Since the opening of Asheville, North Carolina, in 2022, Neng Jr's experienced an upward tilapora to be envious of any restaurant. Led with business partners and life Iocovozzi, the Filipinx Restaurant gets several accolades: it's a 2023 James Bard Finalist for the latest restaurant, one of Enjoy your food2023 best new restaurants, and in 2024, called a One now Restaurants of the year.
This run of good fortune suddenly stopped September 27, 2024, when Helneane Helene was hit by North Carolina and destroyed Western Appalachia. The Popularity of Neng Jr.'s could not prepare its owners and staff for the economic devastation and precarity that Hurricane Helene wrought, and months later, with the cusp of reopening, the iocovzzis' story is one that many restaurateurs across the state have lived – Full of Challenges that more chefs, with the rising threat of climate change, there are also soon face.
Neng Jr's closed from September 28th to December 11, a period of over 10 weeks without a salary. “Even with everyday service. There is no great balance of their account check to make sure they don't work for thousands of dollars in a lot of weeks, and Iocovozzis weighs the loss of income from closing the amount of income approximately $ 80,000.
The only 250 independent owned restaurants in the Asheville area survived this economic growth. Local restaurant's restaurant industry uses around 22,000 peopleand tourism contributed to approximately $ 2.9 billion to the local economy. The storm hit in autumn and the winter summer, more busy – and useful – hours of the year for local businesses. Visitor's spending reduced by 70 percent of the fourth quarter of 2024, and in October, unemployment unemployed 9 percentfrom 2.5 percent last month. As in January 2025, in a disadvantage of unemployment in 6.1 percentAsheville has the supreme unemployment in any metropolitan area in the state.
Restaurants and other small businesses face a contradiction: the need to change, but there is a structured disability to do so. “We need to help our economy, growing up, and I think we trust tourism in a great way. This principle of financial and local government.” There's no Rent Moratoriums coming down from the state level. There's not any assistance or relief from those financial burdens that we have not just as business owners, but as people that have to pay our bills, “we have received $ 750 in the help of the help with whom we have received.”
In dealing with government-off and lack of communication, the restaurant industry has made the best: support himself. When the storm first hit, iocovozzis works with Ashleigh Shanti in Good hot fish to give foods to those in need. In an attempt to recoup some of their lost revenue, the iocovozzis headed to New York to collaborate with fellow chefs to host pop-ups at Brooklyn spots like Leo, Honey's, and ops pizza. “We are very grateful for the platform that people give to go ahead and continue,” meant silver.
In return of dotable water, Iocovozzis also opened Neng Jr.'s on December 11, an achievement that brought it mixed emotion. The behaviors and optics opening the opening can be burdened by their mind. “I have some concerns if someone feels right with this good food or special experience experience at this point if there is a lot of suffering,” magical silver. They are also concerned about emotional labor that can be asked by their staff, most of the restaurant returns. “I think people will ask about the storm, especially if they don't live in Asheville, and it's hard to get to the trauma, IoCovozzis turns to the fact that restaurants can be the restaurant for their community Parish. “We all need a place of gathering to enjoy and relax and serve and eat good food and feel comfortable,” as in silver.
The enthusiastic disasters of the 2024 climate indicates future periods ahead for businesses along the eastern coast of America. While warmer ocean temperatures due to climate change not increased the number of storms each year, Are maintained by scientists that it increases the possibility of severe, harmful storms. “Expected unexpected. Anything that we think of our mind can change,” as in silver. Just as the Covid-19 Pandemic Revolutionized The Restaurant Industry, Climate Change and Natural Disasters Like Hurricanes Have the potential to upend entire cities, meaning that chefs like the Iocovozzis are considering prices, menu changes, and operating expenses.
The road to recovery for the Asheville restaurant industry is more stone. According to Meghan Rogers, Executive Director of Asheville Independent Association Assuactiation (Air), in 2025, several restaurants operate limited time and scale-back men. Restaurants are again frequent slowly hours of the year, with no significant income they make during busy falls and holiday season. “Our local neighbors are amazing to exit and support their favorite restaurants, but they cannot build up all. We have built this food culture and this level of restaurants because we have a high level of visitors,” we have a high level of visitors, “we have a high level of guests,” we say. Announced the popular elder in the restaurant on January 9, saying to Instagram “the headings from the storm Helene and the long delay in opening again.” The wind lost to about 15 of his 150 members due to closures.
For iocovozzis, re-open something decidedly mixed bag. “The business is good, we can do well, of course. It's the slowest winter I've been injured in Asheville for many years, but most of the nights have been booked,” as in silver in February. “We are hanging in there the best we can. I think there was a lot of Hope, but with the loss of Brian Canipelli (chef-owner of local restaurant cucina 24 and contrada), I feel like it's safe to say we are at a standstill with all of the loss we've endured.” Canipeli is a leading number of the Asheville restaurant industry in decades, and his sudden passing emphasis on the local community.
Iocovozzis is concerned that Asheville will be left, as national attention, to understand, turn to other crises. “I know I want to see people come out, I want to register people what happened here as fires in palisades and aladena.” Iocovozzis is well offered in place, and encourage travelers to come back. “Create a plan to visit in Spring,” silver ments. “Try to raise small businesses, because Asheville is an area filled with small businesses that make the city.”