Beloved West Asheville neighborhood bar to close by end of month

Beloved West Asheville neighborhood bar to close by end of month

ASHEVILLE –

Cascade Lounge bar in West Asheville is closing. The last full day of service will be April 29 as the bar will move out on April 30. Rutherford announced the closing on April 25. Since then the business has seen a wave of regulars, old and new, flow through the building’s doors at 219 Amboy Road.

Cascade Lounge opened in 2015 as a part of the Asheville Food Park and Market. The business has seen a rotating series of owners as the other side of the building flipped from Edna’s Coffee Bar to Home Ground.

“Our patrons aren’t just customers; they’re family,” Rutherford said. “Closing Cascade Lounge feels like saying goodbye to a piece of our collective history.”

Bartender Julia Authier said the past Saturday was the second highest in sales for the business, where it felt like the business “created a family here.” The bar will be open for service until midnight April 29 and open until about 8 p.m. April 30 until they move out of the building.

Rutherford expressed sadness for closing the location, which is due to “reasons beyond their control” regarding the rent negotiations on the building.

Lease Negotiations

In order to stay, the bar would’ve required a “holdover,” which starts at a standard of “double the rent.” The new tenants have plans to renovate the building and establish a “lighter bogeda-ish” theme. The tenants will keep a bar at the location while also providing food.

Looking Forward

Pistor said he is looking forward to opening a new location and called the decision “really what’s best for the building.”