Ole's Guacamoles celebrates long-awaited homecoming

Popular Black Mountain restaurant returns to previous location, following extensive Helene damage

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 6, 2025

Ole and Elena Delatorre, surrounded by family, longtime customers and representatives from the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, celebrate the grand reopening of Ole’s Guacamole’s, Dec. 3. Photo by Fred McCormick

The familiar aroma of sizzling fajitas, steaming peppers and fresh queso wafted through the air inside a yellow building along Flat Creek, Dec. 3, as a popular Black Mountain restaurant returned to its longtime location, 14 months after being displaced by Tropical Storm Helene.

The grand reopening of Ole’s Guacamoles, celebrated by the family who founded the local restaurant in 2007, loyal supporters and the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, included a symbolic ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the newly remodeled business.

The tranquil creek flowing behind the patio of the authentic Mexican restaurant, which was originally established by Ole and Elena Delatorre in a small building on South Ridgeway Avenue before relocating to its longtime home, rose drastically in late September of 2024. The natural disaster, which led to widespread flooding across the Swannanoa Valley, inundated the structure at 401 East State Street with up to 4 feet of water, according to Elena.

“Everything, kitchen equipment, refrigeration, the electrical system, furniture, was ruined,” she said. “As far as the building is concerned, we had to redo the electrical, plumbing, sheet rock, wood, the HVAC and even the ceiling tiles.”

The business’s second location in Asheville, at the intersection of Tunnel Road and Swannanoa River Road, was destroyed. While the couple was leasing that structure, they purchased the Black Mountain building in 2019.

They were forced to rely on their savings to pay employees in the aftermath of the storm, but fortunate to own a smaller property on West State Street, which allowed them to generate revenue, although limited, as the occupancy was approximately one-third of that of the building on the east side of town.

Without flood insurance to cover the losses, work began immediately after Helene. While approximately 10% of commercial properties in Buncombe County carried flood insurance before the natural disaster that resulted in more than $60 billion in damages across the state, the Delatorres have since acquired coverage through the federally backed National Flood Insurance Program.

“It has been tough, because there was no help from FEMA, since they were focused on residences and not commercial properties,” Elena said.

Work began on restoring their primary location immediately after the storm, and continued nearly daily over the past 14 months. The project, according to the owner, was an emotional one.

“This building has provided for our whole family, all of my sons, their businesses, our business, really everything,” Elena said. “It was important to us to continue that.”

Ole’s Guacamoles, which originally opened on South Ridgeway Avenue in 2007, serves customers in its longtime location on East State Street, after flooding from Tropical Storm Helene forced the business to move to a temporary location for 14 months. Photo by Fred McCormick

While the fully renovated indoor and outdoor dining space offers the same bright colors and festive atmosphere Ole’s Guacamoles has long been known for, measures were taken to mitigate risks from the adjacent creek. Electrical outlets are now 6 feet above the floor level, doorways have been widened to allow easy removal of kitchen equipment in the event of future flooding and stone work around the exterior offers a barrier of protection.

The bar in the Azul Room is repositioned on the back wall.

Elena’s carefully curated artistic tastes, including a portrait of Frida Kahlo, interspersed among decorative sombreros and flowers, accent brightly colored blue and yellow walls. The Delatorres hosted a triumphant soft opening the day after Thanksgiving, that included a blessing from Father John Allen of St. Margaret Mary’s Catholic Church in Swannanoa.

“It was amazing,” Elena said. “Father John loves Ole’s; it’s his favorite restaurant. He loves the steak tacos, or carne asada,” Elene said. “We asked him if he would do us the honor of doing the blessing.”

As a relatively new customer, the priest was only familiar with the temporary location of the eatery.

“He got there with a little bottle of holy water, and when he saw it, he said, ‘this is not enough water,’” Elena continued. “He asked for more water and some cilantro that would allow him to spread the water everywhere. Sure enough, he blessed everything. It was a really special moment for us.”

Elena Delatorre cuts the ribbon, Dec. 3, as Ole’s Guacamoles celebrated its return to its longtime location along Flat Creek in Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick

The Delatorres saved the cilantro used for the blessing, she added.

“I'm going to dry it out, frame it, and put in the restaurant, somewhere,” Elena said. “I think that’s a great way to honor the occasion.”

Diners returned quickly to the popular lunch and dinner destination, which welcomed family and members of the chamber, alongside loyal customers, to celebrate the grand reopening. The business, which has experienced a “really hard year, emotionally, financially and mentally,” Elena said, has been overwhelmed by the support of the community.

“I feel the love, and know things are going to get better,” she said. “There are obviously a lot of mixed emotions for us right now. There is a sense of happiness and accomplishment, but most of all, we know we are stronger than that storm. Black Mountain has been so good to us and we are truly grateful.”

Although their former Asheville location is permanently closed, a new and exciting opportunity on Sweeten Creek Road, in the property formerly occupied by Moe’s Original BBQ, is on the horizon.

“The owner of that property approached us and said she had heard good things about Ole’s and asked if we would be interested in being her tenants,” Elena said. “I worked at the hospital for like 16 years, and I always thought an Ole’s would be awesome over there.”

The family plans to open the new location around spring of 2026.

“We’re excited to be back home, because that’s what this place has been to us for so long,” Elena said. “We’re looking forward to new opportunities, but, most of all, we’re thankful to all of our customers who have supported us for all these years.”