Auction House Food & Drink Hall to open with burgers, bourbon, more
by themoneyoffice2.com@gmail.com February 29, 2024 · Food & Drink
ASHEVILLE – A new all-in-one restaurant and bar venue is nearing the end of its renovation, and its owners aim to deliver variety, fun and fellowship to all.
Auction House Food & Drink Hall, by KO Restaurant Group, will tentatively open in late April to early May at 29 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher.
Auction House is intended to be open on afternoons and evenings seven days a week.
Eight years ago, Sarah and Paul Klaassen opened HenDough Chicken and Donuts in Hendersonville. The company grew into KO Restaurant Group, which now includes a second HenDough, and Gather GVL, a food hall in Greenville, South Carolina.
The husband-wife team will open with their business partner Michael Olbrantz, with operations manager George Workman and culinary director Cole Pate as a part of the team.
Auction House will exclusively showcase five KO Restaurant Group’s counter service food concepts, Mercado Cantina, KO Burger, Fish Camp 25, and beverage concepts Auction House Wine Bar and Blue Collar Bourbon Social.
“You get bored doing the same thing every day but if you have multiple things going on, there’s always some fun you can have,” Sarah Klaassen said. “Today we’re going to have fun with these tacos, tomorrow we’re going to focus on the smash burgers.”
Another appeal of a food hall is that it caters to a wide range of taste buds and demographics, making it an ideal destination for groups and families.
She said Fletcher is beginning to go through a “major growth boom” and has limited restaurants, which motivated the restaurant group to introduce an inclusive, family-friendly hangout with multiple dining options.
Auction House renovations
Auction House Food Hall’s name pays homage to the historic building, constructed in 1948, that once operated as a specialty auction house, which, according to the Klaassens, sold antiques and farm equipment, among other things.
The two-story building totals 6,600 square feet ― 3,300 square feet on each 13-foot-tall floor ― and is being renovated to house several food and beverage concepts with ample indoor and outdoor seating that extends to an open-air lawn.
The two building’s floors are connected by an outdoor staircase with each offering main doors from the street and parking lot. Both levels are accessible by ADA-compliant ramps.
A stage is in construction on the lawn for live music performances and sporting event viewings and more.
A smaller building separate from the food hall, located on the other side of the lawn, may be transformed into a taproom.
The design and décor theme are inspired by the branding of the Mexican-style Mercado Cantina with floral murals and paintings, basket-style chandeliers, wicker cactus accent pieces and live plants.
Mosaic tile flooring was added to complement the building’s original style.
The spacious dining rooms will offer a mix of banquettes, communal and small tables, bar seating with additional seating along the wraparound decks. The lower porch offers plenty of shade and overhead fans.
The upstairs dining room may be sectioned off and booked for private events, too.
Elements from the custom graphic designs, murals, acoustic panels, reclaimed beams and furniture were commissioned by local and regional artists and businesses across the Carolinas.
Auction House vendors
Upstairs, Mercado Cantina will serve a dining menu of Yucatan-style, in-house-made tortillas and tortilla chips, tacos and tortas. The menu will be more expansive than the Greenville location due to the additional space.
The full bar will specialize in regular to high-end tequila and mezcal with frozen drinks and nonalcoholic beverages also available.
The Auction House Wine Bar will serve a complete list of wines, plus frosé ― frozen Rosé ― and mimosas.
Downstairs, guests may place orders and hang out at KO Burger, Fish Camp 25 and Blue Collar Bourbon Social.
Blue Collar will offer various bourbons including premium labels, plus bourbon and other spirited cocktails and a dozen beer taps.
The bourbon bar’s small dining menu of items, like steak sandwiches and poutine.
Fish Camp 25 will offer items like fish and chips, hushpuppies, po’boys and peel-and-eat shrimp.
KO Burger will serve retro-style griddle burgers, all-beef hotdogs and battered fries. Fountain drinks will be offered in the dining room, too.
Hiring
KO Restaurant Group’s partners and culinary director are chefs who have years of experience working in area restaurants, including at Biltmore Estate.
The entrepreneurs intend to begin the hiring process for Auction House this spring with an estimated 50 positions designated for bartenders, cooks and a kitchen and assistant kitchen manager.
Job postings will be announced on Auction House Food & Drink Hall’s website, which is in development, and on leading job search sites.
Auction House Food & Drink Hall
Where: 29 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher.
Opening: Tentatively in late April/early May.
Info: For more, follow on Instagram @auctionhousefoodhall.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with asubscription to the Citizen Times.
