2026 Phoenix Award for Disaster Recovery: Corner Kitchen

A house on the corner and two highlighting photos with business owners

Kevin Westmoreland and Joe Scully founded Corner Kitchen in 2004 in the heart of Asheville’s historic Biltmore Village. For more than 20 years, the restaurant has served handcrafted, Southern-inspired food sourced from local farms and makers, growing to become a Village institution and gathering place for Western North Carolina and out-of-town diners alike.

Following Hurricane Helene, catastrophic flooding submerged the 120-year-old building, destroying kitchen equipment, inventory, and infrastructure, forcing a prolonged closure. The damage threatened the future of the business and the livelihood of its employees. Despite these challenges, the owners remained committed to rebuilding, restoring jobs, and continuing to serve their community.

Thus motivated, Kevin and Joe sought disaster loan assistance from the SBA. The funding helped them to rebuild the historic structure, replace critical equipment, stabilize operations, and ultimately reopen the restaurant. Corner Kitchen has now been welcoming customers once again for nearly eight months.

SBA is pleased to honor Corner Kitchen as the winner of its 2026 Phoenix Award for Disaster Recovery, a national award recognizing the strength and resilience of a small business in the aftermath of a disaster.

This article does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the SBA of any opinions, products, or services of any private individual or entity.