Our Story
2014
Drake & Jesse's first restaurant in the mountains of Western North Carolina was The Haywood 209 Cafe, opened by Bob & Katina Johnston in 2014.
Bob & Katina are not new to the restaurant business. They established The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. in 1985 and now have more than 90 locations across the United States.
Moving to the area in 2012, it was important for us Drake & Jesse to invest in the community and create jobs.
2018
In 2018, Drake & Jessie Fultz were welcomed to Haywood 209 Cafe as partners in the business.
2022
Drake steadily grew the business and in 2022, they added Crepe & Custard on Lake Junaluska, expanding the family of restaurants.
2024
In the Spring of 2024, the Waynesville Main Street Dinner was added, becoming Downtown Waynesville’s only restaurant featuring home cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Our Impact
Our restaurants have reached out to the community to support local charities and organizations in many ways, most notably
by its support of Helping Haywood, an organization that Drake co-founded.
Our Family of Brands
