Jeremiah's Italian Ice coming soon, grocer gets $750K grant, restaurant workers honored

A “frog squad” is preparing to take the big leap and open a frozen treat shop in North Asheville, a local grocery company receives a substantial grant to make a sustainable impact, and two Asheville restaurant workers are recognized by a global corporation.

Italian ice sliding into AVL

A cool development is taking shape in North Asheville.

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice is expected to open late March at 705 Merrimon Ave., next to Asheville Pizza & Brewing and Bruegger’s Bagels. It is the former site of Asheville Tacos & Taps.

The local franchisees are Caitlin Olson and her parents, Rusty and Diane. The family has signed on to open three franchises in the greater Asheville area over the next couple of years. The Merrimon Avenue location is the first of the trio.

“I grew up in Florida, and Jeremiah’s was always our go-to spot,” said Caitlin Olson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “If we were happy or we were sad, it didn’t matter. We’re going to Jeremiah’s. It just became our family favorite.”

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice opened in Florida in 1996. The company has been taking an aggressive approach to continue expanding the brand across the South.

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Several years ago, the Olson family inquired about franchising. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the company introduced franchising opportunities and reached out to the Olsons to see if they were still interested. By this time, the family had move to Asheville, which works with the company’s mission to break into North Carolina markets.

“We always talked about how fun it would be and what a great brand and product it was. How fun it would be if we could have one of our own someday,” she said. “We jumped on the opportunity to bring it to Asheville.”

More than 40 Italian ice flavors ranging from fruity to java will be featured on the regular and rotating seasonal menus. Anywhere between 24-26 flavors will be available at a time, Olson said.

Some of the most popular are the red raspberry, mango, cookie butter and the signature mint chocolate chip called Scoop Froggy Frog. Olson’s longtime favorite flavor is cotton candy.

“It’s lighter than ice cream and more refreshing,” Olson said. “If you’ve ever had shaved ice… it’s not like that. It’s thicker, it’s creamier, it’s all-around a really fantastic product.”

Plus, ice cream will be available in vanilla, chocolate or swirl.

“It’s similar to soft-serve ice cream but it’s richer and thicker and creamier,” she said.

Customers may have the best of both worlds and order the Gelati, which is a layering of Italian ice and ice cream.

“That is by far the most popular flavor, and it’s so good,” she said.

The Asheville shop will operate via a drive-thru window and two walk-up windows. The treat shop will have patio space for customers.

The hours will be noon-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and noon-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Grand opening day and events will be announced.

“We had so many fun family memories there growing up. I’m hoping we can bring the same atmosphere and environment here to Asheville where people can come for a fun, special treat with friends or family,” Olson said. “People can come back and try a new product and hopefully fall in love with it as much as we do.”

The franchisees welcome the chance to be involved in the community through partnerships and collaborations with local schools, organizations and businesses.

Special delivery

Mother Earth Food, a local food hub and grocery home delivery service, has received financial support for its sustainability.

The homegrown company is the recipient of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Promotion Program Grant for $750k to use toward the Mother Earth Food Expansion Project over the next three years.

The multi-faceted initiative will allow the company to further invest in local food education and marketing, as well as increase buying power to support local farmers and food artisans.

“The grant is giving us the ability to increase customer accessibility to quality, local food, and directly support our local farmers and food artisans,” CEO Janelle Tatum said in a press release. “As we work hand-in-hand with these food producers and connect them to food-conscience consumers, we are maximizing the ripple effects local food brings to our community and economy.”

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Mother Earth Food touts itself as “a farmer’s market delivered to your door.” The business sources from farms and food vendors in WNC, across North Carolina and in surrounding states. The Mother Earth Food Expansion Project will impact 301 current and 50 additional local and regional farmers and food artisans who will gain or maintain access to both existing and new retail and wholesale customers, according to the company.

The company will take new approaches in its Refer a Friend program, revamp its website, and increase investment in local, social media and digital advertising.

The company announced it will increase accessibility to local, nutritional food with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The minimum order will be reduced to $20 to give customers more flexibility when shopping. And the company is assessing expansion of delivery areas to optimize accessibility.

Other parts of the plan are to shore up operations to accommodate growth and deepen relationships with suppliers, according to Mother Earth Food.

Golden arch honors

McDonald’s restaurant corporation has taken note of two Asheville employees’ performance and is “lovin’ it.”

Ashleigh Berry is the general manager of McDonald’s at 800 Fairview Road, owned and operated by Christine Nevant.

Berry is a recipient is a 2021 Ray Kroc Award for $2,500 and a trophy. It is a prestigious prize that’s presented to the top 345 McDonald’s restaurant managers from 60 markets globally.

“Ashleigh fits every one of the criteria for this award,” Nevant said in a press release. “She has taken this restaurant to the top. She is a single mom and works so hard. She is the people lead for all of my restaurants. She is great at hiring and training. Ashleigh truly takes care of our employees.”

Brandon Smith, the director of operations of all six of Berry’s restaurants, was selected as a recipient of a McDonald’s Mid Manager Award.

“It’s a trickle down,” Smith said in a press release. “It’s an honor. We have great general managers like Ashleigh and terrific crew members who helped me receive this honor. I am proud of Ashleigh. Her award is very well deserved. She is very goal driven.”

Since she was a teenager, Berry has worked for McDonald’s, beginning as a crew member at a location in Weaverville, owned by Naomi King. For 10 years, she’s served as a general manager with seven of those years working for Nevant.

The Fairview Road restaurant has taken many community-driven initiatives led by Nevant with Berry and Smith. Berry accepted the award, recognizing the staff and franchise owner.

“It’s a symbol of appreciation for my team,” Berry said. “It is an honor, but it’s a huge gesture for our people. The day I heard I won, I went to the restaurant and celebrated my team. It’s a family here at this restaurant. I have an amazing team.”

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: Food news: Jeremiah's Italian Ice coming, grocer gets $750K USDA grant