About AIR
Asheville’s Independent Restaurant Association
AIR is all about food in Asheville – delicious, locally-sourced, award-winning food. But we are also about making a difference in the kitchen, at the table, and in the community.
We began in 2003 with the spark of an idea formulated by four local restaurant owners who believed that by working together, Asheville’s independent restaurants could create a culture of collaboration and stewardship unique in the industry. Today, our 13-member board leads an organization of 150+ members, making us the largest not-for-profit (501C-6) organization of our kind in the U.S.
Our kitchens are cooking. The tables are set. We’re saving a seat for you. Come experience how AIR is food in Asheville…and so much more.
Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.
RUTH REICHEL: Food Writer, Magazine Editor & Chef
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Button, Katie Button Restaurants, Chair
Anthony Cerrato, Strada + The Social Lounge + Gemelli, Treasurer
Dano Holcomb, Root Down Kitchen
Cathy Horton, AB Tech
Victoria ‘Vic’ Isley, Explore Asheville
Mike McCarty, The Lobster Trap, Vice Chair
Peter Pollay, Mandara Hospitality Group, Secretary
Sabrina Rockoff, McGuire, Wood & Bissette
Carolyn Roy, Biscuit Head, Former Chair
Vanessa Salomo, Chestnut + Corner Kitchen
Lisa Smith-Vann, Huli Sue’s
Meghan Rogers, AIR’s Executive Director