Our co-owners Kevin Westmoreland and Joe Scully are the reason the Corner Kitchen exists today, and on February 16, 2021, this restaurant will be 17 years old. Fittingly enough for an anniversary that falls only a few days after Valentine’s, keeping this restaurant alive has been a labor of love, sweat, and tears. This restaurant is in the DNA of the Scully and Westmoreland families and vice versa. Considering all that has happened in 2020 and the difficulties that lie ahead, we thought we’d ask these two a bit about what they’ve learned over the years.
I have two.
One was the day Biltmore Village flooded on September 8, 2004, six months after we opened. Joe and I had to take a canoe over to the building as the water was about four feet deep around the building. We walked in and the furniture and equipment was floating in about a foot of water. I was in disbelief and thought we could reopen in a few weeks. Three months later we reopened and we’ve been going ever since.
The second was the night President Obama and the First Lady had dinner with us. It was, as I have said before, surreal. One minute the restaurant was full of our guests for a normal dinner. Ten minutes later, all the roads leading to Corner Kitchen were blocked by black Suburbans, there were Secret Service agents on all the porches at the businesses surrounding us, and Asheville PD was stopping all foot traffic coming into the neighborhood. It was a complete surprise. We did eventually get past all that security, I got to meet Pete Souza, the President’s photographer, and we all got to meet the President, the First Lady and their friends and got photos with them. It felt like I had been injected with pure adrenaline. That was offset by the fact that the President and First Lady were down to earth, self-deprecating and gravitated to our children in a way that was very kind.
Barack Obama’s visit – we were already pretty busy at that time, but after their visit, our guest count hit overdrive. In general, we realized that more people might be coming to see us, not just for the food, but also because of that visit. We have done more regular maintenance, enhanced things like the bar and the outdoor refrigeration and paid more attention to the landscaping and painting to make sure that the building itself looks as nice as possible. The guest experience also took a step up, as well. We had to elevate our game, so to speak.
I would have taken Joe’s advice to heart sooner. He used to say, “Walk in the dining room like you own the place!” in response to me being nervous about running a restaurant for the first time in my life. All the things I was so worried about turned out to be not such a big deal. And read all contracts!
The restaurant scene in Asheville has exploded since 2004. There are many more independent restaurants, as well as dozens of breweries that include some sort of food service. Quality has gone up as well, so it keeps us on our toes.
We have always tried to make Corner Kitchen a place that was comfortable to everyone that came to dine with us. At the same time we pushed the envelope in terms of the food that we craft every day. Joe’s food knowledge and experience is encyclopedic and that helps. People are surprised that this is not your normal diner in an old house, but they respond positively to that. As for any adversity over the years, Joe and I tend to feel that things will work out. And they have.
I am grateful to my wife Amy, and my children, Matthew and Lauren. They have worked in the restaurant, have listened to the stories (mostly good but some tough ones) of our days building the CK to where it is today, and have been more than patient with me over the years. It sounds like a simplistic Oscar speech, but I would not have made it without the three of them.
The original renovation! Six weeks of intense creative and laborious work to transform 3 Boston Way into the Corner Kitchen. I can honestly say that the memory of that experience is hazy with time and no small measure of PTSD!
It didn’t change my view, it just really enhanced our sense of place.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, hang loose.
We were a standout in the area of crafted food, produced locally. Now that is the norm (or should be).
We have always been “most things to most people”, Meaning that we have been comfortable for people to think of. That helps when the chips are down. And Asheville seems recession-proof.
The strength of Kevin’s steadfast work ethic and his kindness combined with willing resourcefulness, the involvement of “all hands on deck”; creatively problem solving on the fly, and Mack’s support and carpentry skills stand out through the fog of distant memory. I am also grateful to the restaurant community of Asheville. A group of collaborators, not competitors.