ASHEVILLE - Asheville's food and beverage scene continues to shift, as establishments open, close, reopen and pivot concepts and services.
Recent departures including Regina's, Rhubarb and The Rhu have shaken the local community and provided a glimpse of the hardships and heartaches that exist for the hospitality industry.
Recent openings and reopenings have given hope for new beginnings, growth and resilience, including High Five Coffee's Woodfin coffee trailer, Q-Hall Sports Bar in South Slope, Guajiro in the River Arts District, Sushi Kingdom in West Asheville, and Ichiban at its new East Asheville location.
This year, many new and returning establishments have opened, with still more to come in the upcoming months and into 2027.
New eateries
and drinkeries include a pizzeria named in honor of the "Godfather of Asheville craft beer," Oscar Wong.
Gourmand
Rotisserie chickens are coming to the historic Montford neighborhood, along with breakfast, coffee, wine and spirits. The local chef-owned eatery is aiming to open by the end of October at 425 Broadway St., off the Reed Creek Greenway. Gourmand, formerly a S&W Market food hall vendor, was slated to open in the River Arts District in 2024 until Hurricane Helene flooded and destroyed its former building. @gourmandasheville
Oscar's Pizza
Highland Brewing's new in-house restaurant will debut with a limited menu during the Cold Mountain release weekend festivities, Nov. 13-15, at 12 Old Charlotte Highway in East Asheville. The restaurant will open with regular service during Thanksgiving week in November, with a grand opening celebration planned for December. Oscar's Pizza is named for the founder of Asheville's pioneer brewery, the late Oscar Wong. It will serve New Haven-style pizza, shareables, and salads, with pairing recommendations for Highland beers. @oscarspizzaavl
Abuela's Little Kitchen
The Arden restaurant is expanding with a second restaurant opening soon at 1341 Patton Ave. in West Asheville, formerly home to Barbecue Inn, Byrish Haus and Pub, and Amicizia restaurant.
Piebird
DoubleTree by Hilton's original restaurant and bar concept, developed by Hilton’s in-house food and beverage consultancy, Stir Creative Collective, is coming to Biltmore Village, next to the hospitality company's Biltmore property at 115 Hendersonville Road, formerly TGI Fridays. The company has not announced an opening date, though it told the Citizen Times it is slated for Q1 2027. Piebird has also opened in Nanuet, New York, offering breakfast and dinner, including American classics like pancakes, quiche, Southern deviled eggs, chicken and waffles, steak, soups and salad, with a signature twist. And, of course, an assortment of pies. The concept also includes a bar, serving cocktails. @piebird_asheville
Village Wayside Bar and Grille
The local restaurant and bar, displaced by Helene after its Biltmore Village building flooded, plans to reopen in the Grove Park neighborhood at 11 Grovewood Road. The owners have not announced an opening date, though they aimed for a late winter 2026 opening. @villagewayside
All Day Darling
The Montford restaurant is getting an East Asheville counterpart, slated to open in 2027 at 567 Fairview Road, in the Oakley neighborhood. The new eatery will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a full bar serving classic and signature cocktails, beer and wine. @alldaydarlingasheville
Ole's Guacamoles
After floodwaters destroyed its former Tunnel Road location during Helene, Ole's Guacamoles moved into a new building at 4 Sweeten Creek Road in Biltmore Village, formerly Moe's Original BBQ. Extensive renovations are underway, and the opening date has not yet been announced. Ole’s Guacamoles AVL on Facebook
HopFly Brewing Co.
The Charlotte-based craft brewery is nearing its Asheville debut, joining other breweries in the downtown South Slope district. A mid-October opening is slated for 101 S. Lexington Ave., formerly Terra Nova Brewing Co. HopFly will offer a taproom and beer garden where guests can enjoy drinks and food, and an event space. @hopflyasheville
DiAnoche
DiAnoche, a daytime coffee bar and nighttime sports bar, is tentatively slated to open in February at 3 London Road, near Burial Beer Co.'s Forestry Camp taproom, formerly an automotive mechanics shop/body shop. The new concept is from the same owner as Anoche, Olde London Road, PennyCup Coffee Co. and BattleCat Coffee Bar. The name is pronounced as "dia" and "noche" combined, a play on the Spanish words for "day" and "night" and a nod to its sister agave spirits bar, Anoche, which translates to "last night." While Olde London Road spotlights soccer, DiAnoche will be a hockey-centric sports bar. @anocheasheville @oldelondonrd
Sip & Brick
The new downtown bar and cafe encourages adults to be kids again. Sip local brews and enjoy a small bite while building awe-inspiring structures with toy building bricks. Sip & Bricks will have a soft launch weekend from 5:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Oct. 9-10 and 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 11 at 81 Broadway St. Follow the bar on social media for updates on regular hours. @sip_and_brick
Penny Black
Chemist Spirit's new cocktail bar will bring its locally distilled products directly to patrons in Biltmore Village. Penny Black, named after the first adhesive postage stamp introduced in 1840, will open this fall in the historic district's postal office at 2 Brook Street. Like Chemist Spirit's Antidote Bar in the South Slope district, Penny Black will embody the Prohibition-era speakeasy style while honoring the building's and neighborhood's history. @chemistpennyblack
7 Brew Coffee
The national drive-thru beverage chain is rapidly expanding, with multiple locations in the area, including 167 Smokey Park Highway in Asheville, opening soon at the former site of Hungry Bear Cafe. Another 7 Brew is under construction at the Northridge Commons shopping center in Weaverville, formerly a Hwy 55 restaurant. The menu offers an assorted list of drinks, including coffee, lemonades, smoothies, sodas, teas and shakes. @7brewcoffee
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: 12 Asheville restaurants and bars opening, expanding soon
