GATHER has garnered some serious buzz, with its anticipated multiple concepts in an outdoor food-court-setting across from Smiley’s. And, now we know who its first tenant will be: no less than HenDough, the fried chicken and donut stop that WNC has embraced in a serious way.

HenDough fries donuts and chicken on site and offers post-worthy plates like Egg in a Basket (two eggs in a donut with fried chicken, bacon and jalapeno maple syrup), griddled Donut French Toast and one of the best smothered gravy biscuits I’ve shoved in my mouth. Yes, I’ve eaten at Hendough in Hendersonville (and yes, we’re gonna love it in the GVL).

Owners Paul and Sarah Klaassen and Michael Olbrantz are passionate food people, excited to launch not one, but FOUR hyper-fresh-local concepts at GATHER including Roman-style pizza by the slice, stacked griddle burgers (and a homemade veggie burger) and a fourth eatery in the works that we can’t mention... yet.

Paul and Michael met working on the culinary team at Biltmore Estate and Sarah is a trained pastry whiz. Ryan Robertson of SVN Blackstream represented the trio for a year to find the right location and thinks GATHER is the perfect home for HenDough.

You may know Olbrantz name from AVL, where he owns the popular food truck Vitamina T. “The ability to do four different concepts at GATHER is exciting,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to be versatile, fresh and have fun.”

Paul and Sarah agree. “We started talking about Greenville the day we opened HenDough in Hendersonville. It was for sure the next place for us to be.” All three owners will soon live in SC. Obratz is moving to Greenville and the Klaassens are looking somewhat in the middle.

Doug Cross is the brainchild behind GATHER and believes HenDough alone could be a destination tenant. “HenDough is an ideal first concept for Gather. It is delicious and Paul and Sarah and Michael are delightful. They are young, energetic and culinary trained, everything we want at GATHER: local folks creating community.”

Hurry up GATHER and let us in on what else we can nosh next fall. I’m personally ready for coffee, cocktails, sammies, frozen custard and how about some dumplings?