Asheville hummus maker's final chapter; brewery/building owner to lease 27K sq-foot space

ASHEVILLE - The final chapter for a popular local food producer is coming to an end, with the planned sale of Roots Hummus' equipment and leasing of its once-bustling 27,000-square-foot production facility.

The sale will follow a judge's June order that Roots and its owner James Matthew Parris pay a creditor more than $2.6 million for uncollected loans, interest and other costs. Parris did not respond to the Jan. 23 lawsuit by Pittsburgh bank PNC, and a default judgment was ordered by Buncombe County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant June 20.

Parris declined to comment Aug. 9. Raleigh-based attorneys for PNC did not respond to a message seeking comment. It is not clear how many workers were with the company, though government documents note about two dozen were employed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roots' former landlord confirmed PNC would sell the equipment. Leah Ashburn, president and CEO of Highland Brewing Company that owns Roots' former facility next to the East Asheville brewery, said they were "sad to see Roots disappear from shelves."

"We were regular buyers," she said.

Ashburn confirmed that PNC would sell off the equipment — and while there is no one currently lined up to lease the space, Ashburn said Highland planned to seek a tenant. Roots vacated the facility this year without word to Highland.

Food manufacturing makes sense, with sloped floors for drainage, coolers and kitchen areas, she said. "But so close to downtown and so near the highway, with docks, high ceilings, a wooded setting, and a brewery next door, it could be many things."

Despite many calls about potential pickleball courts, she said it would not make a great sports facility because of features such as many interior walls that divide the space.

Roots' troubles became apparent to consumers early this year as fans of the locally made version of the traditional Middle Eastern spread began asking why they could not find it on shelves.

Along with any commercial loans, Roots got a $270,900 Paycheck Protection Program loan April 14, 2020, according to a Citizen Times database compiled from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Like many businesses that received the taxpayer-funded pandemic relief loans, repayment was waived, with a forgiveness date of May 18, 2021. The lender was listed as PNC, the same bank that sued.

In the PPP information, Roots listed 23 jobs that would be stabilized by the government loan.

Started as a West Asheville café in 2006, Roots grew into a popular food producer with the help of financing and education from nonprofit startup supporter Mountain Bizworks.

The company became known for its environmental ethic and support of teachers and education through its foundation.

By 2018, it had moved into Highland's 27,000-square-foot facility. It was producing 3,000 hummus dips per hour, using 15,000 pounds of chickpeas in a typical week, according to the company website. Roots was listed as a certified living wage employer by Just Economics WNC, which this year was calculated at $20.10 an hour.

More: Check out the list of Asheville-area restaurant openings from January to June 2023

Answer Woman: Zoës Kitchen closing, Cava incoming. Where's Asheville's Mediterranean food?

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: The final chapter for Asheville's Roots Hummus; equipment to be sold