Popular Asheville pizzeria, brewery, movie theater up for sale

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
·3 min read

ASHEVILLE - A popular neighborhood hangout is available for sale after 25 years in business.

On Oct. 19, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. partners announced the sale of its hybrid restaurant, brewery and movie theater location at 675 Merrimon Ave.

In 1995, the company was founded and operated from a smaller venue on Merrimon Avenue. In 1998, the business relocated to its current space.

Mike Rangel, co-owner, said that he and his business partners are ready to move forward and focus on other ventures.

A slice, a beer and a bag of popcorn at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. Jan. 17, 2019.
A slice, a beer and a bag of popcorn at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co. Jan. 17, 2019.

“As we’ve entered into some other businesses and other things we’ve been waiting to do ― distilling and Rabbit Rabbit – we just realized that our ownership group is getting a little long in the tooth and we thought it would be good for us and the time to find the next group to take it over,” Rangel told the Citizen Times Oct. 19.

Rangel’s partners are Leigh Oder, Lisa Leokum, Allison Brown, Cory Gates and Pete Langheinrich.

The group’s other established businesses are Asheville T-Shirt Company and Rabbit Rabbit music venue.

Ninja Spirits Distilling is planned to debut with a tasting room neighboring Rabbit Rabbit in early 2024.

The Buckminster, a mixed cocktail retail brand, will launch later this month at ABC Stores, he said.

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. has two other locations at 77 Coxe Ave. downtown and 1850 Hendersonville Road in South Asheville.

Pizza at Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Pizza at Asheville Pizza & Brewing

None of the locations will close and only the Merrimon Avenue business is for sale.

It’s not a “fire sale,” Rangel said.

Fiscally, the business is in good shape and had a profitable year with a positive outlook for 2024, he said.

“It’s had a really good year and we figure we would announce as early as we could to give us time to find the right folks to pass the torch to,” Rangel said. “It’s an amazingly fun business but sometimes it’s like riding a tornado for 25 years.”

The partners are seeking an Asheville area resident who will keep it running as a family-oriented establishment “for the next 25 years,” he said.

“The hope is someone in Asheville will see how important it is to keep independent cinema going,” Rangel said. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re not closing down. We’re just going to take the time ― however long it takes ― to find the right folks.

The social media post states in part:

"Our hope is that whoever is to become the new director of this amazing story has the same love for movies, a passion for great pizza, a spirit of fun and a desire to create a sequel that’s even better than the original!

"We’re very lucky to have so many friends that have supported us and we couldn’t have dreamt of a better group of staff than we have currently and have had over the past 25 years.

This isn’t farewell, but it is a change and we know change can be tough. This place is very much our second home. We’ve spent a significant portion of our lives, raised our children, and met some of the most incredible people right here in this building, it’s not easy to let go."

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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 Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. partners searching for new owners