ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Bold Rock’s Asheville location will be permanently closed due to damage caused by Helen.
The company told News 13 in an email that it recently made the difficult decision.
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“We are sad to announce the closure of our Bold Rock Asheville taproom. Following losses from Hurricane Helen and continued market challenges, we are unable to continue operating at this location.” Bold Rock said in an email. “We are a part of the Asheville community and are excited to welcome so many through our doors.”
Bold Rock, which makes a variety of ciders and offers food and other craft beers, is headquartered in Nellysford, Virginia. We also have a location in Charlottesville, Virginia. Crozet, Virginia, and locations in North Carolina including Mills River and Charlotte.
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The Asheville store is the only one closing, the business told News 13.
“We are grateful to continue to welcome guests at our nearby Mills River location, our Cidery in Nellies Ford, Virginia, and our taproom in Charlotte,” the company said in a statement.
Gary Bryant, executive vice president of Bold Rock Cider’s parent company, Artisanal Brewing Ventures, said the company is continuing to compensate employees after closing in September, which is the first time employees have lost their jobs since the storm. There has been no economic impact due to this, he said.
Bryant said he would notify employees of the closure on Thursday, provide severance pay and help them transition to other employment opportunities.
He said the problem is that the location is tourist-driven and the significant decline since the storm has hurt the Asheville location’s financial stability. Bryant said the Asheville store’s landlord supported the decision and everyone was able to come to an agreement.
