Foothills proposal clears Historic Preservation Commission

Broadway Avenue beer garden plan moves forward

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 21, 2022

Black Mountain-based butchery and restaurant Foothills will proceed with plans for a beer garden and food truck on Broadway Avenue, following a Feb. 16 meeting by the Historical Preservation Commission. The board voted 3-0 to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the project. Photo by Fred McCormick

A proposal that would bring a beer garden and food truck to 120 Broadway Avenue gained approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, Feb. 16. 

Foothills, a Black Mountain-based butchery and restaurant with food truck locations in Biltmore Village and the River Arts District, will move forward with its plans to develop the downtown property. 

Casey McKissick, who founded the business in 2002, submitted the application for a certificate of appropriateness, a requirement for developing within the town’s historic district, Feb. 1. His plan, which includes repurposing the vacant building on the lot while adding outdoor seating and a permanent food truck, was reviewed by the HPC on Wednesday.

The property has remained vacant since July of 2018, when former tenant Dobra Tea closed to make room for the planned development of a three-story mixed use structure. The project did not move forward, however, and the .35-acre property was listed for $895,500 in late 2021. 

A contract to purchase the land is pending, according to McKissick, who added that Foothills plans to continue operating in its current Black Mountain Avenue location. The local business owner presented his plans for the Broadway Avenue property to the HPC in January. His presentation included a sketch depicting the proposed development, which will be accessed from the sidewalks along the east side of the property and features covered outdoor seating. The existing structure will function as a tap room and support an adjacent food truck. 

The board approved the proposal, 3-0, clearing the way for McKissick to begin the permitting process. The certificate of appropriateness, which is required for major work within the town’s historic district, is valid for six months from the date of signing, and requires work to begin before expiration.

Foothills, which began offering land care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, operated as the Foothills Family Farms co-op until 2014. The business opened a butcher shop in the fall of 2013, and went on to partner with Hi-Wire Brewing through a food truck that began operating at the brewery in 2015. It launched its butcher bar and restaurant concept in 2017, before moving to its current location and expanding its butcher shop the following year. 

The business closed its West Asheville butcher bar in December of 2020, but opened a new food truck in the Hi-Wire Brewing River Arts District (RAD) Beer Garden a year later.