decisions that are the best for the longevity of the sustainability of the entire business and brand,” Cúrate’s co-founder Katie Button told the Citizen Times in February. “Sometimes those decisions are difficult.”
Business deals have been struck to save community hubs, like Dobra Tea’s downtown tearoom that was sold to the owner of Well Played Board Café and in the case of doughnut food truck vendors who purchased South Slope’s Vortex to keep the brick-and-mortar operating. Employees stepped in to purchase Tastee Diner and reopened the location as Hail Mary in West Asheville. Likewise, Sovereign Remedies’ former and current employees collaborated to take over and reopen downtown in March.
As is typical of post-natural disaster landscapes, more closures and shifting are expected, but in the chaos and destruction comes renewal.
High Five Coffee on Riverside Drive in Woodfin post Tropical Storm Helene.
New restaurants and bars have debuted, like Potential New Boyfriend listening lounge in West Asheville.
In January, Färməsē Cocktail Lounge opened on Biltmore Avenue downtown. The neighboring Indian street food restaurant Dilbar closed soon after, but the new bar owners plan to introduce a farm-to-table restaurant and tap house, Brü.
More restaurants are on the horizon, like Posana’s second location in Biltmore Park. West Asheville Rowan Coffee’s second coffee house in
Two Vietnamese restaurants, PhoReal and Pho Haus, are among the many new businesses planned for 2025.
The restaurant and brewery industry is in flux but resilient, with a renaissance to come.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email [email protected] or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: More Asheville restaurants, breweries closing more since Helene?
