Urban Orchard cidery plans South Slope taproom in Asheville

ASHEVILLE - The area's first all-cider bar is expanding, with plans for a second location on Asheville’s South Slope.

Construction on the newest Urban Orchard Cider Co. taproom and production space is underway in the former home of Eagles Nest Outfitters, a 17,500-square-foot space at 24 Buxton Ave.

ENO, also in growth mode, is moving its headquarters to a South Asheville space.

Cider production at the downtown location should begin early next year, with a soft opening for the new taproom planned for spring.

The new space is easily walkable from a number of breweries, including Wicked Weed's Funkatorium, Burial Beer Co. and Twin Leaf Brewery.

"There's obviously a great beer industry already present in the area, and we have a good relationship with all of those folks already," said Jeff Anderson, marketing and creative director for Urban Orchard.

Adding a cidery to the thriving South Slope should add variety to the beverage landscape there, while also allowing Urban Orchard to expand its own portfolio.

The cider maker has developed more than 80 styles within its first four years of operation, using seasonal and local ingredients, including Hendersonville apples.

The new space will have room for about 30 taps behind the bar, which allows the taproom to carry beer and a larger selection of ciders, allowing certain season specials to stick around even longer, Anderson said.

Urban Orchard opened its first location in 2013 at 210 Haywood Road in West Asheville, at a time when sales of alcoholic cider were up nationwide and the craft beverage industry in general was enjoying booming success. The original West Asheville taproom and production space will remain in operation.

Sales of hard cider have continued to strengthen as consumers looking for an alternative to beer, particularly those following a gluten-free diet, increasingly turn to cider.

Urban Orchard is rushing to meet demand, more than doubling its production, from 30,000 gallons this year to 75,000 gallons next year, in the first phase of growth.

The second phase of growth in the new space will take production to 120,000 gallons annually, making Urban Orchard the largest craft-cider producer in Asheville.

The increased production will lead to the hiring of about 10-15 additional staff members.

Also, the cider company will lease a full kitchen in the tasting room to an outside restaurateur, a deal that's not yet been solidified.

"We've carved out space for (a new restaurant space) in our plans, and we're hoping to bring someone who's already established in the restaurant business to occupy that space," Anderson said.

He also said that negotiating for the South Slope space with ENO "felt like buying a home from a friend."

The deal is mutually beneficial, with ENO, which specializes in hammocks for adventure travelers, having outgrown its South Slope headquarters.

Amy Allison, who handles marketing for the company, said ENO directs most walk-in customers to local retailers, so a lack of presence in the downtown area will not impact operations.

"There's not much to see here," she said of the company's warehouse space.

The South Slope, with its ever-growing collection of food-and-beverage businesses, certainly seems a smarter fit for Urban Orchard's expansion, she noted.

It's not all beer in the area, either. Urban Orchard's new taproom will be a stone's throw from Vortex Doughnuts and Buxton Hall Barbecue.

It's also across the street from the original site of the French Broad Chocolate factory. That location is shifting to production of French Broad ice cream as chocolate-factory operations move to RAMP Studios on Riverside Drive.

More about Urban Orchard at www.urbanorchardcider.com.

