The Station keeps it ‘strictly social’ on Cherry Street
Brews and views set the scene in new downtown black mountain business
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
July 14, 2023
Sal Membreno, left, and Trevor Reis debuted their coffee, wine and beer bar, The Station, in downtown Black Mountain, July 8. Photo by Fred McCormick
After opening their Haywood Street coffee, wine and beer bar—the Asheville Club—in 2018, Sal Membreno and Trevor Reis never really thought about bringing the relaxed street-front concept to downtown Black Mountain, but that changed with a single visit last August.
The business partners and brothers-in-law had recently learned of the availability of a century-old building in the heart of the town’s historic district, but knew little else. Before they left, however, they were already brewing up ideas for The Station, which unveiled its “strictly social” vibe, July 8, at 100 Cherry Street.
“I had met the previous owners of Visions of Creation and really hit it off with them,” said Reis, whose professional career includes time as a watchmaker and a decade in the local craft beer industry. “I came back out here with Sal and my step-father, we went to the Trailhead, talked about it and wrote an offer on a napkin.”
The location, according to Membreno, checked all the boxes for a unique all-day gathering spot.
“The building is like a copy and paste of the Asheville Club, and we were struck by other similarities,” he said. “It’s a corner lot on a busy downtown intersection and it’s right next to the sidewalk. When I walked in I could immediately see what we have now.”
The Station offers an extensive menu of drinks, from cappuccino and espresso brewed with beans from Asheville-based Collective Coffee Roasters, to the house-made Eye Opener cold brew, hot cocoa, tea and chai lattes, in a laid-back atmosphere. While the layout is a mirror image of the Asheville Club, the owners said, the Black Mountain location already has a distinct feel.
“It’s very different here,” Reis said. “Just in the first few days we’ve been open, all the neighbors have come by to introduce themselves and wish us the best. The more time we’ve spent here, the more time we want to spend here.”
The beer list features a variety of regularly rotating Western N.C. brews, while the 24 taps also hold local ciders and ginger beers.
“We make sure the drafts are local, and we focus on a lot of self-distributed stuff,” said Reis, who worked at Highlands Brewing Co. for eight years and won the first Asheville Beer Master Tournament, held in 2011. “We currently have DSSOLVR, Wedge, Fonta Flora, Lost Province, which are all self-distributed, and we have others that are world-class examples of styles. But, the list will always change.”
The selection of nine wines represents an array of diverse options at an approachable price point, he continued.
“I’m so happy with our wine list, I want to take it and add it back to Asheville,” Reis said. “Customers get a great product for the price, and none of the wines on the list are a compromise.”
Curated cocktails include an espresso martini, Irish coffee, bourbon and mimosas.
Gretchen Mercado greets customers at The Station, an all-day coffee, wine and beer bar that opened July 8 in downtown Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
Renovations to the building, originally home to a barber shop in 1922, according to the National Register of Historic Places, began in January. Restoring the historical character of the structure, which has operated as a jewelry store and gallery, ice cream parlor and five-and-dime store through the years, was a priority for the new owners.
“We really wanted to open it up and take it back to the brick,” Reis said of the seven-month remodeling process. “All of our subcontractors were friends who we’ve worked with in the past, so we really trusted them to make the vision a reality. It was important for us to create a space that was the right fit for Black Mountain.”
The intimate setting holds a black walnut service bar, tables and stools and a series of large windows, which can be opened along the adjacent sidewalk. The north end of the building boasts an unobstructed view of the Seven Sisters mountain range. The versatility and convenience of the concept is something that was needed in Black Mountain, according to longtime local resident and bartender, Gretchen Mercado.
“You have breweries, which are almost strictly for people who drink beer, and coffee shops, which usually have a specific vibe and dive bars that have their own unique atmosphere,” she said. “This place blends everything so that everyone in your group can come have a safe, casual, social, fun time.”
The Station, a new all-day coffee, wine and beer bar, brings a casual “strictly social” vibe to downtown Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
A custom-built marquee above the bar states a simple principle—”strictly social”—that has guided the owners since they launched their Haywood Street establishment five years ago.
“The original Asheville Club, which was a turn-of-the-century social club based out of that building, had a handbook in the 1920s, and they have one downstairs in the Pack Memorial Library,” Reis said. “The tagline said it ‘filled a particular sphere of usefulness that is of a strictly social nature.’ So strictly social means, essentially, no religion, no politics, just keep it strictly social.”
The laid-back concept has received a positive reception from customers and neighbors, according to Membreno.
“We really have something for everyone,” he said. “We have soft drinks, bourbon, coffee and great products. It’s a place for people to come and relax while out shopping, or to meet up for a cup of coffee. If you want to grab a beer with your friends right in the middle of town, we’ve got a perfect spot for that, too.”
The Station is open from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday through Sunday.
“It’s so fun tasting all the different products being made right here in WNC,” Membreno said. “I think one of the biggest perks of having a bar is you’re exposed to all this creativity happening around us. This place really attracts creative minds, and we’re proud to bring the things they produce to Black Mountain.”