The Relocation
In 2007, after being closed for less than 36 hours, The Hop moved into its new location on Merrimon and opened their doors wide to… no one.
The assumption around town was that the business had closed for good.
Around Thanksgiving that year, the then owners received news of a family nature. The final ties that kept them around Asheville and The Hop had been cut. They decided to put the business on the market.
The Hop on Merrimon circa 2021
It hurt Ashley to know that the business would most likely be torn into parts. She wanted to bring the business back to life, not let it die. After talking it over, the Garrisons went to a business coaching class to consult about saving The Hop.
The coach running the class told them not to.
Start fresh, he said.
But the Garrison’s believed in The Hop.
They knew what it had been. Knew the community of people that gathered and loved it, who had formed so many fond memories. Ashley felt certain she could make changes to the way it was run, improving and building upon its reputation.
The Garrison’s were supported by their friends and family – all of whom knew that they could turn it around.
So, in 2008 – after securing a loan through the SBA – the Garrisons officially became the new owners. Ashley would open the store every day, making ice cream while helping customers. Greg, at that point coaching soccer at UNC Asheville, would come in after practice, closing most nights.
Ashley made friends in the Asheville dessert scene, reaching out for ideas and collaborations. She partnered with the Merrimon Square bakery, Creme, to come up with the perfect salted caramel crunch for the now enormously popular Salted Caramel ice cream (Jenni continued making the caramel praline until 2022, when she passed the recipe on to The Hop).
She reached out to Short Street Cakes for a spicy chocolate cake and to the few (in those days) local breweries to make ice cream with beer reduction.