Photograph by ExploreAsheville.com
When Hurricane Helene carved a path across the Southeast last September, it left what may be its deepest marks in western North Carolina. Here, tourism is king, pouring billions into the region’s economy, and Asheville’s unrealized fall season saw an estimated $584 million washed away. But today, six months removed from the devastation, Asheville and western North Carolina are welcoming visitors.
“We’re open. The Asheville area welcomes you back,” says Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville. “Plan a return trip with heart and be part of the comeback.”
For Chris Barroso, chef-owner of Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food in Asheville, the September flood brought monumental change. He’d recently shuttered his food truck and opened El Patio de Guajiro in the River Arts District (RAD) at the Cotton Mill Studios, which his parents own. Now the new restaurant is closed, and the food truck has returned to Hi-Wire Brewing’s Biltmore Village brewery and taproom.
Photograph by ExploreAsheville.com
“The night the storm hit, I drove down to the truck at 3 a.m., hoping to salvage anything we could,” he says. “By the time I made it, water was up to my thighs.” What he found was total devastation.
Four and a half weeks of demolition and cleanup at the Cotton Mill helped his parents and their tenants get back to normal. But only after a microgrant from Explore Asheville, a GoFundMe campaign, personal savings, and a family loan was Barroso able to get back in his food truck.
Asheville’s gallery-filled arts epicenter was especially hard-hit by Helene’s flooding: More than 700 artists lost studio space, gallery representation, and even whole bodies of work. Jeffrey Burroughs, jewelry artist and president of the River Arts District Association, said the artists and community rallied to recover as much as possible. “The day after the storm, we had hundreds of volunteers working to clear mud, save art, and reopen the upper part of the River Arts District,” Burroughs says.
Galleries across town made space for displaced artists, and the owners of The Radical, a hotel in the district, donated a downtown space for a temporary gallery. But the most remarkable part of the River Arts District rebound came two weeks after the floods.
“We put together RADfest as a sort of soft relaunch of the district,” says Burroughs. “Seventy artists set up an outdoor gallery, and in two days more than 10,000 people came to look, buy, and support us.”
Amy Michaelson Kelly, owner of The Radical, reported that the hotel experienced operational delays but no significant damage. The hotel’s planned restaurant and rooftop bar are temporarily on hold, but the aim is to open this spring. According to Kelly, the floods and rebound efforts “brought the community closer. We’re more tightly knit now, and the hopeful, determined, creative spirit of the community is shining strong.”
The culinary force behind The Radical’s forthcoming restaurant, chef Jacob Sessoms, is likewise optimistic, saying, “Spring brings newness and rebirth, and we’re looking forward to the new growth spring brings this year.” Sessoms will be part of that new growth, thanks to Cooks for Carolina, a fundraiser he helped organize in New Orleans that netted $130,000 to benefit Asheville’s restaurants.
Downtown’s Flat Iron Hotel and its restaurant, Luminosa, were back on their feet quickly, delivering to meet what food and beverage director Sarah Charles Hereford called “the community’s desire for normalcy.” Initially, Luminosa offered counter service only, serving fine dining in takeout containers until the kitchen could operate normally.
“We were one of the first to fully reopen,” says Hereford. “Since mid-October we’ve been blessed with the support of locals and visitors who wanted to come and support Asheville.”
In 2025, that’s what the city and the region need: support from visitors. Mountain lovers returning to a favorite place, first-time visitors exploring the outdoors, gourmands and artists seeking Asheville’s culinary and creative scenes . . . all have a part to play in the rebound of this incredible place, and in the writing of its next chapter.
Photograph by Shane Dawson
Where to stay
The Flat Iron Hotel (20 Battery Park Avenue) offers a chic stay thanks to the architecture and design reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s. From its location near Grove Arcade, the Flat Iron puts you within an easy walk of downtown’s shops, galleries, and restaurants.
Make the River Arts District your home base and stay at The Radical (95 Roberts Street). This funky, art-filled boutique hotel at the north end of the RAD connects you to the artsy heart of Asheville and its triumphant resurgence.
Photograph by Andrew Cebulka
Photograph by ExploreAsheville.com
Where to eat
Fine dining doesn’t get much finer than Luminosa (20 Battery Park Avenue), where Italian and modern Appalachian meets wood-fired excellence. Bone marrow tater tots, coal roasted potatoes, and fresh pasta make for a rich meal.
Celebrate Asheville’s diverse dining and join Guajiro Cuban Comfort Food at Hi-Wire Brewing’s Biltmore Village location (2-A Huntsman Place) for a traditional Cuban sandwich or filling platters served with rice and Nana’s black beans.
Back to Must-Do South.
This article appears in our March 2025 issue.
