The Pure & Proper fills local landmark with fresh flavors
Eighty-year-old Black Mountain service station finds new life as ‘all day eatery’
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 12, 2022
Heidi and Richard King, right, and Jake and Ali Whitman opened The Pure & Proper, Dec. 7, in a historic Black Mountain property that was once home to a Pure Oil service station. Photo courtesy of The Pure & Proper
Richard King could see what many observed when he would pass by the old Pure Oil Station in the center of Black Mountain. The distinct physical features, accentuated by a steep pitched roof atop the English cottage-style structure, had long served as a landmark in his hometown, but it was the unseen that most piqued his interest.
“I felt confident we could do something special here,” said the Swannanoa Valley native who, with his wife Heidi and three other business partners, co-owns two White Duck Taco franchise locations in Greenville. “It seemed like an opportunity to take a historically relevant building in the middle of town and turn it into something Black Mountain needs.”
That simple notion formed the foundation of The Pure & Proper, which opened Dec. 7, debuting a concept as unique as the 80-year-old building it occupies.
The Kings became familiar with the building, which is a contributing structure in the Black Mountain Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, when Richard was working in construction. The former gas station exemplifies the residential-style architecture designed by Pure Oil Co. engineer Carl August Peterson in the early 20th century, and was constructed by Clyde McElheny and J.G. Macmillan in the 1940s, according to the National Registry listing. The business was later operated by Ernest and Margaret Slagle, the latter of whom was the first woman to hold the office of mayor in Black Mountain.
“I was working with Joe Tyson a while back, helping with some showrooms in the furniture store next door, and I kept asking him about this building because I was intrigued by it,” Richard said. “He owned the property at the time and didn’t want to lease it out as a service station, and it needed some repairs if someone was to buy it.”
With a construction background and success in the restaurant industry, Richard and Heidi decided to approach the previous owner of the property last summer.
“I called Joe out the blue and was like, ‘are you ready to sell that gas station yet?’” Richard continued. “He said he was, and I was in his office in minutes. As an example of how awesome Joe is, I asked him if I could have 60 days to do due diligence to make sure everything was fine, structurally and environmentally. He not only gave me that time, he let me look into it with only a handshake.”
Six weeks later, the Kings were ready to purchase the building.
What does Black Mountain need?
Richard and Heidi, who met while attending Montreat College before marrying and continuing to live in Black Mountain, acquired a long-vacant piece of property that had been catching the attention of locals and tourists for decades, but they had yet to figure out how to best utilize it.
“We always wanted to own commercial property downtown, but it’s harder to get than residential, which is already difficult to find,” Richard said. “When we purchased it, we considered fixing it up and leasing it to someone else, but we were torn because, as locals, we wanted to have a stake in it, too.”
They connected with another local couple, Jake and Ali Whitman, to explore a possible collaboration. The Whitmans currently own the Loott House in Swannanoa, where Jake was once the chef of the Native Kitchen & Social Pub, which closed in 2020. He later filled the same role in the kitchen in Asheville’s Copper Crown. The team not only brought a diverse range of experience to The Pure & Proper, it shared a strategy for establishing the vision.
The versatility of Belgian Liege waffles allows for savory lunch offerings at The Pure & Proper, which includes its B+L+T Waffle, with applewood bacon, oak leaf lettuce, tomato and basil aioli. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Cole Images
“We approached this by thinking about what we would want, as locals in Black Mountain,” Richard said. “The first thing we all agreed on was we needed a really good date night dinner spot. A place to enjoy a great cocktail and have an elevated dining experience.”
The partners agreed, but the Kings’ love for Belgian Liege waffles revealed another opportunity to serve hungry patrons.
“We had seen these waffles while traveling, and they’re very versatile,” Richard said. “The dough is more dense, you can make it sweet or savory, and you can pick it up and eat it. So we started talking about a waffle café concept, but I wasn’t sure just waffles and dinner would be enough.”
The “all day eatery” concept of The Pure & Proper, which opened in Black Mountain, Dec. 7, allows diners to enjoy a Belgian Liege waffle for breakfast. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Cole Images
With a European-inspired building and featured menu item, the team explored another concept from the region.
“We started to see this as almost like a European café, where if you want to come in here for coffee in the morning, a beer at noon or a nice dinner, you don’t have to wonder if we’re open,” he said. “This checked a lot of boxes for us, because I love a lot of the restaurants here in Black Mountain, and we eat at them all the time. But, a lot of them are closed in the middle of the day, between breakfast and dinner time, and we wanted to stay open all day.”
An ‘all day eatery’ in the heart of downtown
While the restaurant itself would bring something brand new to town, the Kings had different plans for the building.
“We wanted it to look the same, but different,” Richard said. “It was our goal to maintain its historical relevance but also make it cozy. The colors, lighting and environment had to be warm and inviting, so we obsessed over those details.”
The Pure & Proper is an all day eatery in downtown Black Mountain. The restaurant, which opened Dec. 7, operates in an 80-year-old building that was originally constructed as a Pure Oil service station. Photo courtesy of The Pure & Proper
Structurally, the building was sound, he continued.
“Overall, it didn’t give us nearly as many issues as it could’ve,” he said. “Our general contractor was Balsam Design, and they did a great job on the build-out. But, honestly, the bones were still really solid.”
The local community’s interest in the project was immediate.
“It was really cool because people who did work for us, and people who just stopped by, would tell us their family used to work at the station,” Richard said. “Stories started rolling in, and there was an outpouring of excitement that really energized us.”
The remodeling project left exposed brick throughout the interior of the open dining room, which includes a small bar in what was once the garage. Below the main level, an intimate lounge setting offers additional seating in the basement, while a walk-out patio will debut in the spring. Additional outdoor seating is available in the front of the restaurant, along State Street.
“Everything comes down to the customer experience, and we wanted to elevate that experience with the design,” said Richard, who credits Heidi, an interior designer, with conceptualizing most of the design.
Cocktails at The Pure & Proper, including the peach Old Fashioned, are “an adventure,” according to co-owner Richard King. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Cole Images
The effort to serve patrons a distinctive dining experience continues in the kitchen, he added, where lunch options range from squash and coconut soup to pork belly waffle sandwiches. Dinner offers a variety of shareable items like venison stew, Brussel sprouts with burrata cheese and steak tartare. Plates, such as roasted swordfish with sushi rice risotto, parsnip cream, miso-pomegranate glaze and pistachio, emphasize the “Proper” in the restaurant’s name.
“Jake is making food he loves and is passionate about,” Richard said. “He’s excited about pulling people in Black Mountain out of their comfort zone and helping them explore some new fun things through food.”
The bold culinary creations are complemented by signature and classic cocktails and a selection of craft beers and wines.
“We really want to keep things fun, so our cocktails are an adventure,” Richard said. “It’s also a fun, cozy environment to bring friends, share a bottle of wine and some good food, and enjoy a night in town.”
Open from 7:30 a.m. - 9 :30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., for Sunday brunch, The Pure & Proper brings new life to a downtown building often abuzz with motorists before sitting empty for decades.
“This is a place that our community can be proud of, and proud to show off to their families and friends coming into town,” Richard said. “We’re really excited to bring it here.”