LGBTQ+ Owned Shops, Food and Services in Asheville

Smokey Mountain Hemp Co. is a hemp dispensary on the corner of Coxe and Banks Avenue in the South Slope, right across from The Funkatorium, and they grow their own flower on site. A big window off the sales floor looks straight into one of the grow rooms, so you can see where the in-house THCa flower comes from before you buy it. Beyond their own flower, the shelves carry concentrates, vapes, gummies, tinctures and hemp drinks like Moonwater, with brands like Asheville's own WNC and Bhumi in the mix, plus a glass gallery. It's LGBTQ owned, and it's for adults 21 and up.

Firestorm Books is a collectively owned radical bookstore and not-for-profit event space in West Asheville, now at 1022 Haywood Road. Since 2008 it has sold books and hosted book discussions, meetups and community events most weeks.

Neng Jr's is a Filipinx restaurant at 701 Haywood Road in West Asheville, from chef Silver Iocovozzi. It opened in 2022 as the first Filipinx restaurant in Asheville, in an 18-seat former arcade room with an open kitchen, and the menu changes with what local farmers and producers have on hand.

Asheville Bee Charmer is a honey shop with two free tasting bars in downtown Asheville, at 32 Broadway Street and 38 Battery Park Avenue. Owners Jillian and Kim are beekeepers who opened in 2014, and they stock 40 to 50 honey varietals from North Carolina and around the world. Sourwood honey from Southern Appalachian forests is the best seller, and the shelves also carry tupelo, orange blossom, fireweed and infused honeys like Smokin' Hot. Beyond the jars, there's honey soap, lotion, salves and balms, candles, books, bee jewelry and gift sets. A tasting takes 10 to 15 minutes, and a staffer at the bar walks you through it.

Sovereign Remedies is a craft cocktail bar and restaurant at 29 North Market Street in downtown Asheville. It makes handcrafted cocktails with small-batch spirits and house-made ingredients, pours a curated wine list and local craft beer, and serves seasonal plates made with Western North Carolina farm ingredients late into the night.