New upscale Italian restaurant set to open this fall in Asheville
ASHEVILLE - A South Asheville retail community is a part of a Midwest company’s fast-growing development plan to open restaurants across North Carolina.
Leo’s Italian Social is set to open in November at 264 Thetford St. in Biltmore Park Town Square.
The Asheville location will be the third location for the Ohio-based company, Chef Art Pour Restaurant Group.
“We’re excited to come to Asheville and bring our Ohio hospitality to the South and see if we can create some lifetime guests in Asheville," said Greg Roach, regional director of operations.
In 2019, the first Leo’s Italian Social opened in Cuyahoga Falls, just south of Cleveland, Ohio. The second to open is in Crocker Park, west of Cleveland. This summer, Leo’s made its North Carolina debut in Piedmont Town Center in Charlotte.
Two to three more locations are in consideration for the Carolinas, Roach said. “The sky’s the limit after that,” he said.
Menu and venue
Lunch, dinner and brunch menus will feature soups, salads, appetizers, wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta and other classic Italian dishes.
Calamari, wedding soup and a caprese salad are among the list of starters. Lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan and carbonara are some of the pasta offerings.
The chefs will make fresh, scratch dishes in-house, including pasta, sauces and dressings. Menus will be updated seasonally.
“We make every dish to order so it’s not your typical chain process,” Roach said.
The bar area is a major focus of the dining room and the anchor of the social experience.
Social hour dining specials will be offered. The beverage program will have specialty cocktails made with fresh ingredients.
“We infuse our own vodkas and bourbons and make our own limoncello in-house to make our signature cocktails. That part of the bar aspect creates that craft energy that we have there,” he said.
The company’s motto is “Chef driven. Guest forward.” The focuses are on the scratch kitchen and service, so guests come back for the food as well as because of how they’re treated, Roach said.Leo’s branding and interior were designed to have clean lines and bright colors to liven up the feeling of the restaurant. As opposed to the orange, brown and red colors traditionally used in Italian restaurants, Leo’s Italian Social's color palette is white, gray and blue to create a bright, contemporary aesthetic.
The restaurant is intended to have an upscale vibe but will be presented in a way in which guests feel comfortable and a part of the community, he said.
“We still appeal to that Italian aspect, but we also want to have a place where people can come and hang out,” Roach said. “We try to create that culture in our restaurants where we have the connection with our guests. We want people to feel like it’s a part of them.”
A part of Biltmore Park
Chef Art Pour Restaurant Group also founded the Burnt Wood Tavern brand that serves American upscale pub-style food and has 15 locations across Ohio and Florida.
The restaurant group’s leaders’ decision to branch out to North Carolina was motivated by their experiences visiting the state, as well as family connections. Roach said they were drawn to Asheville for its art and design community and their love for the Biltmore.
The Biltmore Park retail complex fits their vision for a place that invites local connections.
“We did the tour and saw the area and just fell in love with it,” Roach said. “We think we can be a great fit and be part of the community there.”
Ben Teague, vice president of strategic development of Biltmore Park Town Square, said maintaining a synergistic mix for Biltmore Park’s customer base is important and that Leo’s Italian Social complements the community of retail, restaurants and residents.
“What many people may not know is there are 18 dining places in Biltmore Park, so we believe that Biltmore Park Town Square is becoming more of a dining destination for people to come to,” Teague said. “They have a brunch option for people to partake in as well as a social hour so if you think of Leo’s as a part of the community as a whole it’s a perfect fit.”
Biltmore Park retail tenants range from outdoor stores to upscale restaurants and bars to casual snack shops. It’s growing with more businesses announced and others pending.
“Biltmore Park truly represents a community that’s a microcosm of the greater area,” Teague said. “We want to continue to see life in the park and to continue to see people of all ages interacting and enjoying the restaurants that are here and the retail entities that are here.”
The management team plans to continue building South Buncombe county as a dining destination as well as a retail destination and a place to live, he said.
Leo’s Italian Social
Where: 264 Thetford St., Biltmore Park Town Square
Tentative opening: November
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday
Info: For details, visit leositaliansocial.com.
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