A Visit in the Valley with Good Company Pizza
Swannanoa eatery standing tall on U.S. 70
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 3, 2025
George Peyton, co-founder of Good Company Pizza, prepares a pizza in the kitchen of the Swannanoa eatery. Photo by Fred McCormick
This story is the first in “A Visit in the Valley” series, highlighting Swannanoa Valley businesses, nonprofit organizations and community groups in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Each piece will explore the experiences, challenges and triumphs of local institutions, as the area recovers from the natural disaster.
There are few places in Western N.C. where the prevalence of Tropical Storm Helene’s devastation remains as pronounced as the busy stretch of U.S. 70 through the center of Swannanoa. Ravaged residential and commercial structures line both sides of the once-thriving business district, while residents and business owners navigate the complications of recovery.
At first glance, it seems unlikely that any restaurant on the Swannanoa River, even more than six months after the natural disaster, would be serving customers, but inside Good Company Pizza the kitchen is buzzing while a sense of normalcy and the scent of wood-fired dough fill the air.
Brothers George Peyton and Casey Conner realized a decade-long dream last August, opening a pizzeria in their hometown. The eatery combined artisan pies made with fresh ingredients in a family-friendly atmosphere.
One month later, the unthinkable happened.
“We were very fortunate,” Peyton said of Helene’s impact on the restaurant. “We both live in Swannanoa, but we weren’t able to get here to check on things until the day after the storm hit.”
The damage surrounding the building was vast, according to Conner, but Good Company Pizza remained intact. While the floors were covered in mud, washed in by the typically tranquil river behind the shop, the kitchen equipment was spared.
“We had anywhere between eight to 10 inches of water in here, but it receded quickly,” Conner said. “We knew we were going to have to clean it out, extensively, and replace drywall, but we also knew we were very lucky compared to many of our neighboring businesses.”
The owners, joined by Peyton’s wife Jamie and a team of volunteers, wasted no time rebuilding the business they had worked so hard to open just weeks before the historical event forever altered the Swannanoa landscape.
“We knew as long as our equipment was OK we could deal with everything else that needed to be done,” Conner said. “What else are you going to do? We didn’t expect anyone to come do it for us, so there was nothing else to do besides getting in here and getting after it.”
Casey Conner, left, Jamie Peyton and George Peyton opened Good Company Pizza last August in Swannanoa. The restaurant is one of only a few operating in the community along U.S. 70, following Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Fred McCormick
The business was without power for at least a month, he added, forcing the brothers to haul water and a generator, daily, to enable the clean-up efforts. With roads and bridges closed in the weeks after the storm, their route took them east from Grovemont to Black Mountain.
“It was a lot those first few weeks,” Peyton said. “We had to drive all the way to the Black Mountain exit and come back in on U.S. 70 just to get here.”
The crew’s perseverance allowed Good Company Pizza to return last December, when the restaurant reopened and debuted a brand new dining room with seating for approximately 74 customers. The 1980s-themed space, which features classic movie posters and collectibles from the era and retro arcades, was inspired by the childhood memories of the owners.
“All of the decorations were things we already owned,” Conner said. “For us, this is all stuff we grew up on, so we thought an 80s theme in a family-friendly pizza shop seemed like a great fit.”
Good Company Pizza manager Jamie Peyton serves up a fresh pepperoni pizza in Swannanoa. Photo by Fred McCormick
The menu offers the specialty pizzas, hot subs and salads that continue to receive “overwhelmingly positive” feedback, according to Peyton. Daily lunch specials, craft beer and wine are also available.
“From the very beginning, the main thing we wanted to do here is make good pizza and give people a place to come with their families or friends and have a good time,” Peyton said. “We’re really proud to have the opportunity to do that.”
While the community around them continues to recover, Good Company Pizza, open from 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 12 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday and 12 p.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday, is one of only a few restaurants in Swannanoa to return since the storm. Maintaining a community gathering place is a role the owners are proud to fill.
“There’s this sense of guilt when I look around and see the toll this storm has taken on so many local businesses and residents,” Peyton said. “But, I also feel lucky to be in this community, and for the chance to support Swannanoa however we can.”