Local chef Trevor Payne of Tall John’s has partnered with founding chef/owner of All Soul’s Pizza, Brendan Reusing, to bring the River Arts District pizzeria into its second decade. Alongside his new role at All Souls as co-owner, Payne also recently opened Tall John’s in October as Chef/Owner of the new neighborhood tavern in Asheville’s historic Montford neighborhood. After almost a decade in business, the shifts at All Souls, which opened in July 2013, are notable yet subtle. Regular diners still find comfort in continued attention to quality ingredients, regular non-pizza rotating specials, a seasonally focused menu that thrives off a strong relationship with local farmers, and community-oriented outdoor seating options on the expansive patio and yard. All Souls has also invested in a new state-of-the-art soft serve ice cream machine, serving up classic flavors and toppings. Learn more about All Soul’s Pizza.
Hulsey Media, Inc. has announced its acquisition of Discovery Map franchises for Asheville and Hendersonville, N.C. and Greenville, S.C. These maps offer visitors insight into various destinations and allow opportunities for local businesse and attractions to get directly in front of their target market. Discovery Map offers a unique guide that inspires positive experiences for visitors. By highlighting a variety of businesses that may be of interest, visitors can discover new restaurants, attractions, tour companies, and unique retail stores that provide new experiences. Discovery Map has more than 120 maps across the U.S. and Canada, creating national brand recognition among travelers. Hundreds of thousands of copies of the Discovery Map are distributed at high-traffic locations throughout Asheville, N.C., Hendersonville, N.C., and Greenville, S.C. every year. Key pick-up locations include area visitor and welcome centers, airports, hotels, and marketing partner locations. Learn more.
Nearly 300 community leaders and tourism industry partners gathered on the afternoon of Jan. 19 for The Year Ahead,Explore Asheville’s partner event at The Venue. Led by Explore Asheville’s President & CEO Vic Isley, the program included the Asheville Superstar Award ceremony, the debut of the Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) legacy video, three fast-paced industry panels, and a sneak peek at new aspects of Asheville’s storytelling foundation. Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Board Chair Kathleen Mosher recognized state lawmakers for their outstanding contributions and support of the passage of House Bill 1057, which increased the allocation of lodging tax dollars in Buncombe County to community capital projects. In recognition of the product development fund 20th Anniversary, Explore Asheville screened a new video that explains how grant funds are generated and showcases examples of the 46 community projects into which it has invested nearly $60 million dollars to date. Read more.
Franny’s Farmacy announced a strategic restructuring as the company expands nationwide. Shareholders of separate brand entities Franny’s Manufacturing and Franny’s Distribution are now shareholders in a new single entity—Franny’s Operations—representing the entire organization. Learn more.
Ginger’s Revenge, North Carolina’s first and only brewery specializing in the production of alcoholic ginger beer, announced plans to expand distribution into South Carolina with a new partnership with Bear Island Distributors. The Asheville-based alcoholic ginger beer company serves over 650 locations throughout NC that sell their naturally gluten-free product. Over the coming months, their beer will be found throughout South Carolina as well, with distribution spanning from Greenville, to Myrtle Beach, to Charleston. Bear Island will start with the distribution of Ginger’s Revenge’s four flagship beers: Original, Lime Agave, Hibiscus Lavender, and Cranberry Herb, adding in Small Batch beers to their sales line up throughout the year. Learn more.
Community:
YWCA of Asheville, an organization with the mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all, will further the community’s understanding of racism and its impacts through interactive and accessible racial justice workshops thanks to a $23,935 grant from Dominion Energy. The grant is part of the company’s social justice fund created in 2020 in response to the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans. The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation is providing funding. The grant will support the work the YWCA does to build a more interactive, inclusive and accessible online learning experience. If you are interested in learning more about the online workshop or want to sign up, click here.
Happenings:
Lifelong Dance classes, led by Jamie Brege-DeVito with Stewart/Owen Dance, are for ages 55+ and encourage joyful exploration of movement and music, strengthening the brain-body connection. Mondays from 9:45 – 10:45 a.m., January 23 through March 13 in Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Cost: One-time drop-in, $14; 4-week discount, $48 for 4 classes. Sign up: worthamarts.org/classes, stewartowendance.com/classes, or 828-257-4530 Ext. 1.
Radius Chiropractic is hosting a Galentines Week, February 13-16 featuring local women-owned artisans and businesses. Each day, there will be local artisans set up at Radius – located at 1011 Tunnel Rd., Suite 110. Check out this flyer for more information.
Join Wild Birds Unlimited South in welcoming Leann, from Fletcher-based Carolina Avian Research & Education. Leann will be presenting a modified version of her Falconry program at Wild Birds Saturday, Feb 25 at 11:30 am. This program will give an in-depth look at the history of falconry, techniques used in training these magnificent birds, and some of the equipment used by falconers. Attendees will be able to meet a real Raptor up close and personal. The store will be providing a donation to C.A.R.E for this event, but there will also be a donation container for attendees who wish to contribute to C.A.R.E, and the work Leann is doing for the birds. Wild Birds is located at 10 Crispin Ct, Asheville, NC 28803 (Gerber Village). Learn more.
Opportunity:
Pisgah Legal Services is seeking to fill multiple positions. Pisgah Legal Services seeks to pursue justice by providing legal assistance and advocacy to help low-income people in Western North Carolina meet their basic needs and improve their lives. The Benefits Package includes: Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance is effective the first of the month following an employee’s start date. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) pays 100% of the employee coverage cost and 50% of the dependent costs for both Medical and Dental Insurance. PLS contributes to Health Savings Account (HSA) based on Medical Plan selection. PLS also pays 50% of the employee coverage cost for Vision Insurance. PLS offers Pet Insurance at a discounted group rate. Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Insurance is provided to our employees at no cost to them. Life Insurance, a 401k Retirement Plan after 6 months of service, Paid Parental Leave, Pet Insurance, 12.5 Company Holidays, 22 Paid Leave Days, Paid Sabbatical Leave for eligible staff, Employee Assistance Program for entire household and a great working environment with work life balance. Learn more here.
AT&T Hiring Managers are hosting a Priority Hiring Event on February 22, 2023, at the North Carolina Workforce Center, 48 Grove Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801. Times are 9:00 am to 4 pm.Interested candidates can apply here.
Pre-College Programs return to UNC Asheville this June with 11 week-long immersive camps spanning the arts and sciences. Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors will take a deep dive into academic topics through hands-on experiential learning combined with outdoor adventures and community excursions. Dates for the Summer 2023 Pre-College Programs are June 18-23 and June 25-30. Registration is now open, with limited spaces available for each program. To register, visit camps.unca.edu/pre-college.