The Historic S&W Building
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the S&W Building is widely recognized as a prime example of art-deco architecture from the 1920s. The building was designed by architect Douglas Ellington for the S&W Cafeteria chain based out of Charlotte. The new Asheville S&W first opened to the public on July 15, 1929, and in the full-page newspaper article that ran that day, the president of the S&W, Frank Sherrill, said that “Asheville deserved the finest of our chains because Asheville is one of the show pieces of our country. Because Asheville has such a cosmopolitan population, and has such a constant flow of visitors, it is natural that everybody who does any building here should try to do it in as an artistic manner as possible.”
The mission of the S&W in 1929 was to serve locally sourced food, quickly, in a pristine, upscale environment that elevated the dining experience. Douglas Ellington’s two nephews now own the S&W building. They are both passionate about bringing the S&W back as the bustling center of community that it was many years ago. The revitalized interior now allows The S&W Market to offer counter service with delicious, fast and casual local food, just as it did when it first opened almost 100 years ago.
Periscope is a cocktail lounge in the mezzanine of The S&W Market, anchoring the two-story space with fast craft cocktail service, organic wines, rotating art exhibitions, and fresh pies. All of this comes together in a relaxed, creative atmosphere with a first-floor bar and a mezzanine-level bar and tasting room for guests to enjoy.
“The atmosphere here was great, and you can tell that the building’s historical charm was really shining through. Coupled with the new facades of the food vendors, it creates a one of a kind experience in Asheville. Would recommend any of the restaurants, as they are all very diverse and delicious!”
