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EAST FLAT ROCK - Upward Road has become a haven for construction workers in the past few months, and that means a big boost for the local economy, according to Henderson County Business and Community Development Director Chris Todd.

Currently, there are three construction projects going on, with the latest being something Western North Carolina customers have yet to see: A QuikTrip. This will be the first location in the western part of the state for QuikTrip, which is a chain of convenience stores based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Henderson County is always happy to see private investment in our county. The Upward Road corridor is ideally situated between downtown Hendersonville and Interstate 26. The addition of a new Quick Trip gas station right off the interstate will increase the chances of travelers getting off the road and exploring our beautiful county for all that it has to offer, most of which they may miss driving down the artery that feeds through the middle of our county," Todd told the Times-News on March 31.

There are 37 QuikTrip locations in North Carolina, with the closest ones in Charlotte (18 stores) and Gastonia (three stores), according to QuikTrip.com. As QuikTrip's commercials say, the store is more than just a gas station and a convenience store, offering plenty of food options, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts.

The construction plans have been approved, but the county is currently waiting on a general contractor to be selected for the project.

Just a short drive down Upward Road is another construction project: A Starbucks Shell, which is being built at 41 Upward Crossing Drive, just across the street from Bojangles. The permit for this project was issued on Jan. 18. Adam Updike, who is the Mid-Atlantic Starbucks Store Development Manager, said in an email to the Times-News that workers are hoping to have the store completed by the fall of 2023.

"The store will be approximately 1,000 square feet and will operate as a drive-thru only. The store will also have a walk-up window for mobile order pick up or placing an order traditionally," he said.

The new Dairi-O is also being built across from East Henderson High School and is expected to be completed sometime in the summer, according to past Times-News reporting. The restaurant chain began in 1947 in King as a take-out burger joint, selling hot dogs and hamburgers. Since then, it has added more to its menu, with healthier options like specialty salads, grilled chicken wraps and even veggie burgers, according to its website (https://dairio.com/).

A building permit for this project was issued last week on March 24.

More:New Dairi-O across from East Henderson High set to be completed in summer

Todd said these new businesses will bring in more money to the local economy and also provide more jobs for local residents.

"The addition of Dairi-O site and Starbucks add options for our local citizens to shop, and they will create a multitude of jobs in our community. We always say that Henderson County is open for business, and we are thrilled to see anyone who wants to continue to create jobs and invest in our county," he said.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

While there were several restaurants in the Hendersonville area that had to permanently close in 2023, there were also several that opened their doors for the first time.

Below is a list of restaurant openings in 2023 in alphabetical order:

Blue Ruby Kitchen

Located at 2702 Suite C Greenville Highway in Flat Rock, this eatery is owned by Jesse Roque and Lesley Milhas. It opened in May and offers bakery goods as well as other French foods, including baguettes.

The eatery takes over the spot previously occupied by Our Recipe Roots, owned by Jessica Owenby.

Dairi-O

Set to open this summer, Dairi-O will have its first Western North Carolina location in East Flat Rock across from East Henderson High School on Upward Road.

The fast-food chain originated in the city of King in the Central part of North Carolina and is now set to open its first location in the Western part of the state, according to Rusty LaRue, the chief operations officer for Dairi-O.

"This will be the farthest West that we'll have a restaurant. We just opened in Lenoir back in early November, but this one (in East Flat Rock) will be our most Western store once we get it completed," LaRue told the Times-News on Feb. 6.

Eagle Bar & Grill

Located at Cummings Cove Golf Club, this new bar and grill is open to everyone.

It is located at 925 Lake Ledge Court in Hendersonville and offers live music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Eagle Bar & Grill offers a variety of American food, including seafood. The bar also offers local craft beers as well as traditional beers.

Indian Aroma Bistro

The town's first Indian restaurant, Indian Aroma Bistro, opened May 1 in Hendersonville at the site of the old Renzo's Ristorante at 502 North Main St.

