Community Partners & Affiliations
Pack’s Tavern, Century Room, & Spruce Street Catering take pride in giving back to the community through sponsorships, donations, and the promoting of non-profit community events. Below are affiliations and community organizations we have proudly supported!
Tavern History
Pack’s Tavern is proud to be housed in the historic Hayes and Hopson building in the middle of Pack Square Park. Built in 1907 and older than most of the more famous Asheville landmarks, The Hayes Hopson building has long served its community. It has served as a lumber supplier, an automotive supply company, and in more recent history, the renowned Bill Stanley’s Barbeque and Bluegrass.
But hidden behind steel doors in the basement lies a Hayes Hopson secret. These heavy doors open to a dark chamber that leads under South Spruce Street and once continued to adjacent buildings. The Hayes Hopson building has supplied lumber, auto parts, BBQ to Asheville but during the Prohibition years it supplied illegal liquor to local scofflaws (people who disobeyed the dry laws of the Volstead Act) via this underground passage.
The repeal of the Volstead Act in 1932 changed the laws in the early months of 1933 to allow the distribution and sale of alcohol. This new change made the Hayes Hopson building no longer needed for the vast distribution of the illegal whiskey through the Western North Carolina counties. Therefore the building needed to change its purpose and became a popular automotive and appliance center.
Pack’s Tavern initiated restoration efforts in the summer of 2009. Much care was taken to expose the original brick, original tongue and groove ceiling and wood trusses, and to uncover the 100-year-old flooring. Today, you’ll find a tavern beautifully restored to Prohibition-Era grandeur.
Pack’s Tavern offers outstanding service, the best drinks in town, and a large eclectic menu of over 60 items; everything from signature salads to hand-pattied burgers, from wonderful appetizers to fresh cut steaks and seafood in a friendly, hospitable atmosphere. All to be enjoyed in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Asheville’s newly renovated Pack Square Park.
What else separates Pack’s Tavern from other establishments is our unique variety of craft beer. We carefully pair beer styles with food items on the menu so you can experience the remarkable compatibility of food and beer. We rotate 30 or more local, national, and international craft beers to offer the best selection available. We have established partnerships with individual breweries and distributors that will allow us to debut new creations, feature limited quantity selections, and to make available the most sought after beers and breweries. We also offer carefully selected bottled beers that represent many styles and breweries around the world. Pack’s Tavern’s knowledgeable staff will introduce you to the fascinating world of craft beer and its inherent complement to a great meal.
Whether you’re stopping by for a quick soup and sandwich at lunch, meeting with friends for dinner and drinks before you head out to the theater for the evening, or celebrating a special occasion with your family, you’ll find that Pack’s Tavern has something for everyone. Enjoy that Carolina-blue sky and downtown Asheville’s Pack Square Park in our outdoor parkside seating. Order take-out and gather with neighbors in the park for Shindig on the Green or the Fourth of July fireworks display. At Pack’s Tavern, you’ll experience the restored beauty of a downtown landmark while enjoying the finest in craft beer and delicious food in an atmosphere that’s uniquely Asheville.
In Remembrance
Stewart Bryan Coleman
June 4, 1948 – January 29, 2012
“That best portion of a good man’s life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”
-William Wordsworth
Asheville native and lifelong resident Stewart Bryan Coleman lived a full life, with energy and passion. His devotion to his family, friends, co-workers and employees, many of whom have worked for Stewart for over 30 years, will be his legacy. From those who knew him for decades to the Pack’s Tavern employees who met Stewart only a few years ago, the story is the same. It is a tale of a genuine man who cared deeply about those he loved. His sincere appreciation for each person’s unique gifts and talents was a rare and special blessing. His generosity to the countless students he sent to college, his devotion to the community where he was born, raised and chose to live; and his care and compassion for everyone he met were his gifts. His contagious laughter, his zest for life, and that shock of silvery white hair blowing in the wind leave a wealth of memories for those he left on earth.
Born in Asheville, NC, to the late Richard L. (Pokey) Coleman, Sr. and Betty Bryan Coleman, Stewart graduated from Lee Edwards High School in 1966 and from NC State University in 1972. In 1969 Stewart married his high school sweetheart, Gay Woolard. Over the course of their 43 years of marriage, they raised two daughters, Whitney and Amanda, and most recently relished being grandparents to Taylor, Thomas, Jackson and Lexi.
Professionally Stewart was multi-talented. A builder, developer and most recently restaurateur, he began his career working in the family businesses: working with West Terrace Apartments, Edgewood Knoll Apartments, Southern States Leasing Corp., Asheville Mall, Inc., and Sherwood Heights, Inc. Between 1973 and 1993, he operated his own Baskin Robbins franchise, and in 1998 formed SB Coleman Construction Company. Most recently, Stewart developed the 21 Battery Park Condominiums in downtown Asheville, and in 2010 opened Pack’s Tavern alongside his two son-in-laws Ross Franklin and Tom Israel, for which he received a prestigious Griffin Award for historic preservation.
Stewart’s civic contributions form a long list. He served on the board of the NC State Ports Authority, the NC Ports Railway Commission, the UNCA Foundation Board, MANNA Food Bank Board and the Board of Biltmore Forest Country Club. He was a supporter, donor, and member of numerous community organizations including: the Pack Square Park Conservancy, Asheville Art Museum, Pisgah Legal Services, the Community Foundation of WNC, Habitat for Humanity, Lake Logan Episcopal Center, Asheville Community Theater, Red Cross, United Way, the Asheville Arts Council, the Mission Cancer Center, and The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and the Rhododendron Royal Brigade of Guards. Among his hobbies were cars of all kinds and sailing, remarking often that his Trans-Atlantic sailing trip was one of the highlights of his life.
He will be forever missed…
