Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Just some of what’s going on. Here you go:
-Starbucks: I don’t drink coffee, but here’s the hot talk of the town on the cuppa joe front: Starbucks on Charlotte Street in Asheville is closing and relocating. Word is that Starbucks folks are in negotiations regarding a move. Uncomfirmed, at this point.
-Sold: 15 Banks Street – the South Slope location that at one point was going to be Buxton Hill BBQ restaurant – sold recently to Coxe Avenue Properties, LLC for $350,000. The new owner has pulled demolition permits to tear down the existing building. Don’t have any further details.
-Hookah Joe’s: Hookah Joe’s is moving into 79 Coxe Avenue, right next door to Asheville Pizza. Here’s the latest from their FB page:
Here is the newest update for my family in the Chill Mafia, after a few road bumps the issues with the building we are slowly (but surely) getting things done to reopen Hookah Joe’s (the original)…my goal is to have it open by mid February…tell your friends that Asheville’s original and the only Hookah Lounge that Asheville has ever had is almost here!!
-Seven Juice Bar: Word is that Seven Juice Bar is going in at 58 Wall St. in downtown Asheville. Here’s the FB page.
-Tod’s Tasties remodeling: From loyal Ashvegas reader Brian:
Stopped by for breakfast the other day, a sign says they will close Sunday and Monday this weekend to do a remodel. Sounds like they are going to try and change the flow by making the side door (now an emergency exit) the entrance door. I do hope they put some level tables in there, I lost count how many times I have spilled my coffee on a wobbly table.
-The Crow and Quill: Rumor was that Asheville resident and former TV sitcom star Harry Anderson was going to open a magic shop at 106 Lexington Ave. But now it looks as though a Florida-based company, The Crow & Quill, is now building out the space and has applied for an ABC permit.
-The Junction wine dinner: The Junction will host a five-course dinner on March 5 with wines selected from Kermit Lynch. Richard McKinney from Tryon Distributors will be on hand to discuss the wines, and each selection will be available for purchase at the conclusion of the evening with case discounts available . Cost is $65 per person. For more information or to book a table, call 828-225-3497.
-Asheville Symphony Orchestra donation: From the Asheville Symphony Orchestra press release:
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra has received a $610,000 gift to fund a three-year after-school pilot program that will use music education as a tool to teach life skills to school-aged children in underserved populations in the city of Asheville.
Funded by a gift from the Waterbury, Conn.-based Leever Foundation, the new program will be known as MusicWorks!. Youth participants in MusicWorks! will have the opportunity to gain crucial skills and values including academic achievement, self-expression, teamwork, personal responsibility, and engagement in their community.
MusicWorks! will launch this fall at Hall Fletcher Elementary in Asheville. The site selection committee considered variables including end-of-grade test scores, free- and reduced-lunch percentages, facilities, and school and parent leadership.
-Dog Tag Art: From the press release of this Asheville-based company, which has more than 660,000 fans on Facebook:
Since starting their tag donation program in the Spring of 2012, Dog Tag Art has donated custom dog tags to shelters, rescues, and pet therapy programs around the world. Now, they’ve crossed the 5,000 mark with over 5,000 tags donated to hundreds of organizations serving pets–a gift worth over $65,000 in retail value.
“We started our Tag Donation Program to support animal shelters, rescues, and pet therapy programs, and help save the lives of pets all over the world. The response has been incredible, and we’re excited to grow the program even more this year,” said Russ Barker, Operations Director for Dog Tag Art.
the baristas in that starbucks on charlotte street are some of the rudist people. Glad I dont go in that one so much.
When I run in to J after XFit, I’ve never noticed perfumey…
The building at 15 banks is already gone. Don’t know how much $ got sunk into the effort to redo the building but it was a ton. I understand the city was its usual self, complicating and adding expense and eventually making the project not viable.
Now we have a foundation slab.
Jason’s an Earl Grey man. Refined, subtle, and, uh, perfumey.
Indeed, Jared.
What struck me most from all of that is that you don’t drink coffee.
Ha!
Not ever?
Neither do I.