The owners are Vikramjit Singh, 32, and his sister-in-law, Mandeep Singh, 42. Vikramjit Singh grew up in India but moved to America about 10 years ago, he said. If their names sound familiar, it's because they also own another Indian restaurant in Asheville called Mela Indian Restaurant, at 70 North Lexington Ave.

"The Asheville restaurant is more like South Indian food. Here, it's going to be both South Indian and North Indian food as well," Singh said.

Orchard Bar & Grill

Raynard Walker, the owner of Dreadlife Kitchen in Ednevyille, told the Times-News in March that he has partnered with his cousin, Ken Foster, to open a second location, which is Orchard Bar & Grill located at the spot of the old FATZ Cafe in Henderson Crossing Plaza off Four Seasons Boulevard. Foster will own Orchard Bar & Grill.

"(Ken) called me up one day and asked if I wanted to partner in and do the kitchen part of it. It was a great opportunity for me to be closer to town. We wanted to do this to give more life to the city of Hendersonville," Walker said. "It's going to be more of a bar/lounge type of deal. It will have my great food and be a place where people can come in and watch the games on TV and play a little pool at our pool tables."

Walker's Dreadlife Kitchen, also known locally as DLK, opened in 2018 and was featured on Food Network's show "Restaurant Impossible" with chef Robert Irvine in 2021. Walker continues to run DLK during the daytime and then heads over to Orchard Bar & Grill during the evening/nighttime hours.

Southern Streams CoffeeHouse

One of the newest coffee shops in town, called Southern Streams CoffeeHouse, is a family affair owned by a mother (Lori Rodriguez) and her two daughters (Amanda and Bethany), and they know plenty about coffee. It is at the site of the old Appalachian Coffee House in Laurel Park on Fifth Avenue.

The trio moved to Hendersonville from Colorado, where they owned a coffee shop there for about five years, Amanda Rodriguez told the Times-News on May 5. She said the family ended up moving to Hendersonville after her youngest sister moved here about four years ago.

The Rodriguez family has made several changes to the interior and exterior and has also brought their own style of coffee-making.

Tartan Sports Bar

Downtown Hendersonville's newest sports bar is located at 321 N. Main St. called Tartan Sports Bar and features a variety of American foods and local craft beers and domestic beers.

It opened earlier this year and is in Suite C in the downstairs portion of 321 N. Main St.

The Vitner's Table

This fine dining restaurant opened earlier this year at Burntshirt Vineyards, located off Sugarloaf Road in Hendersonville.

This new restaurant opened earlier this year and features views on its patio of the 19-acre vineyards.

Verri's Italian Fine Dining

Owned by Tom Verri, who also helps run Brooks Tavern with his wife and daughters, Verri's Italian Fine Dining is in the former site of the restaurant Mona Lisa on Church Street in downtown Hendersonville.

It opened in March and features Italian favorites, but also offers steaks and other selections.

Blue Ridge Commerce Center, an $80 million industrial park planned in Flat Rock, will break ground this week.

The official ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 337 McMurray Road.

The project includes four buildings and 654,216 square feet of Class A industrial/warehouse development on 65 acres, according to a news release from Oppidan Investment Company, the Minneapolis-based developer of the project.

Construction is expected to be completed in late summer of 2023.

NAI Beverly-Hanks closed on a 65.31-acre tract of land in Flat Rock with prime frontage on Interstate 26 on June 17. The land sold for over $8.7 million and was originally priced at $9.3 million.

“We are excited to bring Henderson County and the (city) of Hendersonville a Class A Industrial Park. This property was prime for development and the demand drivers of the area, with its continued population growth, labor and connectivity, made it an easy decision for us to invest here,” said Tim Brent, Oppidan Executive Vice President, Southeast. “We’ve designed very flexible buildings to be able to accommodate a wide variety of users and tenant sizes and we’re excited to bring that variety of industry, jobs and tax base to the city and county.”

Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development assisted with development studies for this property, which was also part of the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program

“Based on its current zoning, the highest and best use (for this property) is industrial," said Brittany Brady, President of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development said in June. "Manufacturing types (of businesses) have a much higher wage scale, and we look forward to seeing good jobs and strong investment come from this.”

According to Oppidan, local officials expected at Thursday's groundbreaking include Steve Gwaltney, HCPED Board Chair; Rebecca McCall, Vice Chair of the Henderson County Board of Commissioners; and Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk.

This is Oppidan’s second industrial development in North Carolina. In May, Oppidan broke ground on the $100 million Apex Commerce Center, a four-building Class A industrial development on 121-acres which is part of Oppidan’s $157.3M, nine-property industrial pipeline with Rockpoint Group, a real estate private equity firm.

Rockpoint Group serves as the equity partner. Omega Construction, Cooper Construction and Merriman Schmitt Architects are also included in the project, according to the release. Al Williams, Matthew Greer and Jay Hill from JLL served as the brokers.

For more information on Oppidan, visit Oppidan.com

United Way awards $50,000 to 13 local food pantries

United Way of Henderson County recently awarded $50,000 to 13 local public-facing food pantries and distribution sites, according to a news release. The funds were raised through a special initiative to help fight increasing food insecurity in the county.

“With rising inflation and skyrocketing food costs, almost 13% of our county currently faces food insecurity,” said United Way Executive Director Denise Cumbee Long in the release. “Food costs have risen 16% since 2020, and our local food pantries are taking a hit as they try to keep up with increasing demand. These organizations are a critical lifeline for hungry families, and they need our help.”

The fundraiser was launched as part of United Way’s Days of Caring in May. With a matching gift provided by local philanthropists Sue and Tom Fazio, United Way reached its $50,000 goal and was able to double every dollar donated by community members.

Long said United Way provided support for smaller food distribution sites as well as larger organizations since the smaller sites also play a critical role in meeting community needs in their respective areas.

“These funds will help us continue to serve an average of 85-90 persons each week through our Welcome Table meal, Monday morning breakfast, and our Blessing Box,” said Gale Hoots, a lead volunteer at Hope United Methodist Church in East Flat Rock.

Chip Lunsford, a volunteer at the Community Food Pantry in Edneyville, agreed with the importance of additional funding during a time of increased need.

“This support will help us as we feed approximately 2,000 individuals in our community every month. With the increased price of food these days, this kind of help is invaluable,” Lunsford said in the release.

Thirteen Henderson County food pantries and distribution sites received funding, including Calvary Episcopal Food Pantry, Etowah UMC Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry, Interfaith Assistance Ministry, Love’s Kitchen at First Baptist Church Hendersonville, Back on Track Addiction Ministry, Hendersonville SDA Church, Pan de Vida Food Pantry, St. Paul’s Episcopal Community Food Pantry, The Salvation Army, The Storehouse, The Welcome Table at Hope United Methodist Church, HOLA Carolina, and Hendersonville Family YMCA.

For information about resources in Henderson County, including food distribution sites, call United Way’s free confidential helpline at 2-1-1 or visit NC211.org.

Pardee Hospital's inaugural Casino Night set for August

The Pardee Hospital Foundation will host its first-ever Casino Night from 6-10 p.m. Aug. 25 at Burntshirt Vineyards.

According to a news release, the event will feature casino games with live dealers, food and locally-sourced beer and wine. All proceeds will go to support UNC Health Pardee's growing cardiology program. Tickets are $100 with a limited number still available, the release said.

“We’re looking forward to a fun night with our friends and neighbors that will fuel our mission to support and expand services provided by Pardee,” said Pardee Hospital Foundation executive director Amy Treece in the release. “Right now that means growing cardiology care for residents in our region by adding a new heart catheterization lab. Ultimately, this will help reduce the need for potentially lengthy – and ultimately, dangerous – transport to other hospitals for patients needing critical treatment."

At the conclusion of the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, more than 1,000 heart cath procedures took place at Pardee. That number has increased by 300% over the last six years.

