We believe it’s possible to serve delicious, local food at a reasonable price while paying our people a living wage and putting community first—and we’re going to prove it.
It all started when Mike began hosting Thursday sandwich nights at his house. Or really, maybe it began when both of our ancestors immigrated from Sicily to New York.
In early 2023, Mike’s friend Andy bought him a tent and a folding table and said something along the lines of “now you have no excuse to not offer these sandwiches to the public.” Meanwhile, down the road, Gab was hosting weekly homemade pasta dinners on Sundays. The more people in attendance, the more complicated the pasta shape.
The two of us met when Gab, as managing Leveller Brewing and requested that AVL’s Finest pop up at the taproom. A friendship and partnership was born!
Our Team
Michael Bean
Founder, Co-Owner, Chief Sandwich Operator
Growing up near Boston, Mike learned to cook from both of his Italian grandmothers (whose recipes you’ll see on our Sunday dinner menu) and his mom, who raised him on beautiful sandwiches made with big flavor + lots of love & care. His nana says opening a deli has been a dream since he was a teenager.
Before starting Finest and setting roots in West Asheville, Mike led a sports media career that took him through New York, Denver, and LA to do business stuff. Our menu is an expression these travels: Chopped Cheese from his local NYC bodega, Pork Green Chile Burrito that was a staple Denver breakfast, and a Kimchi Chicken sandwich inspired by LA’s multicultural food scene.
Outside of running Finest, working with World Central Kitchen, and sitting on the boards of Western NC nonprofits, Mike spends time with his longtime partner Ari and his dog Luna, hiking and hosting friends. His go-to deli orders are two jammy eggs, sausage + cheese on a roll for breakfast; chicken cutlet with the works + extra hots for a cold sub; chicken parm for a hot sub. With a side of stuffed cherry peppers.
Gabriela Bonfiglio
Co-Owner, Head of FOH, Beverage & Events
Gab ended up in the beer world via Lamplighter Brewing in Cambridge, Mass, where she bartended, built a community engagement program, hosted events, and became a Cicerone. When she got to Asheville, she worked in the Liquid Center at New Belgium before becoming the Taproom Manager at Leveller in Weaverville. She’s infinitely grateful for this opportunity to practice running a bar program, managing a small staff, and hone customer service and marketing techniques all at once.
The beer scene wasn’t the only reason why Gab moved to Asheville. She’s been organizing for social justice/ redistribution/ reparations for 6+ years. From all the way up north in Boston, she could see the strength of grassroots work in WNC. She came to AVL excited to meet fellow queer people and support BIPOC-led orgs committed to building a region where everyone can survive and thrive.
Gab is a Leo and the oldest of four girls, from a big family of Brooklyn Italian Americans, so you can count on her to host some unforgettable parties. When not behind the bar, find Gab foraging for mushrooms, reading Afrofuturist scifi/fantasty, and needle felting. Her go-to deli order is a hot, melty & crispy eggplant parm sub.
Want to see yourself on this page?
Email your resume and ideal role/set of skills to (FOH, BOH, manager, line cook, marketing, etc) to hello [at] finestavl.com.
There are so many more faces behind Finest.
We’d like to thank Anna from J4 Cattle, Wendy from Dry Ridge Farm, and Lyric from Wild East for providing the best local and organic animal products we could ask for. Thanks to Jay + Gwen from Black Trumpet Farm, Sydney and Eli at Hominy Farm, Sarah from Serotonin Ferments, and Chou and Tu of Lee’s One Fortune for the incredible local fare.
Thanks to Sam + Chris from Mother Ocean, Gabe + Namari from Better Thymes for inspiring us as powerhouse local business owners. Thanks to Vinny, Oakley, Anna, Makenna, Jason and AJ from Wild Flavors Tea, and all of World Central Kitchen for modeling resilient community building.