ASHEVILLE - Two years ago, Chef Peyton Barrell and Katie Grabach were at the same point in opening their restaurant, Gourmand, outfitting the building with kitchen equipment and beginning to hire staff for a day that never came.
The restaurateurs lost their former building on Foundy Street in the River Arts District to flooding from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Western North Carolina as a tropical storm on Sept. 27, 2024.
"The last time we had painters in the building was the day of Helene," Grabach said. "So the irony of being at the same point two years later is strange, but we feel positive."
On Sept. 28, as the couple forged ahead to open their brick-and-mortar restaurant in the historic Montford neighborhood, they reflected on what
has kept them motivated to restart.
"We don't want to leave Asheville and have no intention to. This is a concept we believe in and want for ourselves ― this is the food and the vibe we want to go to all the time, so we have to do it," Grabach said.
"Selfishly, I want to rotisserie chicken all the time," Barrell added.
Gourmand is tentatively slated to open by the end of October at 425 Broadway St., after construction turns the former gas station into an all-day dining destination off the Reed Creek Greenway.
Rotisserie chickens will star on the menu, but won't outshine other items planned for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Gourmand's revamped fast-casual eatery is designed for customers on the go, with carryout orders expected to lead over dine-in. However, there will be plenty of space and reasons for diners to stick around.
Barrell said the estimated 1,600-square-foot space is nearly three times what they would have had in RAD, with an occupancy of about 80 people. The couple is especially thrilled about the spacious back deck overlooking the creek and greenway path.
"It will definitely be my favorite place to drink wine or have a cup of coffee," Barrell said. "The greenway is a beautiful space. Montford is a beautiful neighborhood to walk through, so we're excited to service everybody who comes here, whether you come for happy hour or for a cup of coffee after your jog."
What does Gourmand serve on its menu?
Service will begin with breakfast and a complete coffee and tea lineup, ideal for walkers, runners and cyclists cruising down the greenway.
Morning diners will have a small selection of French-style grab-and-go items, including tartines. French Broad Pastry will provide custom-baked goods available only at Gourmand.
The lunch and dinner menus will feature salads, sandwiches, and meat-and-three plates with rotisserie chicken and a choice of three sides. Chicken will be the only protein option.
The menu will offer small plates exclusive to dine-in guests. French Broad Pastry will also provide the baguettes.
In March 2023, Gourmand was introduced in Asheville as a food hall vendor at The S&W Market downtown, until it closed the following October. It offered French-inspired dishes, assorted cheeses, charcuterie, and a curated wine selection. It was based on a version of the business the pair developed while living in New Orleans in 2020.
"We will be bringing back a couple of touches from the S&W concept. I'd say once a week, we run into somebody who used to come to S&W, and their number one question is, 'Will there be cheese?'" Barrell said.
The new Gourmand will offer a small selection of French cheeses and wine for retail. The dine-in menu will be streamlined to one local beer, a short cocktail list, and a single dessert.
"We're getting stuff straight from France, so it's the best cheese you can buy. It will be a small, tiny but mighty selection," he said.
Chef-made cuisine for casual diners at a low cost
The chef said he intends to bring his fine-dining restaurant experience to the fast-casual operation by using fresh, high-quality ingredients from local producers, including The Culinary Gardener, whose seasonal harvests will help shape the menu.
He said he's considered healthier alternatives, opting not to use seed oils and refraining from processed sugars except in desserts. Mexican Coke, made with cane sugar, will be in stock. Duck-fat French fries will be one of the only items deep-fried.
"We're trying to source as high-quality things as possible and still sell them at a price point that's approachable for a fast-casual business," he said.
D’Artagnan, a supplier that sources from small Amish and Mennonite family farms in Pennsylvania, will provide the chickens.
The rotisserie chicken individual plates are expected to cost $16-$18. A family-sized meal, including a whole chicken, sides and fried sourdough bread to feed a group of four people is intended to total under $100, leaving room to add a $25 bottle of wine.
The rise, fall and revival of Gourmand
The former Louisianans moved to Asheville to distance themselves from hurricanes' destructive paths, only to find themselves in the middle of a calamity that could have ended everything they worked for over the years.
After vacating the food hall, the restaurateurs secured a standalone building ideal for a grab-and-go casual dining spot in the Foundy Street complex in RAD. During Helene, the small, raised structure was lifted off its foundation as the French Broad River rose to a record 24.67 feet in Asheville, sending floodwaters crashing through the creative district. It was later found crashed against the side of The Wedge Brewing.
"The irony of being at a wedding in New Orleans while Hurricane Helene was happening here was incredibly punishing," Barrell said. "We were sitting in New Orleans, like, 'Hadn't had a one in New Orleans this year; now Helene is ravaging North Carolina.'"
But with investor support and a commitment to rotisserie and community, Helene would not be the end for Gourmand.
Barrell said he and Grabach had considered the Montford area even before Helene and the food hall, as they used to live near the greenway, which runs from the Botanical Gardens at Asheville and along Broadway Street. The suite in the Broadway Street building had been vacant, and it was easy to envision it as a place to welcome neighbors.
After construction, Gourmand, bathed in natural lighting and airflow from the high window banks and the two roll-up garage doors, will offer about 10 bar seats and additional table seating indoors and on the deck.
A pick-up window, retail cooler and bottled wine shelves will be added to support to-go orders and food delivery services.
A few designated parking spaces will make carryout orders more convenient. Catering services are planned to launch in 2027.
Live music is imagined on the back deck, or guests can sit back and enjoy the greenway and creek's natural setting and birdsong.
Barrell said the Montford locale is a unique opportunity. And despite the hardships they faced because of Helene, the entrepreneurs said the experience made them more persistent and brought them to a better place.
"We worked too hard to give up, even though maybe we should have after being torn down so many times," Grabach said. "But I feel like you don't get successful until you go through things like that, because how else do you know how to turn it around?"
Gourmand
Where: 425 Broadway St., Asheville.
Opening: Tentatively late-October 2026.
Info: For more, visit gourmandasheville.com and follow @gourmandasheville on Instagram. Gourmand is hiring for front- and back-of-house positions; apply online at gourmandasheville.com.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Awards, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Gourmand nears opening at Reed Creek Greenway in Asheville | Exclusive
