The Village Porch has 13 televisions, 23 beers and a warm welcome for all.

George Pfeiffer Sr. – aka Big George – is unabashed when asked what his hospitality experience was before he and his wife Jeannie opened The Village Porch in Reynolds Village. “None at all!”

He laughs when asked what inspired them to jump into the challenging industry. “I was one of those people who enjoyed going to good neighborhood bars and thought it would be so cool to have my own place and have all my family and friends there. It would be so fun!”

What he didn’t know was that the staff of the family owned business would become family, customers would become friends, and that yes, it would be fun. Just recently, George Jr. – aka Georgie – was delighted to see his parents closing out the monthly karaoke night singing Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning as Saturday night turned into Sunday morning. “It was past midnight and there they were, singing and enjoying themselves. We have some regulars and staff members who have amazing voices, but my parents were having the most fun.”

George Sr. spent much of his career in the trucking and logistics field, moving to Asheville in 2008 from South Florida and opening a car rental business, which he ultimately grew to four locations. Living in North Asheville, he and Jeannie often went to Thirsty Monk in Reynolds Village. “That’s where we would sit and talk about what we would do if it was ours.”

One afternoon in 2020 the two Georges were on the golf course and ran into the GM of the Woodfin YMCA. “Thirsty Monk – which had closed – came up and I randomly asked him to let me know if that space was ever available. He told us that a For Lease sign had just been posted. Georgie was smiling because he knew where we were going as soon as we left the golf course.”

Big George signed the lease in June and proving that he had no experience in the restaurant business, thought they’d be open in 6-8 weeks. The building had its own timeline.

Because they were committed to a full menu, they had to build a kitchen and construct a hood system. Since their concept was a neighborhood sports bar, they had to install televisions, 13 in total. “That was a lot of measuring and a lot of math,” Big George recalls. “We knew we wanted a certain number of 85” TVs and a certain number of 65” TVs and we didn’t want them butting up against each other. We wanted people to be able to see what they came in for without breaking their necks or falling off their chairs.”

Christmas that year, the Pfieffer family – which includes daughters Megan and Carly  – were brainstorming ideas for names. “We wanted something that said warmth, family, hanging out, so porch felt good,” explains Georgie. “We’re in Reynolds Village so Village Porch felt right. It identifies location and connotes warmth and comfort.”

On February 19, 2021, The Village Porch opened to an overwhelming reception. “We had no idea we’d be so packed,” Big George remembers. “We had many bugs to work out, but a lot of people became regulars that very first night.”

George Jr. graduated from college in Florida that December, bought a van and took off to see the country. But when things went awry with the person Big George had hired to run the show as he tended to his other businesses, and Georgie was already back in Asheville, father and son decided to give it a go together. Georgie Jr. officially came on board full time in August 2022, as ‘manager to the managers’ which includes GM Amber Greathouse and assistant manager Hayley Joseph.

Pro and college football seasons are the busiest at Village Porch, followed by college basketball. The viewing schedule is pre-determined, posted on a chart and all 23 televisions are controlled by a universal remote. Tennessee and Georgia are popular college football teams and claim the biggest screens. During college basketball season, it’s Duke and UNC. NFL loyalties are scattered. The Pfeiffer family are some of the very few Dolphins fans in the area; GM Amber is all about the Chiefs and gathers a cheering section on game day.

The Porch Burger is the champion of the menu, but the wings are all stars. That includes the unique cauliflower wings, a concession to vegetarians but enjoyed by carnivores as well. Cheese curds are appreciated by Packers people.

Twenty-three beers are on tap, with well over half local. Cocktails and shots are often color-coded to team jerseys or themed to sporting events like Super Bowl and March Madness. Daughter Megan – a licensed therapist – bartends on Sundays; Carly covers social media.

When George Sr. and Jeannie were still in the conceptual stage of what would become The Village Porch, the television show Cheers was their North Star. “In the end, it’s not the food or the beer or how many screens we have. It’s kinship, it’s home, it’s the host knowing your name, the bartender knowing your drink and the server knowing you always start with fried pickles. It’s saying hello to other regulars that you met there. It’s becoming a member of the Porch family. We lead with love.”

More about The Village Porch

— Written by Kay West

— AIRfare is sponsored by McGuire Wood & Bissette

Photos courtesy of The Village Porch 
First photo:  The Pfeiffer family: Carly, Georgie, Jeannie, Megan, and George 
Second photo:  The beer lineup at The Village Porch
Third photo:  Those all-star wings