Start with three friends who share a passion for vintage, rock and roll, and eclectic decor, add one former pawn shop, wedding bells, and a liquor license, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a legendary business.
Co-owners Mary Kelly and Christi and Simon Whiteley opened Fleetwood’s, a West Asheville staple, in 2017 with one goal in mind: to create a warm, welcoming space that celebrates their passions and invites their patrons to jump right on in. Powered by Mary’s love of music, Simon’s love of vintage, and Christi’s hankering for a local wedding chapel, Fleetwood’s has become an Asheville institution.
Fleetwood: The Car, Not The Band
Contrary to most folks’ assumptions, Fleetwood’s is named for the classic car, not the band Fleetwood Mac. “Simon is a Cadillac man through and through,” says Mary. “We have a 1958 Fleetwood Cadillac parked out front that still gets tinkered with periodically.”
Fleetwood’s used to be a pawn shop owned by a good friend of Mary’s, Christi’s, and Simon’s. “We’d asked him for first right of refusal if he ever decided to close up,” Christi shares, “and the call came randomly one day. We had no real plans in place when we said we’d take it.”…