ASHEVILLE – A West Asheville bar submerged by French Broad River in Tropical Storm Helene will return in a new, permanent home; a Biltmore Village brewery rebuilds and reopens; a gourmet holiday cookie soiree planned to raise money for Western North Carolina businesses and residents impacted by the late September natural disaster.
DayTrip’s new location
DayTrip and its resident food partner, Boy Howdy, were wiped out by the French Broad River in Tropical Storm Helene nearly a month after their debut at 219 Amboy Road.
“We have no doubt in our mind — in our hearts — that we are going to rebuild and come back strong because of the help from the community,” DayTrip’s co-owner Brandon Davis told the Citizen Times days following the devastating storm.
DayTrip and Howdy Boy is officially open at 219 Amboy Road in West Asheville.
Davis and his partner, Davie Roberts, are making strides on their vow to bring back the bar stronger than ever as DayTrip 2.0 at a new location far from the river.
In March, DayTrip will reopen at 174 Broadway St., across I-240 near downtown in the former Archetype Brewing tasting room. Davis said the new space will allow for indoor community and private events.
Davis and Roberts are also the new owners of the recently revived neighborhood bar, The Malvern, which had a brief stint as Little Louie’s, at 1478 Patton Ave.
Davis said he is grateful for the support of the community and donors for the revival and growth of the businesses.
DayTrip: Winter Vacation, a three-month pop-up, began on Dec. 12 at The Malvern. Once DayTrip moves into its new permanent location, The Malvern will return to its former dive bar glory. The event calendar features themed dance parties, like Goth Prom and Grandma Prom.
In 2019, Archetype Brewing opened at 174 Broadway St. but closed in 2023. In March 2025, DayTrip bar will open in its place.
The Malvern’s kitchen menu offers bar bites like smash burgers, cheesesteaks and corn dog towers, however, not from Boy Howdy.
Find Boy Howdy’s burger at pop-ups around town. On Dec. 21, Boy Howdy’s Christian Myers and Dssolvr will host a toy drive and smash burger pop-up from 2-10 p.m. at the downtown brewery, 63 N. Lexington Ave.
The Malvern is open from 4 p.m. -12 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday. For more, follow @daytrip.avl and @boyhowdy_avl on Instagram.
Hillman Beer reopens in Biltmore Village
The historic Biltmore Village sustained catastrophic damage from the Swannanoa River’s record flooding, totaling many businesses and leaving others with considerable messes to clean up and structures to repair.
Hillman Beer’s co-owner Brad Hillman told the Citizen Times in November, that the taproom at 25 Sweeten Creek Road, which opened in 2016, took in more than 4 feet of water from Sweeten Creek, fed by Swannanoa River. He said water rose above the bar top.
The building has been restored after an extensive renovation, including ripping out and replacing drywall and tiles, rebuilding the bar and painting.
Hillman Beer’s Biltmore Village taproom has reopened, daily, serving craft beer and a limited food menu. Hillman said the kitchen is at a higher level and wasn’t physically impacted.
The Old Fort taproom was impacted by Helene but opened earlier at 78 Catawba Ave. in Old Fort.
Hillman estimated it would cost half a million dollars to rebuild, restore equipment and clean up at both locations. He said the businesses suffered a significant revenue loss while closed in October, which he said is the second busiest month for the brewery after July.
Hillman Beer’s taproom is open at 301 S Sterling St. in Morganton. For more, visit hillmanbeer.com and follow @hillmanbeer on Instagram.
Holiday cookie showcase
A dozen bakers will participate in this year’s Holiday Cookie Showcase ― or “Cookies with a Cause” ― fundraising campaign hosted by Sweet Impact, a community initiative formed to empower recovery and resilience for WNC small businesses, artists and residents impacted by natural disasters.
The Holiday Cookie Showcase’s gourmet cookie box pick-up and celebration will be from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 20 at Lexington Glassworks at 81 S. Lexington Ave. The cost is $50 and includes one box of assorted cookies made by the local bakers, live music and refreshments. Raffle tickets will be sold.
All ticket sales proceeds will benefit businesses and residents impacted by Helene through the Community Foundation of North Carolina’s Long Haul Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Purchase tickets at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/cookies-for-a-cause-by-sweet-impact-initiative. For more, visit sweetimpactavl.org.
More restaurant reopenings and news
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Neng Jr.’s has reopened with earlier dinner service, serving Filipinx cuisine, from 5-9:45 p.m. at 701 Haywood Road, Suite 102. For updates on the New Year’s Eve dinner, private event and more announcements, visit nengjrs.com and follow @nengjrs.
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Botanist and Barrel’s Bite Nite: Raclette Meltdown Edition, a monthly series of bite-sized dishes and drinks, will begin at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at the winery’s downtown taproom, 32 Broadway St. Suite 110. A week later, Nosh! An Eastern European Brunch will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Reserve a seat at botanistandbarrelasheville.com.
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Master BBQ, a Filipino barbecue food truck, is back in business after its original mobile eatery at Zillicoah Beer Co. was destroyed by Helene. Find Master BBQ at Outsider Brewing at 939 Riverside Dr. The December hours of operation are 3-7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. For more, follow @masterbbqavl.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: DayTrip’s new location, Hillman Beer reopens, more restaurant news
