ASHEVILLE – Asheville restaurateurs are easing into operations after nearly a month of closing their businesses due to Tropical Storm Helene knocking out the city’s water system at North Fork Reservoir.
On Oct. 21, Meghan Rogers, executive director of Asheville Independent Restaurants, which has more than 150 local restaurant members, said the city pushing non-potable water through the system last week allowed more establishments to open while operating under a boil advisory.
“Last week felt like forward progress and we definitely heard from a lot of our members that they were working toward reopening, and many reopened over the weekend,” Rogers he said.
Rogers said Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Environmental Health with guidance from the N.C. Department of Environmental Health’s quick response streamlining its Emergency Operations Plan has allowed businesses to open.
Christopher “Cookie” Hadley, chef and owner of Bonito’s, is preparing to relaunch the global fusion restaurant, which operates at The Hound lounge, from 4-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday beginning Oct. 24.
Hadley said he’s using a 275-gallon cube filled with non-potable water and a potable water supply to return to semi-regular operations.
He distributed nearly 100 free meals daily last week, but he is returning to a paid services model, considering the extended, unexpected weeks closed.
“We can only handle operating without any income for so long. We’re kind of forced to do it for our survival,” Hadley said.
Hadley said many guests have inquired about when Bonito’s and The Hound would resume regular operations so they could support the businesses monetarily. He said guests have expressed their desire for the normalcy of enjoying a cocktail and a meal without a hassle.
Reimagining water operations
Lisa Smith-Vann and Ben Krueger, co-owners of the Hawaiian-inspired Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill, operate the Grove Arcade brick-and-mortar restaurant and a food truck, which resumed operations with a three-day weekend.
On Oct. 25, the food truck will be set up at Highland Brewing. On Oct. 26-27, the downtown restaurant will open from noon to 8 p.m., or until supplies last.
Hours of operations are expected to expand.
Smith-Vann said it’s taken “a lot of muscle” to pump water from the 50-gallon drums, which must be refilled nearly every other day, and then lug the five-pound buckets into the restaurant.
The restaurateurs sourced potable and well water supplies while making other concessions, like switching to disposable carryout containers and utensils to reduce dishwashing.
“We’re getting stronger,” she said.
Eric Scheffer, founder of The Scheffer Group, said the company’s North Asheville Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian, Jettie Rae’s Oyster House and Gan Shan West recently reopened. Vinnie’s in South Asheville is expected to open later this week.
He said he was lucky to connect early with a water supplier out of Texas to devise pump systems to support an estimated 2,500 to 4,000 gallons of approved potable water. Ultraviolet lights were installed as an extra precaution to kill any potential containments. He said several other restaurants are using the system and sharing the costs.
Menu modifications, price changes
On Oct. 17, West Asheville’s Taco Billy restaurant opened for normal hours 8 a.m.-8 pm. Tuesday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
“One of the things that stood out to me on the first day of reopening is that our customers stayed a lot longer than they normally do,” said Hunter Berry, owner of Taco Billy. “They were excited to be out of the house and eat food prepared by someone else and hang out with friends and have a place to be. It felt more like normal life.”
Berry said the restaurant’s revised menu is limited to items that don’t require much water to prepare, although he’s procured six water totes, replenished by local water suppliers, and installed a pump system at the building, allowing the business to bypass the city’s water supply.
Bottled water is delivered throughout the week.
Huli Sue’s 50-item restaurant menu has been drastically reduced to six items.
Vann-Smith said the menu will gradually expand as customer traffic and staffing increase.
“We saw a good turnout this weekend, mainly from the locals who are in huge support of the community and want to see all the little guys do well,” she said.
She said she expects a dip in traffic in the colder months and is cautiously proceeding with operations, considering what’s purchased and prepared and other expenses.
Yet, food and beverage prices were reduced by 25% since the restaurant is not full service, and to lessen the strain on customers’ wallets.
“We’re not doing it for profit right now; we’re doing it to rebuild,” she said.
Hadley said Bonito’s previous two-page simplified menu would be pared down to one page of dishes and prices would lower. He’s considering adding a free daily item for to-go orders for customers.
“There is a part of us that though we need income, and we need to start heading back to ‘normalcy’ there’s also a part of us that feels unfair if not cruel to be charging for food right now for some folks.”
Scheffer said his restaurant group’s menus were modified with additions expected based on customer volume.
He said prices have slightly increased due to factors like food and the water system which he said cost “tens of thousands of dollars” plus the cost of buying potable water.
“The city’s doing nothing to reimburse us for any of this stuff so, yes, we’ve had to raise the prices but nothing drastically,” Scheffer said.
In short supply
Water access has been the leading issue for restaurant closures, and Smith-Vann said ordering food and other restaurant supplies hasn’t been of concern. She said suppliers have been supportive, like waiving minimum order criteria.
However, staffing is in short supply.
Smith-Vann said a couple of Huli Sue’s 28 employees have moved out of the state and may consider returning when Asheville stabilizes. The restaurant and food truck have relaunched with only eight staff members.
Berry said of Taco Billy’s estimated 61 staff members, about 20-24 are currently on the payroll ― some were previously employed and returned seeking work ― at the West Asheville location. The Black Mountain restaurant remains closed due to electrical damage to a walk-in cooler, so workers were pooled from that location.
Downtown Black Mountain’s decreased foot traffic would result in a profit loss if the restaurant opened.
He said he has concerns regarding the workforce as some have decided to leave the area.
Berry said employers will have to consider hiring new talent to replace workers who don’t return but his priority is having hours available for them to work.
Hadley said the hospitality community is undergoing a major restructuring with many not knowing what will come next.
“My comrades in the service industry, there’s so many people that don’t know or know they won’t have a job to go back to. … Their old jobs are gone because the restaurants are gone,” Hadley said.
Scheffer said there are more opportunities to interview and hire than there have been since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of our staff have left town forever. We are slowly bringing our staff back based on volume,” Scheffer said. “Something that absolutely breaks my heart and saddens me is that a lot of restaurants are never going to open again.”
In addition to closures and revenue decline due to necessary repairs from storm damage and the water outage, losing leaf season profits has created further problems.
“There’s still the long-term concern about the loss of October revenue and how that impacts not only the holiday season but more importantly the winter months when that revenue would have sustained them through the January and February months,” Rogers said.
Scheffer said October “is a bust” and the slower months following the holiday season ― January, February and March ― will be challenging.
“It’s day-to-day analyzing the numbers, looking at the cash flow and trying to make smart decisions,” Scheffer said.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and covered the arts, entertainment and hospitality in Louisiana for several years. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville restaurants open, issues persist after Tropical Storm Helene
