Humans of Corner Kitchen: Haley Rae Smith

Haley was part of the Corner Kitchen team when we reopened in summer 2020, so she’s been here for a lot of change as we adjusted to a new way of doing things. It takes a special kind of will to make it through an experience like this past year, but her attitude is part of her success. She answered a few questions about herself:

What keeps you going despite everything that’s going on in the world?

I think what kept me going through is that I like to stay positive, and I like having positive people around me and was lucky enough to have that during the pandemic, but what I’m hoping for is that the city of Asheville gets opened up more and in a safe way that’s good for everyone.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to doing the most when things settle down again?

People kind of still did this during the pandemic, but I just can’t wait to float on the river. I guess that’s more waiting for the weather to come along, but being outdoors and around other people is what I miss the most.

What’s the thing you’re most passionate about when you’re not in the restaurant?

I would say it’s a hard split between art and cooking. I’m a photographer and a painter, and I cook a lot of food.

Do you ever get tired of making food at home after working in a restaurant?

No, I find that I’m lucky to work in a place where people are really creative, and it gives me ideas in the kitchen which is cool.

Are you an Asheville native, or else what brought you here?

I’m from Massachusetts, specifically the Cape Cod area, I grew up by the beach. I moved around, I lived in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Hawaii before I moved here. My favorite would still be Hawaii, if I could afford it, man.