Asheville Restaurants Urge Tourists to Return | Eater Carolinas

"Co-owner Molly Irani recalls the emergency plumbing help fondly: “We called the World Central guy the pirate plumber.” The group prepped, cooked, packaged, and distributed thousands of free meals daily while remaining closed for normal service, then resumed paid service with an eye to feeding the community practically and affordably. The super-sized South Slope location reopened on October 25 with the Hurricane Hot Bar, a lunch-and-dinner buffet; Molly says, “The priority for us was how our town wants to eat right now and plated meals did not feel right,” and adds, “What we did was fast, value-oriented comfort food in abundance. We had linemen from all over the country filling their platters, locals in muck boots who spent all day getting through the day.” The Hot Bar was planned to extend through at least the end of February. On costs and recovery, Irani says, “The cost was insane,” and explains, “The math was upside down, and we would be lucky to break even or come close, but we needed to open and take care of our teams.” She and her partner also report insurance shortfalls: “That has not come through for anyone we know. Not one cent.” Irani reflects on the community response: “Asheville restaurants are a genuine, generous reflection of our community,” Irani says. “What we saw happen was a gritty community come together to save itself by giving away whatever they had, and that was especially true for restaurants. Now we need visitors to come back to us.”" - Kay West