New tap room salutes community with nod to local history

Old Town District to offer new concept with an air of familiarity on Black Mountain Avenue

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 27, 2024

John Pomeroy, left, Bud Rainey and Dave McKnight discuss plans for Old Town District, a tap room and courtyard that will open on Black Mountain Avenue in July. Photo by Fred McCormick

Few places in town offer as much of a glimpse into the earliest days of Black Mountain as a single corridor of buildings south of the railroad tracks. Structures along both sides of what was long ago known as South Main Street represent the oldest remaining architecture in downtown.

It is a heritage a group of local business owners will feature and celebrate in the coming weeks, when Old Town District opens its doors on Black Mountain Avenue.

The tap room will fill a space that was renovated in 2020 and occupied by the WNC Outdoor Collective until last March. Plans for the project, which is expected to open in July, include a 600-square-foot indoor seating area and adjacent courtyard and bar. With food available at Bowl in the Wall, the casual atmosphere is intended to appeal to local residents, according to owners and business partners Bud Rainey, John Pomeroy and Dave McKnight.

“This is a happening part of town and we’re proud to be part of that,” said Rainey, who partnered with property owner Pomeroy in 2011 to establish Louise’s Kitchen. “When we started Louise’s back then, there wasn’t much going on down here, but we wanted to turn Black Mountain Avenue into something. That has happened, organically, over the years.”

The 109-year-old stone structure, located between the offices of Waypoint Adventures and Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, was constructed only 22 years after the settlement of Grey Eagle was established as the Town of Black Mountain. The courtyard, which contains an outdoor bar and taps, table seating and a nearby bocce ball court, offers a unique view of early architecture in the burgeoning community.

“We’re playing up that aesthetic,” McKnight said. “It’s like an homage to the original Black Mountain, so we will have some old pictures of town as part of the decor, but with a minimalist approach.”

The indoor space, which will feature televisions broadcasting games and events, holds a small bar in a casual and intimate setting.

“We want this to be a family-friendly place, where people can come by, grab something to eat from Bowl in the Wall, let their kids play, catch a game and relax,” he said. “We won’t be open really late, but we’ll host events and hopefully people will feel comfortable hosting meetings here or just stopping in to catch up with their friends and neighbors.”

Old Town District will feature a variety of local brews on tap, according to Rainey.

“We’ve got so many great local breweries right here in this town, so we definitely want to work with Pisgah, Lookout and Black Mountain Brewing, showcasing them as local staples,” he said.

A partnership with Asheville-based Devil’s Foot Beverage Co. is also part of the plan, according to McKnight.

“We’re looking at creating specialty cocktails as our signature drinks, giving us some distinct recipes as part of our identity,” he said. “At the same time, we’re going to have an ice well to have ice cold domestic beer available for the folks who are looking for that. We would like to have a little something for everyone.”

The goal is to create a gathering place that is responsive to the feedback of the community, according to Rainey.

“When we opened Louise’s the kitchen wasn’t built and ready to go, and we didn’t have a full menu; we were offering basic breakfast staples. As the locals came in and said, ‘hey, I’d really like a breakfast burrito,’ we said sure. That’s how the Big Boy Burrito came to be, and it’s the biggest seller there,” he said. “It’s all about listening to what people want and that’s similar to the approach here.”

Old Town District fits the ethos of the town while bringing a “local watering hole” to Black Mountain Avenue, according to Pomeroy, who began renovating the building before purchasing it four years ago.

“This is an old building in the oldest part of town, and it was out of commission for so long before the previous tenant,” Pomeroy said. “The work we did remodeling it intentionally maintained this deconstructed vibe, with the courtyard and exposed stone and wood. It’s a really unique space, so seeing new energy come in is great.”

His business partners’ familiarity with the local community forms a solid foundation on which to build, he added.

“Bud and I had a similar situation 15 years ago, and we’ve done a lot of work together and are still great friends. I’m super proud of everything Louise’s has done since then,” Pomeroy said. “Bud and Dave have been here for years and they both know and love this town, so working with them to bring something special to what we all see as a special part of Black Mountain is a wonderful opportunity.”