ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Christian Barroso says he’s used to overcoming obstacles. He remembers his path to opening his food truck in Asheville’s mountains as an uphill battle.
“I feel like people doubted us because they’re like, ‘Oh, there’s no way there’s authentic Cuban food in Asheville,’ but once they try it, they’re believers,” Barroso said.
He says those believers followed his mobile food trailer to the River Arts District. He opened the “El Patio De Guajiro” bar across from the Swannanoa River last summer, and he parked his food truck next to the building.
“It was like a sister bar that we opened because we weren’t allowed to serve drinks through a food truck,” Barroso said.
The food truck was still parked along the river before Hurricane Helene. After the storm hit in September 2024, Barroso said it was missing for days. He realized it was overrun by the flood waters, and he found it swept away.
“We went out there and we couldn’t even see the food truck. The water was above it, so we thought it was still there, but once the water came down, we noticed that it wasn’t there,” Barroso said.
It took weeks to clean the mud out of his bar, which is still without power six months later.
But Barroso says his supporters helped raise $50,000 to help him buy his new food truck. It’s now parked at one of Asheville’s most popular breweries.
“We don’t move from here, we have an agreement with Hi-Wire [Brewing], and as long we have to stay here, as long as they’re open, we’re here,” Barroso said.
Barroso says he’s happy to be serving customers so soon after Helene ravaged the community.
“I got a tattoo, actually, it says, ‘Be here now,’ and that this reminds me to be in the moment, because I feel like it’s so easy to just get lost in everything that’s going on,” Barroso said.
(VIDEO: Asheville hotel reopens rooftop bar months after Helene)
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