HOT SPRINGS – For many Hot Springs residents, the remote area can cause some difficulties in acquiring products and goods for every day needs. Residents are often forced to travel to one destination for groceries, another for things like health and beauty products, and then another for a hot coffee and a sandwich.
Now, though, all those products are available at a one stop shop, at Vaste Riviere Provisions in downtown Hot Springs. Keith, 48, and Sarah Calloway, 40, bought the business Nov. 2. The gourmet market/grocery store opened in 2020.
“We want it to be a place where there’s a varied selection of food and beverages, but also retail products and products from local artists/artisans, and great food,” Sarah Calloway said. “We found some mints from Paris. Our bagels are from New York. There are plenty of things that are super, super local. And then, we mixed in a few things that also give people the opportunity to experience something different.”
Showcasing local artists is a point of emphasis for the Calloways, as they are former Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) members from their time as beekeepers.
Keith Calloway was born and raised in Barnardsville, but the couple gained interest in acquiring the Hot Springs business after a September 2022 stay at the Magnolia House.
Keith Calloway previously operated a studio in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville for his bamboo fly rod shop. Sarah Calloway’s experience in the hospitality industry made the couple a perfect fit for Hot Springs, the Calloways said.
“We loved the location with the rivers for fly fishing,” Keith Calloway said. “I had been in food and beverage before – I have managed a few restaurants in the past – and she has bed and breakfast experience.”
The upstairs building has three 900-square-feet, two-bedroom, one-bath suites that the couple rents out as short-term rentals, too.
“I had managed a bed and breakfast, so upstairs with the suite really appealed to me,” Sarah Calloway said. “It’s kind of like a nice little mesh of everything. He grew up in Asheville when Asheville was smaller, and then I’m from a small town (in Pleasant Garden, outside of Greensboro, North Carolina). So, it’s nice to be a part of a community that’s small. We come out here and we feel like we’ve gotten to know a lot of people. It’s nice to be a part of the community.”
Community response
The Calloways said they’ve received a lot of encouragement from residents and business owners in the roughly two months they’ve owned the business.
“It’s been really nice that people have given us feedback of things that they’d liked about it previously, and then as we’ve made some changes to make it feel warmer and hopefully more inviting, people have really responded well and given us great feedback,” Sarah Calloway said.
“Somebody was like, ‘Make sure you keep this certain type of fish,’ and we’re like, ‘OK, gotcha.’ So, everybody’s really been great. The other businesses in the area, we all know that we’re supportive of each other, and it’s nice to feel that out of the gate. Everybody’s been super welcoming in terms of businesses and the community. That’s really something that makes it, like, every day feels like this wonderful place to be, and a wonderful moment to be part of this community.”
According to the new owners, a number of customers said Vaste Riviere was their preferred destination for wine, so the Calloways have keyed in on maintaining that connection.
“The former owners really had a major focus on wine, and one of the things that we heard from locals was that this is where they came to for wine,” Sarah Calloway said. “We wanted to make sure to continue to have a good offering. Keith has been really educating himself on the different wines and forming good relationships with vendors to be able to offer a really nice collection. We have a little bit for everybody.”
“We like to try to bring in stuff that you can’t go to Ingles and buy – something different,” Keith Calloway said.
Offering quality products is a main focus for the new owners.
“With the retail products and any of the grocery or market items, we try to make sure that it’s not something you’re getting from Amazon or Ingles. These are things that really we can source here and have as a specialty market. So, that’s been fun.”
On Dec. 18, Vaste Riviere offered the first Sunday brunch.
“Sunday brunch is a good way to let our talented team get a chance to play and get creative,” Keith Calloway said.
The owners said they plan to offer an ever-changing variety of menu items, including daily specials.
“We want our menu to be driven by the season, and what’s fresh and what’s good, and what our team can create with it,” Sarah Calloway said. “I can say I’m not a chef, so I’m glad that they have minds that spin in those directions and can get creative and offer delicious dishes.”
Hot Springs resident Robert Tully has lived in the town for 11 years. Many Vaste Riviere staff members affectionately call Tully “the consigliere” of Vaste Riviere.
“Vaste Riviere is great, and now it’s even more so built to what people in the town want,” Tully said.
The specialty market’s new owners reciprocated the excitement.
“It is such a blessing to be a part of the community and to be able to offer this,” Sarah Calloway said. “Our team is awesome. It’s really wonderful, so we’re thrilled.”
Vaste Riviere Provisions is located at 158 Bridge St. in Hot Springs.
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