A new slider bar has opened in the heart of Swannanoa's Beacon Village, pairing a chef with a restaurateur known for reviving forgotten mountain buildings. Daymakers Slider Bar occupies 204 Whitson Avenue, a spot that previously housed Native Kitchen and Terra Nova Beer Co. and has been described as a “vibey” tap house, according to seed facts in the dossier.
The restaurant is a joint venture between restaurateurs Richard and Heidi King and chef Brian and Megan Crow, as reported by The Valley Echo. Richard King, who also owns White Duck Taco and The Pure & Proper, told the Greenville Journal about the restaurant's concept and economic goals for Swannanoa. The same account describes a menu of sliders, salads, wings, appetizers and local sourcing.
A Chef Behind the Counter
Executive Chef Brian Crow is a former culinary director at Asheville's Chestnut and Corner Kitchen, according to the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Crow has since partnered with King at Daymakers, where the menu leans on local produce and as much local sourcing as possible.
The pairing brings serious culinary pedigree to a casual format, but the ambitions behind Daymakers reach beyond the plate. King has said the restaurant aims to create economic growth for more people in Swannanoa, not just serve sliders to visitors passing through.
Rebuilding Nearly Two Years After Helene
Swannanoa suffered severe damage from Hurricane Helene in September 2024, and the Greenville Journal reports the town remains in recovery nearly two years later, with major facilities still damaged or closed. That recovery has unfolded alongside a broader, coordinated push: in November 2025, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners formally adopted a five-year Helene Recovery Plan outlining 114 projects across six municipalities to rebuild infrastructure and revitalize businesses, according to Buncombe County government records. Hoodline previously covered the state's early recovery push when Governor Josh Stein visited Swannanoa and Asheville to launch executive actions on housing and road repair.
The county has kept up the pace this year. In August 2026, Buncombe County presented a draft Small Area & Resilience Plan tailored specifically for Swannanoa while pursuing more than $20 million in state recovery funding for long-term infrastructure, per 828newsNOW. Buncombe County also secured a $979,000 grant in December 2025 dedicated to constructing and upgrading sidewalks in downtown Swannanoa, a concrete step toward making the commercial core more walkable for residents and visitors alike.
Beacon Village's Next Chapter
Daymakers sits across from the Beacon Bike Park, a community project on the former Beacon Blanket Factory site that was anticipated to open later in 2026 and will eventually include North America's largest Velosolutions paved pump track and a 4,000-capacity outdoor event lawn, according to Explore Asheville. That project points to a neighborhood being reimagined as a regional draw, not just a stop for locals.
King and his wife have a track record of betting on overlooked mountain properties. The couple launched The Pure & Proper in late 2022, the Valley Echo has reported. Richard King and Dan Singletary were owners of independently owned White Duck Taco Shop franchises in Greenville, South Carolina, but closed their original Hampton Station store in late 2024, according to the Upstate Business Journal. Now, per the AIR Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, the Kings are renovating the century-old Swannanoa Bank building for another new venture called The Counting House, adding yet another project to their growing footprint in the same few blocks of downtown Swannanoa.
