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Having worked in downtown restaurants for years, Kate and Adam Bannasch knew there was something missing from their welcoming community of East Asheville.
“East Asheville was missing out on options beyond chains and the tried and true,” Kate said. “We wanted to help turn the tide.”
Kate had a wide resume having worked at several Asheville restaurants including Zambra, which Adam is still the executive chef/co-owner of, as well as Cucina 24, the now shuttered Seven Sows and, early on, Early Girl Eatery.
So, 4 years ago, the two decided they were ready to put their skills together and become partners in a new enterprise — a neighborhood gathering place now known as Copper Crown.
We have lived in Oakley/East Asheville for most of our time here and felt that the area was underserved in the farm-to-table, homegrown food scene,” Kate said.
They found the perfect location in the Home Trust Bank plaza on Tunnel Road and used the copper roof of their new building as inspiration for their restaurant name.
“And the rest is history,” Kate said.
All of the menus at Copper Crown reflect both the diversity of Kate and Adam’s personal influences — the American South, Italy and New Orleans to name a few — as well as their support of many local farms. And Copper Crown aims to provide a little something for everyone, offering lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch focusing on value and quality in each dish.
Sunday nights at Copper Crown mean $1 off all draft beers and burgers.
But besides providing their community with arguably one of the best burgers in town, Kate and Adam try to do their part to minimize their restaurant’s ecological impact.
“There is a lot of potential for waste in a restaurant,” Kate explained. “Whether it's the A/C being used at the same time that the hood system is actively pulling warm air into the space; uneaten food, paper napkins and straws left behind by guests; or the spent fryer oil that is changed regularly.”
Kate said she is fortunate enough to work with companies like Blue Ridge Biofuels, which helps them recycle all of their used cooking oil, Danny’s Dumpster, which helps them compost all possible food and packaging waste, and Arcadia Power, which allows them to source all of their electricity needs from 100% renewable sources.
Copper Crown also tries to source as many compostable disposable items as possible, including their "plastic" utensils, to-go cups and boxes, and straws that are all compostable by an industrial composter.
“It's been great to see that there has been a movement by Asheville restaurants overall to move away from single use plastics and Styrofoam containers,” Kate said.
Make sure to head over to Copper Crown on Thursday nights to experience their chef’s tasting menu, Sunday nights for $1 off all draft beers and burgers, and Tuesday nights for $5 glasses of wine. Find all the food specials, new menu additions, events and more from Copper Crown by checking out their Dig Local profile.
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