This will be the group’s fifth restaurant following the award-winning Jettie Rae’s Oyster House, Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian (Original and South locations), and Gan Shan.

The Majestic is built around a shared nostalgia for iconic Chinese American dishes. Owner/chef Eric Scheffer, who grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island, remembers the steady presence of New York City’s Mott Street and neighborhood Chinese restaurants as part of his family’s Jewish cultural life. 

“I created this concept because I’ve heard repeated demand from people in Asheville,” says Scheffer. “There’s a real longing for this kind of restaurant: something familiar, comforting, and done with intention. But for me, it’s also deeply personal.”

During menu development, Scheffer consulted with Gan Shan’s Executive Chef Ray Hui, a first-generation Chinese American and son of restaurateurs. 

The restaurant will offer counter service with limited, intimate seating. The focus is on dishes that evoke a specific moment in Chinese American culinary history, when family-run restaurants shaped the food memories of entire neighborhoods: think Shrimp and Lobster Sauce, Crispy Orange Beef, and Szechuan Dumplings. 

The Majestic reflects how Chinese American cooking became a fixture across the country for both immigrant families and the communities that embraced them.

The Majestic embraces the idea that a new generation of chefs and collaborators can carry that nostalgia forward with intention rather than imitation, and write a fresh chapter. It also marks an interest in this cuisine growing outside of major urban hubs. 

Chef Kaya Rehnberg, who has been with Scheffer Group for more than three years, will lead back of house at The Majestic as Head Chef. Ray Hui will continue as Executive Chef at Gan Shan, and serve in an advisory capacity to The Majestic as needed. 

The restaurant’s rabbit logo offers a subtle nod to Scheffer’s daughter, Jordan, who was born in the Year of the Rabbit.

“Like Vinnie’s, this idea comes from the food I grew up with and the meals that were part of everyday life, the flavors that stayed with me long after the plate was cleared,” adds Scheffer. “Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about a restaurant. It’s about creating something people recognize, crave, and make part of their lives.”

The Majestic is slated to open late May 2026. 

Source: The Scheffer Group.