ASHEVILLE — Asheville's post-Helene economic recovery is producing a mixed picture for local businesses, with high-profile culinary recognition and airport expansion gains tempered by the announced closure of a beloved entertainment venue.
Posana, the acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant that has anchored Asheville's downtown dining scene for years, opened a second location in Biltmore Park this week, signaling confidence in the local market despite the broader economic headwinds facing the region.
The expansion comes as 15 Asheville-area restaurants earned recognition in the latest MICHELIN Guide listings, a milestone that reinforces the city's growing national reputation as a culinary destination even as the hospitality industry continues rebuilding from the storm's disruptions.
Group travel spending in the Asheville area reached $67.4 million in fiscal year 2025, a 35% increase over the prior year, according to figures released by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. The surge reflects pent-up demand and renewed interest from conference and group tour operators who had paused bookings during the storm recovery.
Asheville Regional Airport's $400 million expansion project also reached a milestone with the opening of the new North Concourse, adding gate capacity alongside new airline routes that officials say will make the region more accessible to visitors and residents alike.
But not all local businesses are sharing in the recovery. Axeville Axe Throwing, a seven-year fixture in Asheville's entertainment district, announced it will permanently close on March 22.
Owners cited a combination of economic slowdown and the lasting financial strain caused by Hurricane Helene as primary reasons for the closure, noting, according to owners, that foot traffic in their area of the city never fully rebounded after the storm.
"We gave everything we had to this community," the owners wrote in a statement. "Helene changed everything for so many of us," they added.
The closure marks another chapter in what city officials and business groups acknowledge will be an uneven and prolonged economic recovery across Asheville's diverse commercial districts.