Food news: Asheville chocolate company expands, cat cafe coming, festival events
ASHEVILLE - A homegrown gourmet chocolate company prepares to open a new location; a new business promoting cat cuddling is on its way; a chef-packed event returns for a four-day run; and local restaurants welcome a new leader.
More chocolate for all
Asheville-based French Broad Chocolate is taking its gourmet treats on the road with its first store outside of the mountain city.
In the fall, French Broad Chocolate will open in Ponce City Market in Atlanta. The retailer will be on the first floor of the Central Food Hall and in good company with neighbors including LaRayia’s Bodega & Five Daughters Bakery.
French Broad Chocolate is a “bean-to-bar” craft chocolate company founded by Jael Skeffington and Dan Rattigann in Asheville in 2006. It remains a popular destination for artisan chocolate treats made from direct-sourced cacao.
“Opening at Ponce City Market has been a dream of ours for many years,” Skeffington said in a news release. “This is a huge milestone, and we are so thrilled to become a part of the amazing food community in Atlanta.”
The Atlanta chocolate shop’s signature, handcrafted chocolate inventory will include bonbons, chocolate bars, gift sets, baked goods and sipping chocolates.
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Ponce City Market is at 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. in Atlanta. Other businesses with Asheville connections in the marketplace are Spicewalla, Botiwalla, Nani’s Piri Piri Chicken and H&F Burger.
Visit French Broad Chocolate’s Asheville boutique and lounge at 10 S. Pack Square. Load up on more chocolate and take a tour at the factory at 821 Riverside Dr.
For details, visit poncecitymarket.comand frenchbroadchocolates.com.
A purrfect place to play
Asheville will finally have a place of its own dedicated to chilling with cats.
Cats at Play Café is expected to open in late summer/fall at 10-12 Eagle St. in downtown.
The business will operate as a “posh and cozy” rescue lounge for foster cats and a boutique and social café for humans.
One suite will serve the purpose of creating an “enriching and nurturing environment” for 15-20 cats to live in until they go to a permanent home. Guests will have the opportunity to visit and get to know the kitties and potentially adopt one into their family.
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Even if unable to adopt, individuals will be welcome to hang out and take pictures with their new feline friends.
A café will operate in a second suite and will offer snacks and beverages for customers to purchase. The menu will include coffee, tea, nonalcoholic beverages and local craft beer, wine and baked goods, which may be taken into the lounge.
The gift shop will have cat-themed merchandise that includes apparel, gifts, décor and locally made art.
For details, visit catsatplaycafeasheville.com and follow on Instagram at @catsatplaycafe/ and Facebook at facebook.com/catsatplaycafeavl/.
Chowing down
The wait is over for the return of the culinary event series, Chow Chow.
The first of three weekends of Chow Chow is June 23-26. The schedule is packed with tastings, seminars, workshops and more with Asheville chefs.
Tickets are sold out for Diaspora, Appalachian Pride Brunch and Sunday Supper Series, but other event tickets still on the table:
The Summer of Chow Chow opening party will be 5:30-8 p.m. June 23 for $100.
The Appalachian Homemade Wines Seminar will be 9-11 a.m. June 25 for $25.
The Entrepreneurs of Color tasting and discussion will be 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. June 25 for $60.
The Food as Medicine workshop will be from 6-9 p.m. June 25 for $150.
The Cherokee Fry Bread Workshop is 9-11 a.m. June 26 for $50.
View the chef lineups and purchase tickets at chowchowasheville.com.
New direction for restaurants
The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association has announced Laura Sheets McCall as the nonprofit’s new executive director.
McCall will carry on AIR’s mission to advocate and provide resources and support to AIR’s more than 140 members.
Earlier this year, Kim Murray was hired as the interim director, replacing longtime director Jane Anderson after her retirement. Murray had served on AIR’s board for several years and offered her experience as a restaurant owner. Murray has stepped down to focus on the operations of her business, Creekside Taphouse.
"I am thrilled to serve a community whose mission is rooted in collaboration and sustainability,” McCall said in a news release. “I was drawn to AIR because I believe it is a vital part of the fabric of Asheville. I am grateful to continue the work of the organization, in advocacy and education, and to connect our members and their staff to the resources needed to keep their kitchens open."
McCall enters with an extensive background and education in nonprofit leadership, communications and public administration and experience in public speaking, lobbying, consulting and advising for various causes.
McCall’s past roles have included vice president of Suited for Change, a nonprofit serving historically marginalized women, and policy consultant on HIV/AIDS in West Virginia, according to AIR. She's also the owner of an editing and writing service.
“We are really excited about Laura,” Carolyn Roy, AIR board chair and co-owner of Biscuithead said in a news release. “Her skills, knowledge, and fresh perspectives are a perfect fit for our organization. Laura’s extensive background in executive director roles, advocacy, and education can help us keep our current momentum and open the door to some exciting new possibilities.”
For details about AIR, visit airasheville.org.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: New in Asheville: French Broad Chocolate, Cats at Play Café, Chow Chow
