ASHEVILLE - If you're going to buy a restaurant in the midst of a pandemic, nostalgia is among the safer bets.
"People are turning to comfort food at this time, and Tastee Diner really embodies comfort," said Adam Bannasch, who now owns the West Asheville classic with his wife, Kate Bannasch.
The two also own Copper Crown in East Asheville, and Adam Bannasch is a partner in Zambra.
But don't expect small plates to show up on the menu — the new owners want to keep everything the same. There's no reason to mess with a formula that's kept the restaurant humming since 1946.
"He's not wanting to come and change much," said longtime employee Kim Sams. "You don't fix something that's not broke."
More: Inside Tastee Diner
A line of local owners
When Tastee Diner first opened on Haywood Road, Harry S. Truman was president, "It's a Wonderful Life" had just debuted, and Bill Clinton and John Prine were infants.
Founder Herman Brown transformed half of an auto garage into his cafe, eventually turning control over to waitress Margaret Evans and her husband.
Wanting to keep the diner local, Evans in turn sold it in 1989 to David Hinson, a local steel fabricator.
Locals Jonathan Robinson, of The Admiral, and Natalia Rosero took the reins of the historic business in 2016.
'Like a second home'
Sams has worked for three owners since she began working the line at Tastee in 2013.
"It's definitely like a second home to me at this point," she said. "It's an awesome place to work, and we have great customers. It's nice to work in a place where you're happy to see people walk in the door."
Sams knows customers by their orders, even if she can't always remember their names.
More: Tastee Diner reopens under new management
She also said she couldn't ask for better bosses in Robinson and Rosero.
Not much else has changed in Sam's tenure at Tastee — the burgers and shakes remain the best sellers, and Halloween is always an interesting time to work on Haywood Road.
The clientele, however, has skewed younger.
"We're definitely getting the kids and the grandkids of the people who used to come in when I first started working here," she said.
Tastee, which shut down March 10 as COVID-19 cases grew in the United States, will reopen for takeout June 24.
"I'm excited to get back to work," Sams said. "I know the new owners will take good care of us. That's their main priority."
Bannasch's Copper Crown opens June 17 for takeout, with Zambra reopening June 25.
Nostalgia and modern precautions
About a week after opening for takeout, Tastee will begin to offer outdoor seating though, as with many things in the time of COVID-19, much is in flux.
"The staff that works there seems to be thinking that they'll be busy right off the bat," Bannasch said. "What's important to me is to do right by the staff already there."
Bannasch has closely consulted with Sams to hear what sells and what does not. Granola? That will be one of several dishes on the chopping block from the lengthy menu.
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Bannasch will press into use an underutilized takeout window to offer socially distanced service and make some small cosmetic changes.
Historic photos of Asheville on interior walls — the River Arts District when it was a railroad hub, pictured a century ago under floodwaters and the Captain Jeff Bowen Bridge under construction — will remain.
The images drive home a point: This city has changed before, and it will continue to change.
But Tastee Diner, at least for now, will remain the same. Bannasch said that, should he sell the restaurant down the road, he too would try to keep it in local hands.
"I don't want it to change," Bannasch said. "I want people to be like, 'Oh good, it's still Tastee.'"
Starting June 24, Tastee Diner will be open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. at 575 Haywood Road.
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Mackensy Lunsford has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years, and has been a staff writer for the Asheville Citizen Times since 2012. Lunsford is a former professional line cook and one-time restaurant owner.
Reach me: mlunsford@citizentimes.com.
Read more: Subscribe to the Citizen Times here. Subscribe to my newsletter here.
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