“As one of only 86 hospitals in the country recognized for treatment of heart attack patients by the American College of Cardiology, Pardee is well-positioned for this important development,” Treece said.

Casino Night is underwritten by companies and individuals including Andy Oxy Co., Inc.; Grove Manor Flooring; Tammy & Rusty Albrecht; Eurotechnik; Heather Kogoy, Realtor - Asheville Luxury Brokers; Noble Pest Solutions; Kandi Hendricks-Allen Tate/Beverly Hanks Realtors; Camping World; Integrated Equipment; and Movement Mortgage/The Caldwell Lending Team.

To purchase Casino Night tickets or to learn more about sponsoring the event, contact Sarah Swartz at [email protected] or by calling 828-233-2700.

LWVHC sponsors program with Common Cause NC

The League of Women Voters of Henderson County, along with Common Cause NC, will hold a program "Democracy Challenges and Priorities" at 11 a.m. July 21 at Agudas Israel Synagogue, located at 505 Glasgow Lane in Hendersonville.

The guest speaker will be Bill Sederburg, who is a Common Cause NC Advisory Board member. According to a news release, League of Women Voters Voter Services Chair Lynn McFarland will provide information on up-to-the-minute legislative changes and challenges facing all North Carolinians.

Both organizations are celebrating anniversaries this year: Common Cause NC is celebrating 50 years, while the League of Women Voters of Henderson County is celebrating 60 years.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to the League of Women Voters' website at www.lwvhcnc.org.

EAST FLAT ROCK, N.C. (WLOS) — The controversy over raffling assault rifles continues in North Carolina.

A fundraising effort involving the East Henderson Youth Football and Cheerleading League has drawn criticism for its prize -- an FN 15 Patrol Carbine M-LOK. (WLOS)

The latest fundraising effort involves the East Henderson Youth Football and Cheerleading League, a nonprofit organization for children 5 years old to 12 years old.

The league is raffling an FN 15 Patrol Carbine M-LOK.

I thought it was in very bad taste for them to choose a weapon that is being used against children,” said a Henderson County parent who did not want to be identified.

The FN 15, which has an AR-style magazine, is up for grabs through raffle tickets sold by parents of the athletes.

I was honestly shocked when I received the message that the children were going to be selling an assault rifle because of what’s going on at schools around the country,” the concerned parent said.

Following the backlash, the league posted a response on its Facebook page:

In response to complaints made both publicly and "anonymously" regarding our raffle:

1) We're currently taking applications for an official Fund Raiser. If you have a sure way to raise enough money quickly to get us through the rest of the season and still have enough to start up next season, we need you to use that energy in a positive way.

2) We're ALWAYS accepting donations. This organization doesn't run on air and water. We're not "affiliated" with Henderson County Public Schools nor are we sponsored by Henderson County in ANY way. The referees aren't volunteers, the LEO and first responders for the children's safety aren't volunteers, the use of the field, stadium, and facilities are not free, the lost uniforms, mouthpieces, chin straps, ear pads, bows, and socks are not free, equipment is not free, the insurance is not free, and all the other fees the league must pay are not imaginary.

3) If we're not raising enough money, we're forced to raise fees.

A spokesperson declined an on-camera interview with WLOS but released a statement regarding the decision to host the raffle.

We are currently raising funds to purchase new equipment and to have the ability to sponsor children in our community who cannot afford the registration fees," the statement noted."

According to a spokesperson, the winner of the raffle must be 21 years old and pass a background check before claiming the prize.

The AR raffle has taken place three years consecutive and brings in the most support we have ever had,” the league spokesperson wrote in the statement. “This fundraiser has been taking place for many years. Shotguns, rifles, and gift cards to local gun stores, along with professional and collegiate football game ticket raffles, pancake breakfasts, sports cups and other attempts at fundraising.”

Despite the backlash, the raffle is still moving forward. The drawing will be Oct. 1.