Mayor Alonzo Jones joined other area leaders and citizens Tuesday morning in a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome King Cropp Food to the River District. The restaurant is located at 621 Main St.
Jones said restaurant owners Chris King and Darcy Cropp, who also operate a food truck, have a passion for the best food with the best ingredients.
“The Cropp and King families have been on a food journey since Chis and Darcy started dating in Saluda, N.C.,” Jones said. “Their common love for growing and eating fresh local food started them on this food concept in Asheville with a farm stand selling eggs, herbs, and other vegetables that they grew.”
Today, the couple owns a farm in the Providence, N.C., community, where they grow many of the ingredients for their restaurant and food truck. They also purchase ingredients from local farmers for a seasonally influenced menu.
“Both families welcome you and thank you for being a part of the celebration today,” the mayor said. “They hope you find your way here from time to time to enjoy lunch, dinner and take the opportunity to experience all they have to offer.”
The restaurant is open for lunch on Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it is open for dinner on Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The River District includes the downtown and historic tobacco warehouse areas. Nine years ago, the City launched the River District Development Project to provide new amenities and to repurpose empty buildings for residential units and for starting or expanding businesses including restaurants and shops. Today, private investment is taking place as hoped, and it is outpacing public investment by more than threefold, with $35 million in public seeding and investment and $150 million in private investment.