Asheboro’s revival at the hands of locals seems to have started in 2013 when two new businesses opened. One, a restaurant the caliber of which you would not expect to find in Asheboro – Bia’s Gourmet Hardware. The second, a brewing company that’s acknowledged as the first ever in not only Asheboro, but in all of Randolph County – Four Saints Brewing Company.
Then a second restaurant you wouldn’t expect to find in Asheboro – The Table (Farmhouse Bakery) – opened in 2015. They’ve been so successful, they opened a “grab & go” location in Greensboro at 227 S Elm St. in 2016.
Did the momentum created by these entrepreneurs contribute to Fibertex, a Danish company deciding to invest a total of $114,125,000 for a manufacturing facility in Asheboro, creating 145 new jobs? Fibertex broke ground earlier this year on March 22nd. Whose to say? I think it couldn’t have hurt. The county, seeing momentum build, put together a favorable package, winning the bid for Fibertex’s first US location.
“Asheboro was chosen [as the Four Saints location] because of the recent drive the city, like many small cities, has had to revive the downtown aspect of Asheboro. The recognition that a community will only strive if the community supports itself has become truth.” ~ Four Saints Brewing Company
Bia’s Gourmet Hardware
103 Worth St
Asheboro, NC 27203
Phone: (336) 610-2427
Bia’s is named for Bia Rich. She’s co-owner with husband Eric. Growing up in Brazil, she later landed in New York, spending a decade and a half honing her culinary skills. Like so many that move to NC, the Rich’s “came home” to the Asheboro area to be close to (Eric’s) family.
Stepping in the door, the first thing you’ll see on your right is a staircase that looks like it’s in its original early 1920’s Hardware Store location. Next comes a long bar that would be a comfortable spot to eat, drink, or both. Then a half wall topped by glass panels separating the bar from a table & chair dining area. It’s not a huge space, but it’s set up efficiently and includes a private room toward the back.
From Bia’s experienced palate comes adventurous and eclectic food. There are also options for the less adventurous. I get the impression she’s one of those people that intuitively knows how to put together ingredients not commonly seen in the same dish, creating new and wonderfully flavored menu items on the fly.
To say I was surprised to find a place of consequence like Bia’s in Asheboro is an understatement. See Bia’s menus HERE.
Four Saints Brewing Company
218 S Fayetteville St
Asheboro, NC 27203
Phone: (336) 610-3722
Let’s get this out of the way immediately – second only to the story of their genesis, I fell in love with Four Saints “Stout One“! Others in our group really liked all the beers we sampled.
The front of house tasting area isn’t huge, but is definitely a community gathering place. Tanks are in back. A food truck parks out front for those wanting something besides beer in their belly.
We spent time with Joel McClosky, co-founder with Andrew Deming. He shared some of the history behind moving from home brewers to brewery owners, as well as the fantastic story behind the pottery mugs many folks drink from.
Asheboro is in the same county and close to Seagrove, the pottery capital of the US. McClosky and Deming wanted to support community and locals, so approached a potter and asked about mugs for their new brewery. That potter agreed to make a fraction of the number they needed, but referred them to another potter. The same thing happened with that potter. Long story short, pottery mugs you see behind the bar are made by many different potters.
Each mug is owned by an individual, some purchased at fundraising auctions, and only that individual can use their mug. Joel told us of cases where a husband or wife asked to use their spouse’s mug and were refused until they got the owner on the phone to give their permission! All mugs are guarded as precious jewels.
Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but we learned that McClosky and Deming are now renting the space next door and have tentative plans for a restaurant and private space available for rent upstairs.
The Table (Farmhouse Bakery)
139 S Church St
Asheboro, NC 27203
Phone: (336) 736-8628
When I tell you how amazingly wonderful The Table is, you may accuse me of breathless hyperbole, but I assure you, it’s warranted.
See that picture above? That was my breakfast – Porridge with Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries. It’s a bowl chock full of steel cut oats, bulgar wheat, buckwheat, red rice, quinoa, brown flax, wildflower honey, and granola that’s dusted with cinnamon and served with coconut milk. It’s absolutely delicious, lighter, and way more filling than it looks.
There are plenty of options on all the menus that go beyond fruits and grains. See The Table’s menus HERE.
Espresso drinks, tea, and delicious baked-daily pastries are also available at The Table. Co-owner Dustie has it all going on here; engaging, but functional serving pieces, the best quality ingredients she can find – think European butter that’s been churned longer to achieve a higher butterfat level used for pastries, and a personal commitment to her employees that includes recognizing something each of them loves and then helping them grow in that area. One example is noticing a love of photography one of her baker’s had. Dustie helped her get a good camera and take photography classes. Now the baker takes all photos used for The Table’s promotions and social media.
Dustie Gregson has big plans for downtown Asheboro – and beyond.
She and Table co-owner, husband Andy, “have partnered with Jerry Neal, a deep-rooted businessman and investor from Randolph County, to fulfill a dream of revitalizing downtown Asheboro. They brought on other visionaries that not only want to develop downtown Asheboro, but to infuse it with arts and theater that will grow into the community, area schools and perhaps even around the state” ~ North State Journal. The company they created for these ventures is VSR (Vision to Sow and Rebuild), LLC.
Their first project is re-purposing a group of buildings on the same block as The Table. Re-named Mill 133, Asheboro Hosiery Mills and Cranford Furniture Company Complex (also known as Cranford Industries and National Chair Company) is a historic textile mill and furniture factory complex. The complex includes three brick industrial buildings erected from 1917 through the 1940s and the Cranford Industries Office constructed in 1925. Also on the property are the contributing Cranford Industries Smokestack and a lumber shed (both built in the 1950s). The Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.” ~ Mill133.com.
Dustie took a surprising amount of time out of her morning to talk with us about her family, journey to date, and plans going forward. The more I saw and heard, the more she reminded me of Joanna Gaines, star of HGTV show Fixer Upper with husband Chip. Wonder if Dustie’s husband Andy is anything like Chip?
Just for the heck of it, I thought I’d include a shot of the Downtown Farmers Market location across the street from The Table.
If you’re anywhere near Asheboro, you really should plan a visit to one, two, or all three of these spots owned by visionary leaders willing to take a chance on their community, while supporting it at the same time.
