Asheville – Kevin Westmoreland is co-owner of The Corner Kitchen, at 3 Boston Way, and Chestnut restaurant in downtown Asheville. At Biltmore Village, knowing the storm was coming, they wrapped the building in plastic and sand- bags, but they only wrapped it to the level of the 2004 flood, thinking that was safe.
Westmoreland said they got a delivery of food on Thursday for their first busy week of the season, October being their busiest month of the year. However, when they realized the storm was going to be more than anyone anticipated they moved their furniture upstairs, saving every piece of furniture they had.
Helene Hits After First Storm
By Friday morning there was water up into the ceiling of the first floor of the The Corner Kitchen. Weeks later you can still see debris in the tops of the street lamps. Westmoreland said, “Consider standing in the middle of the street and it being three or 4 feet over your head, and full of all kinds of really terrible things, heavy things, dangerous things, and chemicals. Everything in the building, including heavy kitchen equipment got lifted and tossed.” The water was moving so swiftly that two outdoor walk-in coolers, filled with a ton or two of food each, got lifted and and laid over sideways. All of the food was lost, and the building had to be taken down to the studs. All of the old moulding, hardwood floors, and the 100 year old staircase had to be ripped out, but the Pebble Dash those homes were made of, like concrete and stone mud, held up and they are already in the process of rebuilding.
Hope And Challenges
“I think we’re looking at four to six months before we can open,” said Westmoreland. “I’d like to serve brunch here on Easter.” That would be quite a resurrection. Westmoreland cited challenges they face, “it’s just difficult because we’re in the midst of trying to get everything dried out, and then applying for Small Business Association (SBA) loans. We still have Covid loans, and we still have a 2004 flood loan.”
Thankfully, they were able to eventually contact all of their employees, and all were safe and unharmed. And while Chestnut had minor damage and lost all of their food, about $150,000 in damages, they were able to reopen, and welcome your business.
Rebuilding In A Flood Zone
In the Village, businesses are allowed to rebuild as long as it retains the same footprint, and you don’t make significant changes. Westmoreland and his partner toyed with lifting the building three and a half feet and adding more steps, but it became prohibitively expensive.
Even while working to restore the business there are mortgage payments to make. Westmoreland explained that the bank deferred payment for three months, and they have applied for any available grants. The Preservation Society has approved one grant due to the historic nature of Biltmore Village. The owners do carry flood insurance, but that’ll only covers up to $500,000 of the estimated $700,000 it will take to bring the building back.
Economic Impact On Local Area And Employees
In addition to rebuilding costs, the owners had to lay off 118 people in one day, from both restaurants, because they knew they couldn’t pay them. The employees couldn’t qualify for unemployment unless they were laid off. Some people have moved away. Some people went to live with family in a city where there is clean water. Westmoreland hopes they will come back when The Corner Kitchen reopens.
But the impact is far wider than that. “Between these two restaurants, payroll is about $2.1 million annually, so $2.1 million directly out of the people’s pockets, and out of the local economy,” said Westmoreland. “Out of 200 independent restaurants in Asheville, more than 50% to 70% might still be closed, that’s tens of millions of dollars just in pay to restaurants.” In addition, local farms and dairies, as well as local merchants are effected, and all during the busiest season.
Please support our local businesses as they reopen, and perhaps we can help each other have a merrier holiday season.